Basic wiring hook up

[tconnors]

I've searched but can't seem to find some simple answers. I have E*, and planning on upgrading to HD (811 box I pressume). I currently have no OTA, and have two receivers (301 and 501). Will swap the 301 for the 811.

I plan on running a 300'-400' of coax to an antenna at the top of a hill behind my house so I can receive locals OTA. I just need to know how to merge the OTA coax to the two (dish) coax lines going into the house. Can I merge the two outdoors, or do I need to run the two into the house and to the back of the set top boxes?

 

[dlsnyder]

You can use diplexers to combine the OTA antenna with the two dish feeds. Do a search on diplexer and I am sure you will find some instructions on this. The one thing that seems a little iffy is that 300 to 400 foot run of coax from your antenna. I hope you are using high quality coax and an amplifier.

 

[tconnors]

Thanks, I just needed that item name. Yeah I think the coax run will be interesting... I was told I don't need an amplifier, I am only 4-5 miles from all towers. I plan on using RG11... any "cheap" high quality stuff out there?

 

[dlsnyder]

The amplifier would be to overcome system loss (the long run of coax plus splitters and the diplexers). That's a good move going with RG-11! Sorry, I can't help you on a cheap source for that. I was once given about half of a large spool (500' or so) by a cable guy who just wanted it out of his truck. I had no immediate use for it so I put it out on my back porch. It mysteriously disappeared within a week.

 

[video62]

Here's a simple hookup diagram showing a TV antenna and sat dish, and a diagram with amplifiers.

No, I don't know anything about the vendors... I just found the diagrams using a GOOGLE search.

 

[TheBobGoat]

i just want to amplify my cable signal (runs over 100 ft from my main house) -- I bought an inline amplifier, but was wondering if it can damage the TV at all? -- dont want to flush money down the toilet

 

[mike123abc]

I have never seen one damage a TV, but if you over amplify a signal you will know it, the picture will have all sorts of problems, and likely you will have hum and other noise on the sound. Also, you might run into the problem where a very strong signal overloads the amplifier and you get the strong channel on every other channel (like a really bad ghost).

Amplifiers are definitely needed items, but like anything you can get too much of a good thing.

 

[TheBobGoat]

thanks for the quick reply .. i just tried it out -- worked really good ... really good -- i think the colors became a little too intense though . i will have to mess with that a bit -- but took away all the lines. everyone sure this wont mess anything up?

thanks mike

 

[Stargazer]

RG-11 should be used because it will not lose the voltage required to operate the lnbf's and change from even to odd transponders in which run on 13 and 18 volts. If it cannot carry the right amount of voltage it cannot tune in the even or odd transponders because voltage change is its way of telling the lnbf to change from one to the other, if I am not mistaken.