...no tv aerial connections, only telstraclear ports in apartment???

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › ...no tv aerial connections, only telstraclear ports in apartment???

ajkiwi

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#24233 18-Jul-2008 16:50

...okay, just moved into a new apartment. Excellent. Recommend it to anyone, etc, etc.

Surrounded by a million boxes right now, but just arrived at one containing TV and media center, so figured I'd plug them in and tune them for Wellington.

Except that my 3 story apt does not seem to contain a single tv aerial port. Only Telstraclear cable ports. Am I missing something here? Can I magically plug into one of these things, or am I stuck with (a) buying my tv over a cable (not bloody likely) or (b) finding a good set of freeview happy rabbitears?

Confused. No neighbours around during the day to ask... ideas?

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#149216 18-Jul-2008 17:16

Moving back 2 years in time this was the ultimate solution - all TV was SD 4:3 and because TCL passed through the FTA channels unscrambled you could plug a normal TV in and watch it. Things are now very different!

eXDee

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#149232 18-Jul-2008 17:55

I was going to post a link to the flat panel UHF aerial from freeviewshop that was confirmed to work indoors perfectly, but its disappeared.

ajkiwi

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#149283 18-Jul-2008 20:18

sbiddle: Moving back 2 years in time this was the ultimate solution - all TV was SD 4:3 and because TCL passed through the FTA channels unscrambled you could plug a normal TV in and watch it. Things are now very different!

Given that we have an olde 4"3 crt TV, this may well be the solution! Do you need a TCL set top box to get the signal, or is there some way of gettnig the unscrambled signal out of the cable socket? Or does this not work any more?

God, just when I think I understand things, I go and find something else I know nothing about...

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cyril7

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#149303 18-Jul-2008 21:09

Are you sure its TCL, most city appartments have V/UHF combined antenna feed diplexed with an LBand feed from Optus D1 (ie Sky/FreeVeiw_DTH). If it is TCL then the analog FTA feeds will be there so just connect and scan for them, if its a combined antenna/LBand then again connect your TV for analog (and possibley digital if passed through) off KauKau, or a FTA DVB-S STB.

Cyril

ajkiwi

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#149307 18-Jul-2008 21:21

Hmm... the connections seem to be threaded screw in, like the TCL cable one. Certainly not like my standard aerial connector... are there tv aerial connectors that are screwin? Am I really missing something that basic?

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allstarnz

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#149315 18-Jul-2008 21:34

it's no Sky digital is it?

they look pretty similar I understand.

A friend of a friend lives in an apartment, they have Sky digital feed pumped directly to their apartments.

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cyril7

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#149316 18-Jul-2008 21:35

Most apartment buildings in Wellington (depending on age/size) dont have TCL but have combined antenna/Lband, and yes its presented as an F connector, which is a threaded one. If you have the right cable you should get V/UHF reception from KauKau, ideally if it is combined you should use a diplexer to seperate but not mandatory. As I said it should normally also have Optus D1 LBand IF on it as well (ie satellite).

Cyril

ajkiwi

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#149317 18-Jul-2008 21:36

Oh... HANG ON. Could it be a f-connector socket? Oh, god, it is, isn't it? I've never seen one before, but I've heard about them. How do I connect a standard aerial to it?

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stuzzo

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#149324 18-Jul-2008 21:41

ajkiwi: Oh... HANG ON. Could it be a f-connector socket? Oh, god, it is, isn't it? I've never seen one before, but I've heard about them. How do I connect a standard aerial to it?

Something like this should do the trick.

cyril7

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#149325 18-Jul-2008 21:41

Rumage around DSE and you may be able to sort one out, otherwise PM me and I can fit you up

Cyril

ajkiwi

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#149328 18-Jul-2008 21:49

Yep, looks like I need a female f connector to tv coax adapter - I've got a male port sticking out of the wall.

Jeez, what a load of stress over something simple. Thanks heaps, all!

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pjamieson

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#149453 19-Jul-2008 13:50

I have a similar problem in my apartment which I was hoping for some help on.

I have a VHF/UHF feed coming in to a splitter inside the wall, then it splits into 4 and goes back up the wall to 4 separate points around the apartment. At the same point there is one Sky cable coming in and terminating just there at that point (ie not split). It is in a really wierd place (no idea why you would have a TV there) and my TV is on the other side of the room, and I didn't want to run a cable across the floor so I disconnected the output from the splitter that goes to the other side of the room and connected the Sky straight to that cable to get it over there.

But I'm going to buy a new TV and use Freeview DTT, so now I want to send the VHF/UHF signal to that side of the room as well as the Sky. So my question is, can I buy a combiner or whatever and feed both the VHF/UHF cable and Sky into that, and then put that single output into the 4 way splitter, which would then distribute all signals to all outputs in the apartment?

It's a Signal Master splitter and says 5-2400 MHz, plus one of the outputs says Power Pass.

cyril7

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#149473 19-Jul-2008 15:26

Hi, yes you can combine a LBand(Sat) feed with V/UHF using a diplexer like this, and you use exactly the same to reverse it. I strongly recommend that if you do this that you terminate each output feed (in whatever room) with a diplexer even if you only need the sat or V/UHF feed and not both. Reason being is that a TV/VCR or DTT tuner will not always present a nice impedance to the LBand, so if you dont use a diplexer at the remote end then you can upset the other service.

You can get diplexers that fit in 3 or 6mech PDL600 series faceplates, so you dont end up with diplexers hanging out of walls. You normally have to order them specially from hills, I do have some stock to hand should you want them.

As you only want one feed with LBand on it, you may find it better (less losses and less diplexers needed) to split the V/UHF antenna feed with a 2way splitter, one output of this to the diplexer and combined with Sat feed to send to your lounge Sky box with another diplexer to split out V/UHF and LBAnd. The other output of the 2way V/UHF antenna feed split again using a 4way to the other rooms of the house, assuming they dont need satellite. Any splitters use use should be rated to 2GHz if you are passing LBand(Sat IF) down them, otherwise V/UHF splitters only need rating to 1GHz (often noted as 850MHz). Also check that when using splitters etc that there is a DC path from the Sky box to LNB on Dish.

Cyril

pjamieson

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#149487 19-Jul-2008 16:22

Thanks Cyril for the great info.

I just wanted to make sure too, that because the whole complex has some sort of distrbution system etc, that whatever I did wouldn't cause any damage elsewhere up the line. And also because of that do I need to worry about a DC path back up to the dish (ie: the Power Path line).

I think your idea is a good one for now, as I only need one Sat feed, and also the top of the 4-way is difficult to get to, so might take a connection off the 4-way to a diplexer where I'll feed in the Sat and send that all to the lounge.

pjamieson

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#151534 26-Jul-2008 11:06

I had to go to 3 Dick Smith Stores to get the 2 way splitter, but it is installed and working well. Thanks for the advice!

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