Diplexer help

[Bk456]

Ive always known diplexers will split one cable into two but thats about it. Do I need a specific diplexer for a specific purpose and is there some situations, some types of cables that cannot be split.

Im helping my friend out and we've hit a brick wall so to speak. We want to distribute sky around the house and need to run a cable up to the attic, there is definitely no room in the conduit and we can't even pull the cables out as the guy who did the job before must of got one stuck as they will not budge....

We have a cable in place that this man left but that is for the rf2 socket, that will give sky in every room but we also need a second cable to extend the roof aerial coaxial down to go into the aerial socket of the sky box....is there a suitable diplexer that we can place in the attic with the roof aerial going into one socket, then do i take the cable that is coming from the rf2 port of my sky box and put it in the diplexer as well then a third cable coming out and put it in the uhf port of my splitter box so basically my diplexer is feeding the four outputs of my splitter box with digital freeview and sky uk on analogue channel 68...

Is what Im saying correct, if so I just need help choosing the right diplexer....

My dad actually has this, maxview mhd41 masthead diplexer, is this suitable, it says low channel input, tv/mhp and high channel input on the screw down terminals...

Maxview MHD41 Unscreened Masthead Diplexer Channels 21 - 37 & 41 - 68 NEW BOXED | eBay

PS. what is different about a diplexer and just a basic 2 way splitter...

 

[trevortron]

Ive always known diplexers will split one cable into two but thats about it. Do I need a specific diplexer for a specific purpose and is there some situations, some types of cables that cannot be split.

Im helping my friend out and we've hit a brick wall so to speak. We want to distribute sky around the house and need to run a cable up to the attic, there is definitely no room in the conduit and we can't even pull the cables out as the guy who did the job before must of got one stuck as they will not budge....

We have a cable in place that this man left but that is for the rf2 socket, that will give sky in every room but we also need a second cable to extend the roof aerial coaxial down to go into the aerial socket of the sky box....is there a suitable diplexer that we can place in the attic with the roof aerial going into one socket, then do i take the cable that is coming from the rf2 port of my sky box and put it in the diplexer as well then a third cable coming out and put it in the uhf port of my splitter box so basically my diplexer is feeding the four outputs of my splitter box with digital freeview and sky uk on analogue channel 68...

Is what Im saying correct, if so I just need help choosing the right diplexer....

PS. what is different about a diplexer and just a basic 2 way splitter...

I'm afraid a diplexer won't help you here m8, actually you're a bit stuck. A diplexer (and yes, there are different types for different appplications) can combine two signals of different frequency bands onto one cable. For instance: Satellite IF (what comes out the LNB) and UHF. OR UHF (TV) and VHF (FM radio).
What you are asking it to do is combine UHF from the aerial with UHF from the RF2, they won't mix very happily on the one cable I suspect. You may just get away with using splitters top & bottom (splitters combine signals of the same frequency band) and the reason you may get away with this is that the RF2 output is analogue and the downlink from your aerial is digital, so they might not argue. No guarantees, and you'll probably lose the use of the RF2 magic eye. Best run a second cable if at all possible.

 

[Bk456]

In that case what if I use one of the satellite cables going up the conduit to the dish and mix that with the aerial feed and thats leaves a dedicated cable for rf2 so my other tvs have the best possible picture and use of magic eyes...

Will I just use the cable from input 2 then its only when Im actually recording something while watching something else I will notice a deterioration in quality...

Does that sound like a plan...and is the maxview suitable for the job, by chance do you know where each cable goes in the terminals....

 

[digi247]

I am afraid you cannot use that Diplexer for the Job that you are proposing. you need one as trevotron rightly explained for Satellite + UHF. Also consider that you will also need a plate at the bottom which again separates the signal back into 2.

this may be of some help: Diplexer

 

[Bk456]

So even in my first proposal combining aerial and rf2 in the attic I still need a second diplexer downstairs to again split the connections. And you think it may work as digital and analogue will be on different frequencies. Freeview into high channel frequency, analogue into low channel and cable in the conduit into tv/mhb

 

[trevortron]

Yep, you're on the right track there. I didn't realise you had two sat feeds already. If it's all done properly you will see no degradation in quality. The IF (Sat) and RF (TV) frequencies are sufficiently different not to cause any conflict.

You'll need 1 diplexer (to combine) in the attic, and another (usually in the form of a faceplate as @digi247 says with 2 sockets) in the living room to separate the signals into 2 cables again.

In that case what if I use one of the satellite cables going up the conduit to the dish and mix that with the aerial feed and thats leaves a dedicated cable for rf2 so my other tvs have the best possible picture and use of magic eyes...

Will I just use the cable from input 2 then its only when Im actually recording something while watching something else I will notice a deterioration in quality...

Does that sound like a plan...and is the maxview suitable for the job, by chance do you know where each cable goes in the terminals....

 

[Bk456]

I had hoped to pick up required bits at my local tv shop. The boss is away until next week and non one there can help me with what I need. So will just have to get what I need online...

Not a problem like as will probably work out cheaper but hopefully someone can help me pick out 2 compatible and quality parts....

Wall Plate Combiner Diplexer for Satellite & Terrestrial Saorview Signal - Mixer | eBay

Antiference Sat / Terr Diplexer UDF200-dc Fully Screened Brand new in box | eBay

Mercury Masthead Diplexer for Sat/TV Signal | eBay

 

[digi247]

Are you still wanting to combine a satellite feed and a UHF feed down 1 single cable if you are i always use Triax components but i am sure the ones you have listed will do the job just as well.

If as your previous post you wish to combine Freeview as well as RF2 then a single combiner in the attic should do without the need for a face plate as both use the UHF band

 

[Bk456]

No I want to combine the sat from input 2 and my aerial. I want to have the best possible picture for my rf2....

 

[Bk456]

How about rf2 and aerial going into diplexer and the out going into uhf port of my splitter box. Would that feed all my tvs with freeview and sky on analogue which would also mean I don't need any diplexer face plate downstairs...

Suppose it doesn't really matter as Ive already ordered the sat/uhf diplexer with appropriate wall plate but just wondering if the above scenario is possible....

Would magic eyes also still work and my spitter box is actually powered from my sky box rf2 9v, would power still pass through diplexer....

 

[Bk456]

Ok I did the above step and it does pipe sky and digital freeview to all rooms. I used a max view masthead diplexer but magic eyes did not work even though light is red on eyes which means there is power...

anyway that's not the way I wanted to do it. I first tried using the sat UHF diplexer, sat cable from dish going to sat and roof aerial going to antenna then the one cable going down wall to wall plate diplexer, then sat cable going out of wall plate to lnb2 on sky box and tv on wall plate going to aerial on sky box...

sky works fine, decent signal on inputs 1 and 2, but I've tried tuning digital freeview on my tv and it's not getting any channels...

 

[bhoywonder1967]

... then sat cable going out of wall plate to lnb2 on sky box and tv on wall plate going to aerial on sky box...

sky works fine, decent signal on inputs 1 and 2, but I've tried tuning digital freeview on my tv and it's not getting any channels...

Hi, I'm not sure I've fully understood what you're trying to achieve here but shouldn't the Aerial/TV Out from the wall plate go to Aerial/TV In on your TV rather than the Sky box?

 

[Bk456]

Distributing sky, do you not run rf2 to the splitter box, rf1 to tv and aerial in is your roof aerial coax. If I just put the aerial cable into the tv I would only have freeview for that tv, not the rest of the house...

at the minute I have a 4 way splitter in the attic and I want to put sky and freeview in all rooms. My living room where my sky hd box is located has 3 cables running through the wall, 2 sat feeds and a third coax that was connected to the aerial in on my sky box, that gave me freeview in all rooms.

now I also want sky in all rooms and I know the easiest way would be to run a fourth cable but that's not possible so I'm trying achieve what I want by means of a diplexer...

 

[trevortron]

Distributing sky, do you not run rf2 to the splitter box, rf1 to tv and aerial in is your roof aerial coax. If I just put the aerial cable into the tv I would only have freeview for that tv, not the rest of the house...

at the minute I have a 4 way splitter in the attic and I want to put sky and freeview in all rooms. My living room where my sky hd box is located has 3 cables running through the wall, 2 sat feeds and a third coax that was connected to the aerial in on my sky box, that gave me freeview in all rooms.

now I also want sky in all rooms and I know the easiest way would be to run a fourth cable but that's not possible so I'm trying achieve what I want by means of a diplexer...

3 cables is sufficient for what you want to do. The key to it is to have an exclusive feed from RF2 to your distribution amp, do not try to combine anything else onto this cable as you will lose either the DC feed or the IR pulses.

Cable 1: Straight from dish to Sky+ box i/p 1.
Cable 2: Combine dish feed & freeview aerial signal using masthead diplexer 'up top', & connect faceplate to the other end of this cable in living room: take Sat output to Sky+ i/p 2, take TV output & connect to 'Aerial in' on Sky+ box.
Cable 3: Connect to RF2 on Sky+ box in living room, and in the attic (?) connect to your dist. amp. NO splitters, diplexer etc on this cable.

This will give you freeview on all your other TV's, plus Sky on analogue. IF the Sky pic isn't perfect in the other rooms, you may need to re-tune to something other than the default CH68. Trial & error...

 

[Bk456]

I have did exactly as you say and my satellite is working but free view is not tuning in.

Out of curiosity is there no such thing as a power pass diplexer which allows the use of magic eyes...

 

[digi247]

If you have connected up your cables exactly as trevortron has described then you should have Freeview on all other connections that are directly connected to the loft distribution amp.

You dont need a power pass diplexer for the magic eyes as the cable coming from the RF2 out of the Sky Receiver should be carrying your analogue sky signal with DC volt for magic eyes and the Freeview signal.

If you want magic eye capability on all outputs from the loft distribution amp then you require an amp that has DC pass ability


Forgive my crude diagram:

 

[Rumpelstiltskin.]

Excellent stuff lads.

 

[Bk456]

Yes very much appreciate your input. I will try this again.

But just out of curiousity if my rf2 feed and free view feed were to be combined in a diplexer and going into my amplifier, should my magic eyes work with the right diplexer.

My triax amplifier is dedefinitely magic capable but can you get a magic eye capable diplexer...

Maybe the stuff I've got is no good, anyone care to share links to a diplexer and suitable wallplate for the above scenario....

 

[trevortron]

Yes very much appreciate your input. I will try this again.

But just out of curiousity if my rf2 feed and free view feed were to be combined in a diplexer and going into my amplifier, should my magic eyes work with the right diplexer.

My triax amplifier is dedefinitely magic capable but can you get a magic eye capable diplexer...

Maybe the stuff I've got is no good, anyone care to share links to a diplexer and suitable wallplate for the above scenario....

You RF2 feed already had freeview on it, no need for any diplexer as @digi247 says. A diplexer will only combine/split signals in different frequency bands. Your RF2 and freeview signals are in the same band.
When you say the freeview won't tune in, which TV(s) do you mean? I did forget to mention earlier that you will still need a flylead from RF1 to your main TV's aerial socket.
But to answer your question, 'NO' there isn't a ME diplexer, but you don't need one anyway.

 

[Bk456]

I will try this again. Yes there was cable from rd1 to main tv...

Thank you