TV Antenna Connection

I hooked up a digital converter box to one of my 4 home TV's and I could not get any digital channels, only analog channels! I am 30 miles out of StLouis and get analog TV ok. I have 2 antennas inside the attic (one was provided by a UHF channel broadcaster in StLouis) that connect to a splitter (2 lines into 1).....then to an amplifier...then to a 4 way splitter (1 line into 4)....then to the 4 TV's.
I assume my problem is a weak signal due to an inside antenna and the use of the signal splitters, even though I have an amplifier. Lots of folks will have the same problem in Feb when they go to digital broadcasting.
Do you agree? I plan to rig up an outside antenna as a first step.
Also is it proper to connect the 2 antennas using a 2way splitter in reverse as I have it connected?
How else can you hook up 4 TV's? That surely is not all that uncommon!

ccr,

First, let's get the simple questions out of the way.

Yes, you can reverse a Splittler and feed two signals into it, and out to your equipment. Assuming it's a good Splitter. Sometimes you find ones that block signals intentionally. Yours should be 5-1000Mhz/-3.5dBm through it.

In Attic mounted Antennas, there is some singnal loss due to the Shingles, but, it still is possible to get a good signal through them. Personal experience on that issue, I have an Attic Mount and get great reception. But, you will get better reception with an outside Mount.

On hooking up the 4 TV's, that's about it, and it's not uncommon.

Now, you do have several pieces of equipment inline there, and given that, it's a lot to try to diagnose all at once.

I'd get the Amp and Splitters out of circuit for a test, and try running the Antenna directly to the DtA Box, then to a TV. Do a Search and see if you can pick up the Digital, regardless of quality as just a start. Try both Antennas that way, just to make sure that the simplest path is working.
You'll probably need a couple or more "Couplings/Unions", where you can take (bypass) the Amp and Splitters out of circuit for this test. (they're cheep)

Give that a try, and let me know how that goes, and we'll go from there.

Have a good Day !
S.W.

Nice post. Although I haven't antennas now because I have a cable but I have suffered a lot in past. I wished to read such posts at that times.

I have made some tests with my system and made the following conclusions.
Moving the antenna outside brought in 3 digital channels with my amplifier running, and hooked to a splitter to 4 tv's.
Changing direction of the antenna did not bring in more digital channels. I am 30 miles west of StLouis towers so the direction is pretty well known.
Running the antenna to only one tv instead of 4 thru splitter brought in 6 digital channels, again with the amplifier running.
My antenna is a large job with many rods projecting from it. I also have another antenna which is supposed to be tuned for a single uhf channel in StLouis and when I hooked it up together with the large antenna, I got 6 digital channels running the amplifier and all 4 tv's.
I think some broadcasters are using uhf now and might change after Feb. I suspect I will have to get a better antenna capable of receiving both uhf and vhf. They might also turn up their power or something in Feb. I will wait till then to decide what to do but I bet I will need a better antenna.
I predict a lot of folks will have similar problems in Feb and a firestorm of complaints will surface!!

CC,

If you're thinking about re-wireing, the popular wire is RG-6 now.
You might find this comment interesting...

http://forums.solidsignal.com/satellite-installation- equipment/1652-whats-difference-between-rg6-rg6-quad- shielded.html

Have a good Day !
S.W.

Post edited by: SWHouston, at: 2008/10/13 08:25