Weak Signal on OTA Antenna Run Side-By-Side w/ Dish

[jasonhutch]

I have two RG6 qual shield coax lines running side-by-side from the attic down into the basement. One is hooked up to the Dish satellite, the other to a Terk HDTVa antenna. With the Terk hooked up directly to my 622, I get a number of locals with decent signal strength. With the Terk in the attic running on the long coax run, I can't pull in hardly anything. If I aim it just right, I can barely pull in WGN that normally gets around 100 on the signal meter. I have tested the OTA antenna coax line with a MultiMedia Cable Tester and it tests fine.

1. Has anyone had any issues running an OTA line side-by-side next to a coax line with the Dish signal?

2. Do I need to somehow boost the Terk signal because it's running on a long coax run? What exactly do I need to buy to increase the signal strength?

3. Can I use a Super Home Node to run everything on 1 line? I already have diplexers on both ends for the backfeed as well as splitters on both ends to allow the UHF antenna to also be in the attic. Can I add OTA to the single line using the Super Home Node?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[oljim]

First thing to do is get a better ant. Terk is known for high price Low signal

 

[jasonhutch]

First thing to do is get a better ant. Terk is known for high price Low signal

Yes, I know, thanks. However, I was getting a pretty strong signal with the antenna on top of the TV, and now with the antenna in the attic, I barely get anything. Is it possible to get a worse signal from the attic than the basement?! Do I need to amplify the signal due to the long cable run?

Thanks!

 

[noremac]

1. Yes, it's possible that the cable run could cause noticeable signal loss. How long is the run?

2. Although not common, it's also possible that the attic location is not as good as a basement. Does your attic contain any foil-backed insulation, metallic ventilation ducting, flue ducts? What kind of siding or roofing material is between the antenna and the broadcast towers?

3. I don't understand your description of diplexers & splitters at all! If used improperly, these could kill your signal in the wrong way. Is this Terk antenna powered?

 

[jasonhutch]

1. The run is probably about 30-40 feet.

2. The attic does have a few metallic vent pipes in it. The siding is vinyl. No foil-backed insulation. The roof has asphalt shingles.

3. The Terk antenna is powered, however the reviews of the product indicate that the signal strength does not increase with the in-line power turned on or off.

My splitters/diplexers are set up exactly like diagram 3 in this document: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=16845&d=1180969999

 

[msadvertising]

A 30/40 foot cable run should not cause your problem. More than likely, your TERK antenna is the problem. How ols it it? Newer antennas, developed onver the last year are smaller and more powerful and designed to receive UHF digital signals. Considering your investment in TV entertainment, get the best new antenna you can find.

 

[jasonhutch]

A 30/40 foot cable run should not cause your problem. More than likely, your TERK antenna is the problem. How ols it it? Newer antennas, developed onver the last year are smaller and more powerful and designed to receive UHF digital signals. Considering your investment in TV entertainment, get the best new antenna you can find.

I bought the Terk last year. It's a Terk HDTVa indoor amplified antenna.

I guess I'll have to try and find a place to hide it near the TV, as it looks like the attic is not going to work. I was really hoping to get steller reception up there, I'm surprised it's such a weak signal.

 

[Fredinva]

I bought the Terk last year. It's a Terk HDTVa indoor amplified antenna.

I guess I'll have to try and find a place to hide it near the TV, as it looks like the attic is not going to work. I was really hoping to get steller reception up there, I'm surprised it's such a weak signal.

correct: lose 30 to 40 % with antenna in attic !!!!!!!!

 

[noremac]

I agree that a 30-40 ft cable run should not be causing a problem, but I'm a little more concerned about the splitter/diplexer arrangement. If you are setup exactly like Diagram 3, then you have two splitters and two diplexers in the signal path. The splitters eat 3dB each, and the diplexers maybe 1dB. So the total loss might be 8 dB. Figure the cable length adds another couple dB, so a total of about 10 dB loss. That's enough to explain marginal performance from a small (i.e. low gain) antenna, mounted in an attic. Have you tried turning on the power amp in the Terk?