Rural TV help

Tired of paying for free broadcast TV via satellite. Figured out the mast height, the antenna I need for DTV and so forth. One thing I haven't found via the web is how I'm supposed to connect the RG-59 cable from the TV antenna to the RG-59 dual cables that route through house entrance.

The satellite receiver has two such cables that go to a box external to the house. On the lower side of the box, the 2 cables that entrance the house connect to that. Those 2 RG-59 cables that entrance the house were installed by the builder. There is only one TV connection in the house in the wall, in the living area.

Basically what I'm trying to do is utilize the current one or both RG-59 cables inside the house to connect to the new external TV antenna, which has one/singular RG-59 cable..

May not be specific to this newsgroup, I know. Closest I could find without going to web-based hosting of newsgroups.

Reply to
Dioclese
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If you are bagging the satellite just use one of it's wires.

If you are keeping it then take a look at the back of the satelite reciever, many of them have an input for a broadcast antennae.

No matter what, if you keep the satellite you need to run new wire.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

That's the setup I have here. There are two "heads" on my antenna pole and each 75 ohm (flat two wire) tv connector leads from the respective antenna to a box that combines the two inputs into a single pair of outlet screw terminals. Attached to these terminals are TWO 'balun' 300/75 ohm adapters

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From these two adapters run the TWO RG-59 cables down and into the house to two different rooms in the house. One connects directly to a (new style DTV) adapter box and then into an older flat screen TV (NTSC tuner). The other runs to the living room where it can either be connected to my DishNetwork "Antenna In" co-ax connection or directly to my ATSC tuner "IN" on my HDTV (..thats the way I have it)

"TWO that enter the house" but ONE TV connection ? Where does the SECOND cable lead ? You've lost me there?

R
Reply to
Rudy

I believe you want one of these where the cable enters the house to combine the signal and another inside to split it again...

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Reply to
Cwatters

PS: If your DTV antenna needs any kind of amplification it's normally best to put this amplifier at the mast head. If you need to run power back up up the coax cable to powre the amp, check the splitters.combiners are compatible with that.

Reply to
Cwatters

"Cwatters" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posted.plusnet:

If you are rural you WILL want an amp at the antenna. Many antenna amps have connections for input from two antennas, so you will have that covered. Then run RG6 (not RG59) down to the house. Since you don't know how the existing wires are run, forget them. The best way to do it would be to run the new RG6 to an accessible central location, install a splitter there, and run more RG6 to each location. If we are talking a large house or more than a couple drops, I would install a 'unity' amp/splitter combo. It is a combination amp and splitter designed so that the output of each leg of the splitter has the same signal strength as the input to the unit had.

The reason for all this is that digital has a major difference from analog as far as signal strenth goes. An NTSC (analog) tuner will do the best it can with the signal it gets. Below a certain signal strength it starts outputting noise (snow) as well as image, but will output SOMETHING until the bitter end. ATSC (digital), on the other hand, will simply stop processing once the signal strength drops below a defined level, and will wait for a better signal before it starts decoding again. Thus the dreaded pixelation and 'freeze frame'. Since almost all ATSC signals are going to be UHF, you will probably be facing some loss of signal strength already. You don't want to lose a lot more by doing a poor wiring job.

Reply to
tim

It is very important that you properly ground an outside antenna. This is one of the better information sources available.

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Reply to
Voyager

Most of the research I've done says the broadcasters are moving their VHF channels to the UHF band when going digital. I found a website that confirms that with most of the broadcast channels in my area. So, I got a UHF antenna. Box description: Phillips indoor/outdoor amplified flat panel antenna UHF/HDTV digital. MANT940.

I understand the siplex setup now. The antenna manual recommends going to RG-6 quad shield if the RG-59 20 foot cable supplied is inadequate for length. The mast I'm using is 30 feet in length.

I see the noted power injector in the MANT940 shipping box. The power supply for it is there. There is a note in the manual that the power injector (powers the amplifier section in the antenna) must be installed prior to any splitter or amplifier. It also says that the power injector and its power supply are for indoor use only. As a result, looks like I can't use the cable system already built into the house. Not exactly what I was looking to do.

My end intention is to connect all this up to an RCA digital to analogl receiver, then connect audio/video out to my stereo system and TV. I don't intend to power it all up until broadcasters are using full power for digital. If I'm satisfied, I'm discontinuing satellite service for TV.

Reply to
Dioclese

ge

Are you sure the wire in the house is 59? Most builders install 6 during construction. If you are bagging the satellite and figure out where the house wire runs you might be able to use it. It might be that one of those two wires goes directly to the tv you are using now. The other probably goes directly to an outlet somewhere else in the house.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

Are you sure the wire in the house is 59? Most builders install 6 during construction. If you are bagging the satellite and figure out where the house wire runs you might be able to use it. It might be that one of those two wires goes directly to the tv you are using now. The other probably goes directly to an outlet somewhere else in the house.

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No, can't tell as the house painters spray painted the cable. Could be either. Both cables are connected externally to what appears to be a diplex adapter of some sort. The satellite antenna has 2 cables that connect to that on the feed side.

No, there's only one receptacle in the house for TV connection.

Its common to split the signal (diplex), and recombine the signal at the wall outlet (diplex). Not to be confused with diplex for splitting bands and never reuniting them. For example one for FM radio, one for UHF TV.

After more research, yes I can use the current cabling system in the house. Best to use a siplex splitter from TV antenna, and use both cables outside the house for most gain. If ghosting appears, back off to one cable only.

Reply to
Dioclese

The 6 will be fatter than 59. Take a piece of 59, most of those cheap coax patch cables are 59, and hold it next to the house cable. House cable fatter? Then it's 6.

Keep in mind another receptacle somewhere else in the house may have a blank wall plate over it.

There is no advantage to using two cables for the same signal. It's not common at all. In the way old days cable ran two different bands on separate cables. Been a long time since then. Short the cable at the tv out by stuffing some aluminum foil in the end. Go outside with an ohm meter and figure out which cable is the one going to the tv, it'll be shorted. The other should be open. It's not likely that they ran two cables from a splitter to a combiner at the other end. If, by rare chance they did, then you would find the combiner by taking the plate off the wall at the tv end. Or you might just find the cut off end of the second cable. No decent installer would have buried a connection, even cable, inside a wall except in a box.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

there's a big obvious difference between 6 and 59 even with the paint.

s
Reply to
Steve Barker

If so, must be RG-59. Messed with that alot when I ran in-apartment network for PCs in 2 apartments I was in.

Reply to
Dioclese

Its 59.

You're deadset in believing something that's not there..

One band/one cable interface, 2 cables on the satellite antenna. Its more than one antenna. Doesn't matter on the satellite decoder box end what band. The satellite antenna sends and receives. I can't draw you a better picture than that.

Reply to
Dioclese

.

Then you might as well bag the existing wiring. You want 6, not 59. For best results run 6 from your new antenna to the tv.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

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