Nice but expensive VHF-UHF combiners for ATSC

[wa2ise]

Here in the NYC area, some of the DTV stations have reclaimed their old NTSC channel assignments, namely 7, 11 and 13. Everyone else is up on UHF. My mom's house still has the big VHF rooftop antenna, and a master antenna network thru out the house. This system handles the VHF DTV signals fine, but the UHF signals don't do so well. But small UHF hoops or rabbit ears work fine for UHF. Using a regular splitter allows the two antennas (VHF house, and UHF hoop or rabbit ears) to conflict with each other. Had an old VHF and UHF combiner, and that worked will but I needed a few more. Radio Shack sells similar VHF UHF combiners, but they are rather expensive, about $15 apiece. But it does the job. Now I can tune about the dial without having (usually!) to mess with the antenna.

[Ed in Tx]

We have a similar situation in DFW. All stations except for two moved to UHF. All the problems everyone is having now is almost always trying to receive the two VHFs with a so-called "HD" antenna sold to them which are almost always UHF only. I do wish they had moved all TV to UHF to simplify the antenna needs. However with talk by the FCC now to take back spectrum from TV less than a year after the transition to sell it off for $$$$, who knows where it will all end up.

See article here:

http://broadcastengineering.com/news...spectrum-1102/

[N9ZQA]

I've got a LCD with a built-in ATSC tuner. It's currently being fed RF from a satellite DVR on Channel 68, and I have an attic-mounted antenna for over-the-air OTA. I'm currently swapping cables to change sources. Are there any devices which would allow me to combine the two feeds without sending the DVR's output back up the antenna?

-Jim

[matt_s78mn]

You should connect the TV and DVR with AV cables instead of RF. You'll get a better picture... especially if your TV and DVR have component or s-video. Much better picture quality than RF, so then you'll be able to leave the antenna connected.

Originally Posted by N9ZQA

I've got a LCD with a built-in ATSC tuner. It's currently being fed RF from a satellite DVR on Channel 68, and I have an attic-mounted antenna for over-the-air OTA. I'm currently swapping cables to change sources. Are there any devices which would allow me to combine the two feeds without sending the DVR's output back up the antenna?

-Jim

[N9ZQA]

Originally Posted by matt_s78mn

You should connect the TV and DVR with AV cables instead of RF. You'll get a better picture... especially if your TV and DVR have component or s-video. Much better picture quality than RF, so then you'll be able to leave the antenna connected.

Ordinarily, I would; however the DVR is in another room at the far end of the house (It's a Dish 625 dual-tuner) and is connected using existing wiring. It may come to that eventually; it would certainly be an easier way of changing sources.

-Jim

[Ed in Tx]

I've seen active signal combiners for Ch 3 or 4 insertion into an antenna system, which keeps the inserted RF signal isolated and from going back out the antenna transmitting to the neighbors, but never one for Ch 68. That RF output of Ch 68 seems very unusual to me but then again I've never had a Dish satellite receiver. (I do have a Dish DTVPal DVR and it puts out RF on 3 or 4) Also your RF signal is also most certanly mono so you lose stereo on that TV (if it matters to you). Very few if any stereo RF modulators around. ( I have an MTS stereo modulator Ch 3 or 4 selectable but it was pretty expensive back in its day 15 or so years ago.)