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signal problems using UHF/Sat combiners

  • 14-01-2012 07:21PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87 ✭✭


    My sister recently cancelld her subscribtion with sky so, having looked at several videos and doing a bit of research here, i decided to have a go at setting up free-to-air/saorview for her.

    She had sky in 3 rooms, one cable to each box. I put in a uhf aerial beside the dish with a 3 way outdoor splitter. I then used 3 indoor sat/uhf combiners housed in a big junction box (3 cables from sat, 3 cables from uhf splitter, 3 existing cables running to rooms). I then split the signals again at each tv using sat/uhf combiners. I used ferguson ariva combo box's. Everything worked fine initially but over the xmas they began working intermitently.

    The signal for the irish channels wasnt affected on any box. But the sat signal would somtimes go on one or two of the box's but never all three. then only the sound would go on one somtimes. i checkd the junction box with the combiners and a small bit, not much, of rainwater had found its way in. So i got a proper outdoor 4 way sat/uhf combiner and re-done all connections but the problems persisted. a couple of the box's sat channels were working intermittently and on one somtimes sound went. on one the likes of channel 4, e4, film 4 wernt working but other channels were. then none would work. I checkd the signal level at one of the box's when it wasnt showing the sat channels with a meter which is a basic sat/uhf meter with l.e.d's and the signal had dropped.

    Anyway iv decided to do away with the combiners and wire a cable to each box from the aerial so each box will have seperate feeds for sat and terrestrial.

    I'm just wondering if anyone could tell me why this might have occoured?

    Could it have been faulty combiners?

    Maybe the existing cables that were put in for sky wern't capable of carrying the combined signals?

    Any suggestions welocome thanks!!


Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    Where exactly did you fit the UHF aerial?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87 ✭✭paulcdub85


    Peter Rhea wrote: »
    Where exactly did you fit the UHF aerial?[/QUOTE

    To get the saorview channels aswell as the UK free-to-air channels


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 16,262 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    paulcdub85 wrote: »
    Any suggestions welocome thanks!!

    Is there a DECT phone nearby? They can interfere with the satellite signal.
    paulcdub85 wrote: »
    Peter Rhea wrote: »
    Where exactly did you fit the UHF aerial?

    To get the saorview channels aswell as the UK free-to-air channels

    Paul, suggest you reread the question.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87 ✭✭paulcdub85


    Peter Rhea wrote: »
    Where exactly did you fit the UHF aerial?

    Sorry thought you said why...the aerial is fixed on the chimney as is the sat dish..its in Dublin and is getting full stregnth signal.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87 ✭✭paulcdub85


    The Cush wrote: »
    Is there a DECT phone nearby? They can interfere with the satellite signal.

    Thanks cush, yes there is a cordless phone...should the cordless phone not be in any of the romms with sat boxes?


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    paulcdub85 wrote: »
    Sorry thought you said why...the aerial is fixed on the chimney as is the sat dish..its in Dublin and is getting full stregnth signal.

    I just wondered if you'd maybe fixed the aerial in such a way that it was obstructing the dish.

    And yes, try powering down the phones & bases.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,284 ✭✭✭Figerty


    Can you think of anything that changed since they were installed to cause the problem, like a new phone or something else.

    In other words, can you go back to the original setup when it was working?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 339 ✭✭Booms


    When you say you got a proper 4-way Sat/UHF combiner, was this from a satellite supplier, and maybe looking something like this:


    Quad_TV_SAT_combiner.jpg

    It will have nine connections - one aerial input, four satellite inputs and four combined tv/sat outputs. You'll have one spare input/output pair if you're only using three cables.

    Combining an aerial with more than one satellite downlead needs to use a combiner that will keep each individual satellite feed isolated.

    At the other end you can use just a simple sat/tv combiner/splitter.

    Can you post a picture of the combiner you used?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭Ronnie Raygun


    paulcdub85 wrote: »
    then only the sound would go on one somtimes.... on one somtimes sound went.

    Would this just be a quirk of the box when disturbed by a weak signal?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 898 ✭✭✭Liameter


    paulcdub85 wrote: »
    i checkd the junction box with the combiners and a small bit, not much, of rainwater had found its way in.

    If water entered the cable, the only solution is to replace the entire length. (You could try simply chopping off the first metre but there's no guarantee that water won't have gone further.)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭zg3409


    I agree with Liameter . If water touches ANY part of the cable ,replace it all.

    Sometimes it's a good idea to put a small hole at the bottom of the box to let out any drops that do get in.

    Also if your signal is not 100% on satellite then adding a combiner at the top and a second combiner at the bottom will drop the signal a bit. The more connections the worse the loss etc.

    It's also advisable to use the highest quality satellite cable. What is the signal strength on the sky box before and after the duplexer is fitted?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87 ✭✭paulcdub85


    Booms wrote: »
    When you say you got a proper 4-way Sat/UHF combiner, was this from a satellite supplier, and maybe looking something like this:


    Quad_TV_SAT_combiner.jpg

    It will have nine connections - one aerial input, four satellite inputs and four combined tv/sat outputs. You'll have one spare input/output pair if you're only using three cables.

    Combining an aerial with more than one satellite downlead needs to use a combiner that will keep each individual satellite feed isolated.

    At the other end you can use just a simple sat/tv combiner/splitter.

    Can you post a picture of the combiner you used?

    yes this is the one i used after i was having problems with the ones i origionally used.

    Origionally i used 3 indoor combiners housed in a big junction box on the roof and also indoor combiners to split the signal back at each TV. But the problems still persisted with the proper outdoor combiner.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87 ✭✭paulcdub85


    Thanks for all the responses.

    Yesterday i rewired the whole set up. twin cables to each room, one for sat and one for aerial. all issues are now resolved. I noticed one old cable was badly damaged by the dog chewing it so that could have been one cause.
    On one of the boxes the sound was somtimes going when they changed channel. This was a HD tv and id used a HD lead. I have read on other forums of this occouring with HD box's/TV's...possibly a faulty lead? anyway i just changed it for a scart lead as there not too fussed about HD anyway...


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    It was already hinted at above, but your problem was probably caused by a drop in satellite signal, unrelated to the combiners, maybe due to the dish becoming misaligned.

    Removing the combiners (& their insertion loss) has brought the signal up to spec again but probably only just.


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