TV Aerial Help.

[Spudnik]

Chaps,

Doing an extension at the mo, and part of the spec was a TV point in the kitchen.

No probs, or so i thought.

Basically, TV drop lead straight into a tv outlet in the current dining room.

Over the years, the client has added 2 more outlets by connecting 3 cables, inc drop lead into the back of the existing outlet and ran them up through the house.

Now the wall in which this is installed is coming out, so re routed all the cables to the loft and installed a 4 way SLX aerial amp.

Finished off, powered up and nothing.

No signal to ANY of the TV's coming from the amp.

Long story short, disconnected everything from the amp, bodged and twisted them all back together and now it works!!

Ummm, any ideas or should i just use a passive splitter instead of the amp?

Must admit, i have NEVER EVER had a problem like this before with doing an install in this way!!

FTR, the amp works perfect as i have just tried it in my house.

Would the signal be over boosted maybe???

A little help would go a very long way on this

Ta.

 

[Mr Brady]

I suppose, if there was nothing coming out of the amp then perhaps there was nothing going in.
Maybe a short on the feeder, or what you thought was the feeder was'nt really, I would think that if it was over boosted you'd get something, even if it was garbled.

 

[daniel hill]

i once got told by an aerial fitter that if signal isant strong enought for an amp it will only amplfy the rubbish
is the aerial in the loft as this some times doesent help matters

 

[Spudnik]

Thanks for that chaps.

The TV signal is spot on when i have basically, removed the amp and coax plugs, stripped the cables back and would all the conductors together, literally.

If i then run it through the amp, then i get no signal.

One thought i did have was maybe there was a masthead amp but there isnt.

 

[Mr Brady]

It sounds like you only need a splitter, how far is the house from the transmitter? is the signal strength good even on channel 5? or a freeview box?

 

[thepurple1]

You might have the cables crossed i.e. the cable that you thought is comming from the from the aerial is actualy going to one of the TV's so that you are trying to ampify nothing.
with some splitters it dont really matter which is your incomming cable and which are your outgoing cables. try changing the cables around.

 

[Spudnik]

I did check the main aerial feed to make sure i hadn't crossed them

I must admit, i thought that i actually had.

Freeview signal is good, even with 2 TV's running.

 

[acvc]

This may be off topic a bit and excuse my ignorance, but is there a measurable voltage between core and sheath 'conductors' in co-ax loaded with a signal? Could measuring this demonstrate the presence of a signal of a particular strength/voltage?

 

[kung]

Tried an attenuator ? 0-20db adjustable are good for fine tweeks even with a booster if needed but given what you appear to be saying as said a splitter sounds a good start.

 

[thepurple1]

You could invest in an RF meter to see what signal stregnth you were getting at each T.V but if this is your only job it wouldnt be worth it

 

[Doomed]

I did check the main aerial feed to make sure i hadn't crossed them

I must admit, i thought that i actually had.

Freeview signal is good, even with 2 TV's running.

Are all the T.V.s on freeview (digital signal), if so does your booster only amplify analogue signals?
Just a thought, no idea really

 

[Spudnik]

Thanks chaps for all your help.

I went back with a splitter plugged them all in, switched them all on and everything worked a treat.

I have NO idea why a booster would kill the signal!!