Combining Singles and inserting into sat. signal

[novice_geek]

Over the course of the last few days, I've been looking for a way to combine the output of two receivers into the output of a second multiswitch that will feed all of my bedroom receivers. Here's how I want to lay it out... I have a dual-LNB dish with a 3x4 multiswitch after it. For the sake of simplicity and to make the task a bit cheaper, I am going to cascade another multiswitch (3x8) from the first. On that first multiswitch is a DirecTivo that I want to "Channel 3" on the TVs on the second multiswitch (using a diplexer for each set). Here's where it gets complicated.

From the second multiswitch, I want to connect two regular receivers and two DirecTV+ DVRs. I also want to take the output of one of the regular receivers and have it inputed into multiswitch #2 as "Channel 4".

I've pretty much figured out how to setup eveyrthing, but I don't know how to combine the two signals without getting a crappy signal. I've tried it once before a few years ago with two regular receivers and an el-cheapo TV splitter connected backwards, but all I got was a terrible picture on one channel and static with a hint of sound on the other. I'm not sure if that's because one receiver was 10 feet away and the other was around 100 (in cabling), or because of the splitter, or some other reason.

So please, does this make sense, and is it possible?

TIA!

 

[vegassatellite]

Having the two channels next to each other is going to create issues with co-channel interference unless you properly balance the two signals, a difficult task with receivers at different distances. You can buy a modulator for each TV signal you want to distribute. They make them in single channel, 2 channel, 4 channel, etc. Set the channels to be at least 2 channels apart. For best signal, channels 95-99 CATV are pretty low frequency so will pass pretty efficiently.

Your best bet will be to get a 2 channel modulator. You'll need to feed composite video & audio into the modulator from both boxes. If this isn't possible because of the receivers being in separate rooms, you can always feed channel 3 and channel 4 on separate coax wires to 2 separate VCRs that have RCA line outs and just tune those into 3 and 4 respectively. Then feed the VCR line outs to the modulator and distribute the modulated channel lineup out to the rest of the house.

 

[novice_geek]

Vegassatellite, thank you SO MUCH for the reply. I'm glad to see that this is actually possible and not another one of my crazy ideas...

I have two more questions for you:
1. Where can I purchase these modulators at?
2. Would the signal quality be ok if I took the coax from one receiver and ran it to the room with the other receiver and used a VCR to convert it and then used the composite feed straight from the other receiver as the other source? (sorry for the run-on sentence.)

Thanks for all the help!

 

[vegassatellite]

You can get modulators at radio shack, but you can get better ones online.

2. You should be alright, you will still have to take both composite feeds and run them into a modulator to create a 2 channel lineup.

 

[novice_geek]

One last question... is a duplexer required on all of the runs or can I simply run the one's that aren't feeding into the antenna input straight into the DirecTV receiver?

As I stated earlier, I have several DirecTV Plus DVRs that I'm using and I really don't want to buy a duplexer for every wire if I only need one for one wire out of the pair.

Thanks for all of the help! I really appreciate it!

 

[vegassatellite]

Diplexers are only necessary on those wires that will be carrying both satellite signals from dish or switch to the receiver and also carrying OTA or other locally generated channels such as those coming from a modulator.