Re: ch.3/ch4 combiners

"Bill Henley" wrote:
Timothy Daniels wrote:

Does anyone have any experience with ch3/ch4
"combiners"? Do they work well?

They supposedly can combine/separate the ch.3/ch.4
output of a set-top box (e.g. a satellite "receiver") with
OTA signals with no interference between the two signals.


They work well, but "NO interference" is a little strong. It is a band
stop for the chosen 3/4 frequency on one leg and a band pass for
that frequency on the other leg. Does a good job, even when the
frequency was used, but is better if there wasn't anything there to
start with. It is usually suggested to use Ch 3 if your local OTA
doesn't use 3 and Ch 4 if that isn't used locally. With CATV, you
probably have both in use and they'll lose access to one or the
other with the combiner. If the TV has AV inputs, they'd be better
off switching inputs. If there are TVs off in bedrooms, you need to
go with the coax to get the internationals there too. You didn't say
what model DISH receiver, or if it was a DVR. I'm guessing it isn't,
but a 522/625 DVR has a built in agile modulator to put the signal
on a user selectable UHF (21-69 IIRC) channel. It likely can select
Cable output, but you need a hole in your CATV or use a high/low
block.

One other choice MIGHT be to plug the livingroom CATV coax
into the Ant in of the receiver (again, check receiver model).
Most all DISH receivers support a coax Pass Through of the
Ant In to RF Out on a toggle of the TV/Video button - same as
any VCR would do. Leaving the TV(?) set to coax input, select
Ch 3/4 to watch Sat while Sat is powered on. Power off or hit TV/Video button on Sat remote to send CATV input to RF Out
to TV(s?). Newer DISH HD receivers that use Ant in for
NTSC/ATSC do NOT toggle that input to RF output with
TV/Video button.

Thanks, Bill. I'm the condo association's "TV implementer"
and I'm preparing to rescue a family which has been directed
to take down an English language dish and use OTA (which
they don't realized was stolen by their adjacent-unit neighbor).
They subscribe to DishNetwork, but the association's community
dish is DirecTV, and I expect I'll also get stuck with implementing
OTA HiDef someday as well. So I gotta know this OTA stuff.

*TimDaniels*

.

Quantcast