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SOT: Can you connect two antennas into one for the OTA tuner?

D

Deadlocked

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Aug 15, 2012
2,339
433
Greenville, North Carolina, United States
If so, how? I'm hoping to be able to point one so I can receive Raleigh locals (Been able to get the NBC (17) and Fox (50) affiliate but wanting to get WRAL (CBS; 5) which is from the same place as 50)


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An inexpensive sat or cable splitter can also be used as a combiner. Be aware when you do this that you might get some odd antenna patterns going on, not always as simple as aim directly at 2 locations with 2 antennas and they are peaked out.
 
It seems Channelmaster discontinued a UHF/VHF combiner/Amp a few years ago. I have one in the attic combining a low VHF and UHF antenna and amplifying it for distribution. I can't recall the model number, but this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-Outdoor...-Separate-UHF-VHF-Amplification-/130774586388 looks to perform the same function at about 1/2 the cost of the channelmaster unit. I personally wouldn't trust anything RCA branded, but that seems to be the only choice.

A simple splitter can work before amplification. There may be some interference and coupling between the antennas that causes some issues, but it can work. And, it's easy and cheap to try.
 
probably was model CM7777. I have one outside that is about 8 years old. Some still on ebay..

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...RC0.H0.XCm7777&_nkw=Cm7777&_sacat=0&_from=R40
 

What type of issues may there be?


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Bobby said:
Signals bouncing off of each other and providing zero picture...
Click to expand...

This is called "interference". When you have the same signal coming into the summing junction from two antennas, you will get interference. You might hope that this will be constructive interference, which is what is engineered into multi-bay antennas by careful consideration of element alignment and signal distance to summing junctions. But more likely you'll get some degree of destructive interference and the signal will be lost.
 
Bobby said:
Signals bouncing off of each other and providing zero picture...
Click to expand...


Exactly what I said, with fewer words...
 
I have done it with 3 antennas before, but used single channel filters and band spliters to get the right mix. I do not know if they even sell that stuff any more, it has been a long time.
 
Deadlocked why don't you setup what you want then if you have problems come back to satelliteguys but this time go to the " Rabbit Ears OTA FORUM" and hopefully get the needed answers.
 
Bobby said:
Exactly what I said, with fewer words...
Click to expand...

Well, that's sort of true. But technically speaking, signals (photons) cannot bounce off each other because they are bosons. And now I've probably explained to everybody what my profession is.
 
The problem with combining antennas that are pointed in different directions with a common splitter/joiner is that half of the signal coming in antenna A goes to the TV and the other half goes out the other antenna, same for antenna B.

If your signal is strong enough to withstand loss of half of it and still be resolvable at the TV, it can work.

I am not sure about the gadget in post #2 but it says 3.5dB insertion loss which is 1/2 of your signal, it appears to be a simple joiner/splitter with AC/DC band pass on Antenna #1 - hardly worth the asking price. I would investigate further and see if it is something more than tht simple joiner/splitter, it might be worth a try.

Most of the time if you have a few channels in two wide spread directions you can filter out the unwanted channels and pass selected ones with a set of jointenna filters properly designed as referenced in post #12.
 
Deadlocked said:
If so, how? I'm hoping to be able to point one so I can receive Raleigh locals (Been able to get the NBC (17) and Fox (50) affiliate but wanting to get WRAL (CBS; 5) which is from the same place as 50)


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Click to expand...

What antenna do you have to start with now. You may just need a good VHF/UHF one. It looks like you may only have a UHF antenna.
 
I've always been told to use 2 identical antennas, spaced a minimum distance apart, with identical lengths of coax between antenna and combiner, to reduce/eliminate interference.
 
whatchel1 said:
What antenna do you have to start with now. You may just need a good VHF/UHF one. It looks like you may only have a UHF antenna.
Click to expand...

No clue, both are outside attached to poles on either side of the front porch. Both are AT LEAST 14 years old and have weathered many a hurricane (so some missing/bent parts, etc) and still hits a strength of 100 most of the time for the locals. WRAZ 50 usually hits 55-60 when there is a signal (spotty at best if it's not a clear day) and WNCN 17 is slightly better since it's signal is actually from Goldsboro.

I have an indoor/outdoor one (bought after the mandatory digital transformation) that I've tried but it can't even get 17 when it's indoors so I gave up on it.


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TheKrell said:
Well, that's sort of true. But technically speaking, signals (photons) cannot bounce off each other because they are bosons. And now I've probably explained to everybody what my profession is.
Click to expand...
A boso?

How could you be so unkind as to introduce quantum mechanics into a discussion of radio wave propagation?
 
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