Whole house distribution question

[KyDave]

I currently have a setup which essentially routes my dishnetwork model 4000 output to all other televisions via channel 4.

I am using a dedicated combiner from radio shack. Don't have the model number handy, but it is about the size of a deck of cards and black, and was about $20. It has 2 inputs and one output (duh!) and one input has a switch where you specify channel 3 or 4 and the other input is for an outdoor antenna. It worked MUCH better than the $5 SPLITTER/COMBINER jobs at walmart (they don't work very well as signal combiners!) This has worked very well for many years.

I recently added an AB switch where the 4000 output is to have EITHER (A) the 4000 output be selected OR (B) the output from a VCR. (This was actually to route DVD info thats routed INTO the VCR........)

When A is selected it works great.

When B is selected, it works great WHEN THE VCR IS ON. When it gets shut off, it somehow STOMPS ON ALL THE CHANNELS being routed to the house. They all get very bad interference. I guess when the VCR is on, the VCR RF output is ONLY channel 4 info, where as when it is OFF it passing through ALL antenna input and when that gets to the combiner in the basement it clashes.

Confused yet?

Any ideas to stop the CLASHING? Maybe ideas on a better signal combiner?

 

[TheaterWizard]

I would loose that old modulator and get a new digital two channell unit, this will solve all of your problems and get a much better picture throughout your house.

 

[KyDave]

Thanks, TW.

When you mention scrapping the old modulator, are you refering to my old signal combiner (combining a channel 4 signal with outdoor antenna) because I don't currently have a standalone modulator.

My modulators (in my limited understanding of a modulator) are built into my 4000 and VCR. My 4000 already has a channel 4 output (my 'A' for the AB switch which works great) and my VCR also has a channel 4 output (my 'B' on the AB switch which only works when the VCR is on).

If I get a new modulator, I would still have to combine that signal (whatever new channel I would select) with my outdoor antenna.

What are your thoughts on this: I put a new digital modulator between my current AB switch and the current combiner and specified channel 4 input and channel 4 ouput. Seams redundant, but maybe it would clean up my problem where the VCR being off passes through the ENTIRE antenna spectrum (and clashes the combiner) - this new modulator would still send a blank channel 4 to the combiner.

My head hurts......

 

[mike123abc]

You might want to keep your old modulator. A really good modulator such as: http://www.smarthome.com/7781.HTML

are very expensive. These do MTS stereo.

 

[Mr Tony]

KyDave
If I understand this right, on your "combiner", on the output goes to your TV's (duh!), the one input is your antenna and the other input has an a/b box on it. A is the DIsh and B is the VCR..

When you power off the VCR, the antenna hooked into the VCR is clashing with the antenna going into the other input on the combiner. The combiner is confused because the slot that the Dish & VCR are in only recognizes ch3 or 4 and the antenna is screwing it up.

You can hook the VCR into the antenna slot on the combiner..then when the VCR is off, the antenna passes through into the combiner. The 4000 would be in the other slot.

The other option is a RF converter..It has a coax input for antenna (that you can hook the 4000 to) and a a/v plugs (where you hook the VCR to)..When the VCR is on, it overrides the 4000. When the VCR is off, the 4000 would go through to the other rooms.

I hope I didnt confuse you more

 

[KyDave]

Thanks for the input.

You can hook the VCR into the antenna slot on the combiner..then when the VCR is off, the antenna passes through into the combiner. The 4000 would be in the other slot.

The only thing that concerns me about that is when the VCR is ON - it would only output channel 4, so all other LOCALS would get stomped on throughout the house.

The other option is a RF converter..It has a coax input for antenna (that you can hook the 4000 to) and a a/v plugs (where you hook the VCR to)..When the VCR is on, it overrides the 4000. When the VCR is off, the 4000 would go through to the other rooms.

Now thats a thought. Sounds like a regular MODULATER (RCA IN, CHANNEL 3/4 OUT) but what you describe has an extra ANTENNA IN. Very interesting. Any links?

 

[Mr Tony]

You can hook the VCR into the antenna slot on the combiner..then when the VCR is off, the antenna passes through into the combiner. The 4000 would be in the other slot.

The only thing that concerns me about that is when the VCR is ON - it would only output channel 4, so all other LOCALS would get stomped on throughout the house.

Very true...never thought about that

The other option is a RF converter..It has a coax input for antenna (that you can hook the 4000 to) and a a/v plugs (where you hook the VCR to)..When the VCR is on, it overrides the 4000. When the VCR is off, the 4000 would go through to the other rooms.

Now thats a thought. Sounds like a regular MODULATER (RCA IN, CHANNEL 3/4 OUT) but what you describe has an extra ANTENNA IN. Very interesting. Any links?

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-1214

The extra antenna would help you out..It has an automatic a/b switch in it...if the vcr is on, the rf converter would switch to that, which would run out on ch 4...When its off, the rf converter switches back to the "antenna side" which you plugged your 4000 into..the converter is bypassed and the 4000 would operate on ch4. The antenna side on the original converter is untouched..

 

[KyDave]

Wow, that looks sweet. Thanks!!!

Off to the rat shack at lunch tomorrow..........

 

[Mr Tony]

Glad I could help.

 

[TheaterWizard]

I may be a little late here but this is what I was thinking for your system.

Use the modulator Aska RFDM-200 input the sat receiver into input one, put your VCR into input two. combine the output of the modulator with the ant signal using the inexpensive channel master combiner on the bottom of the page and output that to a splitter.

The operation would be simple. any TV hooked up to the splitter would have the choice of any signal, SAT, VCR or Ant signals. This cost a little more than Iceburgs recommendation, however you would have the ability to access any source at any TV location simutaneously.

Here is a link to the modulator I spoke of.
http://www.starlink-dss.com/modulator.html

 

[da bears]

Shouldn't it be possible to take the channel 3 output from your receiver and combine it with a OTA and get a decent picture for my extra TV's?

I have done this but my OTA picture is fine but my satellite signal has sparkles and interference. I'm using RG-6 cable on everything.

thanks

 

[TheaterWizard]

Shouldn't it be possible to take the channel 3 output from your receiver and combine it with a OTA and get a decent picture for my extra TV's?

I have done this but my OTA picture is fine but my satellite signal has sparkles and interference. I'm using RG-6 cable on everything.

thanks

If there is any picture on channel 2 or 4 form your OTA then you will get a result similiar to what you are seeing. With modulators you get to choose the channel to display you sat on so there are no interference issues.

 

[AllieVi]

For anyone interested, I believe Radio Shack now sells a stereo modulator for about $40. IIRC, it works on channels 3 and 4 like their standard version.

I have one of their UHF/Cable channel models that sells for about $25 and am very satisfied with it. For some reason it's priced $5 cheaper than the standard channel 3/4 version.

 

[mike123abc]

I route my receivers throughout the house. I have a dual stereo modulator ( http://www.smarthome.com/7781.HTML ) I use one input for my 6000, the other one for my AV receiver (so I can send anything from vcrs to dvds throughout the house).

I run a separate cable up from the modulator to the first splitter where the TV antenna comes in. Then I use a band pass filter ( http://www.smarthome.com/7822.html ) on the antenna input to clear out channels above 64 for the modulator. I then have an amplifier that combines the two inputs and does a 4 way split on them ( http://www.smarthome.com/7750A.html ).

So, essentially every TV in the house gets the 6000 on channel 65 and the home entertainment system on channel 67.

 

[TheaterWizard]

I route my receivers throughout the house. I have a dual stereo modulator ( http://www.smarthome.com/7781.HTML ) I use one input for my 6000, the other one for my AV receiver (so I can send anything from vcrs to dvds throughout the house).

I run a separate cable up from the modulator to the first splitter where the TV antenna comes in. Then I use a band pass filter ( http://www.smarthome.com/7822.html ) on the antenna input to clear out channels above 64 for the modulator. I then have an amplifier that combines the two inputs and does a 4 way split on them ( http://www.smarthome.com/7750A.html ).

So, essentially every TV in the house gets the 6000 on channel 65 and the home entertainment system on channel 67.

Nice work, that is exactly what I was trying to recommend, however not using stereo modulators as he was using the coax output anyway(which is a mono output)to save him some $$.