Satellite IF splitting

dabfan

Hi,
Can someone recommend a satellite IF splitter? My application has two data receivers, both operating on the same polarization, and the IF frequency is the same. What's the best brand of passive splitter - and is an active active splitter worth while?

Thanks

DB

watty

EMP Centauri

Liameter

A passive splitter (in an ideal world) will provide 50% of the signal to each receiver, so make sure your signal is strong enough.

The receivers need to be on the same polarisation AND band if it's a "universal" LNB.

zg3409

Some receivers have an IF out connector which you can use.

You could try a passive splitter and check the signal levels.

What is the application and the product you are using?

dabfan

Hi,
Its a data receiver, I cant really afford to loose 3db which I'd expected to see with a passive splitter.
I'm affraid that an active splitter will decrease my carrier to noise ratio. Both receivers are using the same polarisation.

DF

zg3409

You will lose AT LEAST 3dB with a passive splitter. However a passive splitter also reduces the noise by 3dB too. So your signal to noise ratio may stay the same, depending on the existing noise in the system and the sensitivity of the equipment.

Normally you would use a larger than normal dish to give a larger signal to noise ratio. As I don't know the system and setup it's hard to recommend anything but you could use an LNB with multiple outlets also.

Can you send a link to the equipment datasheet and explain what sort of a dish/LNB setup you are using?

watty

Since the IF signal is actually massive and the issue is SNR at LNB, a 2 way passive splitter with 5dB loss even will make no difference as the noise is attenuated too as zg3409 says.

I have run receivers with 20% signal fine because quality was 80%

Active splitters ate for driving "trunks" in massive distribution systems with maybe 2000 receivers off one dish. I've actually used trunk passive splitters on Satellite IF (nearly 11dB per non-trunk port)