OTA antenna question for 811

[Gatorito]

I've got a question for the experts out there: I am having problems getting a signal with an indoor apmlified OTA antenna. The previous owners of my house had a large boom type outdoor antenna that is mounted on a 15ft pole in the back corner of my house. I am going to try to hook that up as I should be able to pick all local channels (for HD) with it. The room where it is located doesn't have an attic or a basement so the wire run would be seen coming down my patio wall. Is there any way to avoid running a wire to my 811?. Since my sattelite cables are running inside the walls, could I run the wire to my dish switchbox and patch it there so that the antenna signal comes in on the same cable run as the sattelite? If not, then I have to get a chipping hammer and cut a channel into my cinder block exterior wall and then patch it up.

Any help from those with greater knowkedge than I is greatly appreciated.

 

[MrDRC]

I dont know about running the cable with the sat cable, someone else will have to answer that but DONT get out a chipping hammer. Get a good masonary drill bit and some masonary anchors. No need to trench a channel in your exterior wall. Just attach the cable with masonary anchors and drill to your HT setup with the masonary bit.

 

[heatho]

You can use Diplexers. You'll find them at most electronic stores. I bought mine at Home Depot for $10 each. Radio Shack sells the same thing for $22 a piece. You can also find them on the web for cheap.

My Diplexer setup seems to work great.

 

[Harry]

Yes, diplexers is the answer. I need to do the same thing when I get time.....my antenna leads comes in the wondow right now!! :shocked

Lowes sells them for around $12.

 

[Gatorito]

Thanks for your help guys. I have a couple of questions:

MrDRC: I am not sure what you mean by drilling to my HT setup w/a masonry bit. THe only way to get cables to my tv room is to run them along my back patio wall. I usually bury them in the wall by chanelling w/a chipping hammer. By the way, good luck to the tide tomorrow on National Signing Day. As a Gator fan/alum, I like the SEC better when 'bama is strong.

Harry and heatho: I am not sure what a diplexer is. Is it a splitter? Do I run a cable from my antenna to the switchbox? If so, do I connect the diplexer to the cable that is running to my 811 before or after the switchbox? Please advise as I am new to this stuff.

Thanks again for all your help. It is greatly appreciated.

 

[DirtyMack]

Thanks for your help guys. I have a couple of questions:

MrDRC: I am not sure what you mean by drilling to my HT setup w/a masonry bit. THe only way to get cables to my tv room is to run them along my back patio wall. I usually bury them in the wall by chanelling w/a chipping hammer. By the way, good luck to the tide tomorrow on National Signing Day. As a Gator fan/alum, I like the SEC better when 'bama is strong.

Harry and heatho: I am not sure what a diplexer is. Is it a splitter? Do I run a cable from my antenna to the switchbox? If so, do I connect the diplexer to the cable that is running to my 811 before or after the switchbox? Please advise as I am new to this stuff.

Thanks again for all your help. It is greatly appreciated.

In theory yes, a dyplexer is a splitter.

 

[Mainstreet]

In theory yes, a dyplexer is a splitter.

Kind of, but not really. Really it's a combiner. It combines two signals from different frequencies onto one cable. A typical diplexer allows the input of frequencies from 40-860 MHz on one port and the input of frequencies from 950-2150 MHz on the other port. Then another diplexer attached to the other end of the cable splits the signals back apart in the reverse order.

You need two of these:

Note that the satellite side is power passing. This allows the DC power to pass through to the LNB.

Do I run a cable from my antenna to the switchbox? If so, do I connect the diplexer to the cable that is running to my 811 before or after the switchbox?

You would want to put the diplexers inline between the switch and receiver. You would run a cable from your antenna to the antenna (UHF/VHF) side of the diplexer outside. You would then run a cable from the antenna port of the inside diplexer out to the antenna in port on the 811.

 

[Gatorito]

Mainstreet: Thank you very much. You even included a picture. That was above and beyond!! I will be trying this very soon. By the way, is there any loss in picture quality when this is done?

 

[hancox]

Mainstreet: Thank you very much. You even included a picture. That was above and beyond!! I will be trying this very soon. By the way, is there any loss in picture quality when this is done?

picture quality? no, digital is digital in that case. Depending on whom you ask, diplexers *might* lower your signal strength. E* guys would probably disagree with that. V* guys seem to shun diplexers, although I think it probably has more to do with their crap Motorola STB.

 

[MrDRC]

Gatorito:

I assumed you had a concrete wall to go through in order to reach your HT setup. I had a brick wall to go through and just drilled through the wall with a long masonary bit and attached the cables with masonary anchors in the bead joints of the brick up to my antenna & dish setup. It is not visually unattractive if you route the cables neatly. I would think the labor involved in chipping out a cinder block wall would be alot of work and rather ugly when you patched it with mortar. Is your cinder block painted? Many people paint cinder block walls beige or some soft earth tone since its much more appealing than exposed concrete blocks. If you run the cable on the surface of the wall just paint the cinder block and cable a soft color that matches the color scheme of your house and save yourself all that chipping and patching.

BTW: I see the gators got another bigtime recruit yesterday. The Zook'er sure can recruit em!

 

[mboy]

Would I be able to use this with my 811 and an indoor antenna? For example, I have an 811 with the feed coming into the house. Thinking of putting the diplexer on the line coming into the house for my 811 (the cable is split an connected by a connector) and then add the line for the Antenna for OTA?
Sounds strange I know, but my 811 is already in my BIG entertainment ctr. and It will be EXTREMELY difficult to run another coax to the back of it.

 

[DirtyMack]

Kind of, but not really. Really it's a combiner. It combines two signals from different frequencies onto one cable. A typical diplexer allows the input of frequencies from 40-860 MHz on one port and the input of frequencies from 950-2150 MHz on the other port. Then another diplexer attached to the other end of the cable splits the signals back apart in the reverse order.

You need two of these:

Note that the satellite side is power passing. This allows the DC power to pass through to the LNB.




You would want to put the diplexers inline between the switch and receiver. You would run a cable from your antenna to the antenna (UHF/VHF) side of the diplexer outside. You would then run a cable from the antenna port of the inside diplexer out to the antenna in port on the 811.

By 'switch' do you meant the silver box that plugs into the 811?

 

[Mainstreet]

By 'switch' do you meant the silver box that plugs into the 811?

The type of switch you have depends on your system configuration. How many receivers do you have? How many dishes do you have?

For example:
If you have 2 receivers, and don't have a second dish for CBS-HD or secondary local channels, you probably have a DishPRO or Legacy Twin LNB. In this case, your switch is built in to the LNB. You could splice into the line anywhere between the dish and the point of entry to the house and you'd be fine.

Example two:
If you have more than one dish, you will have either an SW21, DP21, SW64, or DP34 switch mounted close to the dishes, tying them together. In that case, you would place the outside diplexer between the switch and the point of entry.

Give me more info on your system, and I can tell you more. Or you can call me. My phone number is listed on our website.

Justin

 

[DirtyMack]

I have 2 receivers, an 811 and an a 4700. I also have an extra line coming in, because at one point i had 3 receivers connected. Dish is coming out tomorrow to install a second dish for CBSHD.

 

[Mainstreet]

I have 2 receivers, an 811 and an a 4700. I also have an extra line coming in, because at one point i had 3 receivers connected. Dish is coming out tomorrow to install a second dish for CBSHD.

I still don't know what kind of switch you have, but it really doesn't matter. Just put the outside diplexer anywhere inline between the POE and whatever connector is at the end of that cable, and you should be fine. That is, unless you need an amplifier for your antenna. In that case, you should run a second line.