Technical question re: D*/Cable/OTA

[alta]

I have D* and basic cable (its free) running to my TVs and D* receivers through the same coax. It works fine. I had an installer put up a HD OTA antenna so I can get my locals in HD. The D* and cable still work, but the OTA signals do not come through.

The installer is guessing that the OTA antenna has a dual directional power source that isn't compatible with the cable signal. He suggests that I disconnect the cable. As much as I don't want to give props to cable, it is the only signal that is reliable in severe weather, and that's when I need a signal most.

Do any of the experts out there have any input?????

 

[lou_do]

I have D* and basic cable (its free) running to my TVs and D* receivers through the same coax. It works fine. I had an installer put up a HD OTA antenna so I can get my locals in HD. The D* and cable still work, but the OTA signals do not come through.

The installer is guessing that the OTA antenna has a dual directional power source that isn't compatible with the cable signal. He suggests that I disconnect the cable. As much as I don't want to give props to cable, it is the only signal that is reliable in severe weather, and that's when I need a signal most.

Do any of the experts out there have any input?????

What receiver are you using?

 

[shadyB]

Run the OTA antenna cable to your HD box, so that you will have everything you need 99% of the time. Then run the basic cable coax to an an antenna input on your tv. When you have really bad weather and need a non-local cable channel switch to that antenna on your tv. Remember the ota antenna feed will still work in bad weather so you should not lose your ota hd in storms.

 

[alta]

Just to clarify, I have 4 TVs hooked up to 4 D* receivers. I'm guessing that I'll end up keepng the cable TV, but run it as a seperate line to one of the TVs for emergency purposes.

I was hoping that someone has experience with my specific set-up.

Thanks for the input.

 

[lou_do]

Just to clarify, I have 4 TVs hooked up to 4 D* receivers. I'm guessing that I'll end up keepng the cable TV, but run it as a seperate line to one of the TVs for emergency purposes.

I was hoping that someone has experience with my specific set-up.

Thanks for the input.

What model is your D* HD receiver(s)?

 

[boba]

OTA uses 54-82 mhz for channels 2-6/174-210mhz for channels 7-13 and 470-800mhz for UHF channels 14-69. Cable uses 5.75 to 450mhz for sub-band to hyper-band cable channels. Cable Ultra-band goes from 469-889mhz. depending on your cable system it maybe using the same frequencies as the OTA channels. You can't put both signals on the same coaxial cable at the same time the strongest signal will be the degraded picture that you see.

 

[alta]

What model is your D* HD receiver(s)?

I have the H20-600, the Hughes HTL-HD and an RCA DTC-210.

Boba, thanks for the help.

 

[lou_do]

I have the H20-600, the Hughes HTL-HD and an RCA DTC-210.

Boba, thanks for the help.

With the HTL-HD you can use both the cable and OTA antenna. The top coaxial connection is for the OTA antenna. The middle one is for the cable and the bottom one goes to the TV (If you are using RF output).

Not sure about the other two models, but I have a HTL-HD and you can connect both with it.

The HTL-HD has a lot of nice features that the new H20 doesn't. I am sure going to miss them when D* changes out my MPG2 receivers.