The missing link

JoyPad

Hi,

Is there a splitter that will allow me to connect my ex-sub digibox in parallel to an FTA-receiver for a second TV?

I currently have a minidish looking at Astra2 and the LIDL dish pointing at Hotbird. The LNBs are connected to a diseqc switch, and the cable goes to the FTA-receiver (which supports diseqc).

I can connect the digibox to the FTA's pass-through, but it only gets a signal if the FTA is turned off. If the FTA is on, the digibox receives no signal.

What I would want would be some sort of independence between the digibox and the FTA-receiver. I guess the digibox will always receive the signal of the selected LNB, but I should be able to select a different channel for a second TV.

Is it possible?


Thanks,
JP

P.S. Don't tell me "dual LNBs", cause I can't run another cable from outside. The question is for a splitter, something to put in the house on the existing cable.

Zaphod

You'd be amazed what sort of useful stuff you can learn with the 'search' function at the top of the page ...
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JoyPad

Your previous post does not particularly deal with a diseqc switch.

Would a cheap splitter from maplin work?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=9273&TabID=1&source=15&WorldID=&doy=19m1

Also: I knew about the polarity (which can only be solved with multiple output LNB), but what is this band you're talking about? Could you give me some examples of channels on same/different band for Hotbird?

Thanks.

Zaphod

JoyPad wrote:

Your previous post does not particularly deal with a diseqc switch.

Perhaps my previous post was a little anaemic? It doesn't particularly matter whether there is a diseqc switch present or not, because the single cable requirement means the switch will have to be between the splitter and the LNBs. IOW you will still be able to only split the signal from one LNB. AFAIK, digiboxes don't support diseqc (?) so the FTA will always control the diseqc switching if it's powered up.

JoyPad wrote:

Would a cheap splitter from maplin work?

Yes, but not especially well. Because of the one port DC passing, the master receiver will have to be powered on at all times for the second receiver to work and will have control over polarity switching. Not the most convienient if you're in a different room trying to flick through channels on the slave receiver.

Also, although it doesn't specify, I reckon it's a passive splitter - the signal strength is halved as it is split between 2 receivers + a small additional loss going through the splitter itself.

The Global splitter is better because it has 'smart' control of the DC power passing via internal diode switching - there are no hardwired slave or master ports. Either or both receivers can be powered on simultaneously.

It is also an active splitter which provides signal amplification meaning the signal strength is as good (and even better!) than if the receiver was directly connected to the LNB.

JoyPad wrote:

Also: I knew about the polarity (which can only be solved with multiple output LNB), but what is this band you're talking about? Could you give me some examples of channels on same/different band for Hotbird?

Thanks.

A Universal LNB operates over the entire Ku band by having 2 Local Oscillators at 9750 and 10600 MHz covering 10.7 - 11.8GHz (Low band) and 11.6 - 12.7 GHz (High band) which are selected by the absence and presence of a 22KHz tone respectively.
Further info here:
http://www.netcentral.co.uk/satcure/lnb.htm

Examples on Hotbird are TV Biznes 10719 MHz,V, 27500 (Low) and Sky TG24 12713 MHz, V, 27500 (High).

If you had some spare cash, a Johansson Stacker/Destacker , a 4X2 diseqc switch and 2 dual LNBs, with a digibox that did support diseqc, you could have completely independent control of the LNBs.



The only caveat being while the Johansson FAQ says is supports disecq, the specs only mention mini-diseqc, so you might have to replace the 4X2 with 2 mini-diseqcs assuming the Stacker will isolate the commands from the 2 receivers.


Right, I'm off for a big feed of liver, garnished with fava beans and washed down with a nice Chianti.

jhegarty

JoyPad wrote:

Hi,

Is there a splitter that will allow me to connect my ex-sub digibox in parallel to an FTA-receiver for a second TV?

I currently have a minidish looking at Astra2 and the LIDL dish pointing at Hotbird. The LNBs are connected to a diseqc switch, and the cable goes to the FTA-receiver (which supports diseqc).

I can connect the digibox to the FTA's pass-through, but it only gets a signal if the FTA is turned off. If the FTA is on, the digibox receives no signal.

What I would want would be some sort of independence between the digibox and the FTA-receiver. I guess the digibox will always receive the signal of the selected LNB, but I should be able to select a different channel for a second TV.

Is it possible?


Thanks,
JP

P.S. Don't tell me "dual LNBs", cause I can't run another cable from outside. The question is for a splitter, something to put in the house on the existing cable.

a dual / quad lnb is your only man for this sort of thing.... never seen any way around it ;-(

Tony

jhegarty wrote:

a dual / quad lnb is your only man for this sort of thing.... never seen any way around it ;-(

actually its known as a twin, dont mean to be smart but a dual has v on one port and h on the other, rarely used these days

Zaphod

Another possibility which is almost as flexible as the dual lnb route:



The advantage of this route is that the Sky digibox now has full control of LNB switching using one of these , you avoid any possible complications between disecq commands and the stacker, and you can use your existing LNBs.

In practice this means the Sky digibox can display 13E and the FTA box 28E simultaneously, with no worries about polarity or bands, and vice versa. But the band and polarity restrictions again apply if you want to watch 13E on both receivers simultaneously.