Multiple Consoles UHF to old 14" TV with UHF

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greymouse01

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#311393 11-Jan-2024 14:20

hello everyone, new here :-)

I would like to connect the following 3x consoles to my 1x 14" Sony TV UHF analog

I have a NES, Sega Megadrive, Master System I would like to connect to one TV but all at once using UHF like a three way splitter but for 3x UHF to 1x UHF at the back of the TV, happy to tune the tv for each etc

I was wondering if there is such a thing as a switch box to do this?

this will help with my set up as I don't have much space to run these consoles

just a quick google and I can't tell if the switch boxes are for digital or analog (if they exist?)

not looking at any other route at this stage i.e A/V mods etc as there are plenty of A/V switch boxes

thank you for reading

Gordon

wellygary

8810 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5287

#3180592 11-Jan-2024 14:35

So all the consoles have RF outputs (ie UHF modulators ) ??

If that's the case then set each to a distinct channel and just plug them into a regular 3 way RF splitter with the output going to the TV,

its all passive so should work fine [hopefully? ]

https://blog.fairviewmicrowave.com/2023/02/23/can-a-rf-splitter-be-used-as-a-combiner/

greymouse01

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3180602 11-Jan-2024 15:09

thank you for the link and pointing me in the right direction, now I know what to look for!

was getting bamboozled with my google searches not giving me clear answers that i needed not helpful at all lol

I'm planning to place each console on a different cabinet so I can just turn on the one I wanted to play without all the cabling setup each time

Gordon

alavaliant

251 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 119

Subscriber

#3180618 11-Jan-2024 15:35

It's been a long time since I've dealt with RF Units for old consoles (I personal prefer higher quality video output options like composite/s-video/rgb cables). But from memory most of the old console RF Units had an antenna in port. And from memory in the distant past I had success in daisy chaining multiple consoles RF Units together, with the output from one console's RF Unit going into the Antenna in port on the next consoles RF Unit. - Since the consoles don't transmit anything unless turned on, as long as only one console is turned on at once you should get only the signal from the one turned on console. So assuming the consoles RF cables you have are like I recall with antenna in ports, you might be able to do it that way and skip needing an extra splitter?

wellygary

8810 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5287

#3180619 11-Jan-2024 15:36

greymouse01:

thank you for the link and pointing me in the right direction, now I know what to look for!

was getting bamboozled with my google searches not giving me clear answers that i needed not helpful at all lol

I'm planning to place each console on a different cabinet so I can just turn on the one I wanted to play without all the cabling setup each time

Gordon

Something like this should do the trick, ( Its a 4 way)

You'll need to put F connectors on your cords, but that's not a biggie.

https://www.jaycar.co.nz/kingray-4-way-foxtel-approved-splitter/p/LT3071?pos=4

greymouse01

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3180639 11-Jan-2024 16:31

alavaliant: It's been a long time since I've dealt with RF Units for old consoles (I personal prefer higher quality video output options like composite/s-video/rgb cables). But from memory most of the old console RF Units had an antenna in port. And from memory in the distant past I had success in daisy chaining multiple consoles RF Units together, with the output from one console's RF Unit going into the Antenna in port on the next consoles RF Unit. - Since the consoles don't transmit anything unless turned on, as long as only one console is turned on at once you should get only the signal from the one turned on console. So assuming the consoles RF cables you have are like I recall with antenna in ports, you might be able to do it that way and skip needing an extra splitter?

I didn't think about daisy chaining like that

I've thought about modding my game consoles to have AV ports, really like the experience of staticky tv like when I originally play them back in the day

Gordon

greymouse01

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3180656 11-Jan-2024 17:08

wellygary:

greymouse01:

thank you for the link and pointing me in the right direction, now I know what to look for!

was getting bamboozled with my google searches not giving me clear answers that i needed not helpful at all lol

I'm planning to place each console on a different cabinet so I can just turn on the one I wanted to play without all the cabling setup each time

Gordon

Something like this should do the trick, ( Its a 4 way)

You'll need to put F connectors on your cords, but that's not a biggie.

https://www.jaycar.co.nz/kingray-4-way-foxtel-approved-splitter/p/LT3071?pos=4

wonderful you've given me a good place to start I appreciate it :-)

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

evilengineer

466 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 367

#3180669 11-Jan-2024 17:33

My first Japanese console back in the day was a SNES so never owned an original NES, Master System or Megadrive.

But didn't most of them at least have a composite (yellow) output jack in addition to RF?

It might give a slightly better picture and be easier to find a working switch box for?

Unless your 14" TV is truly ancient it should at least have a yellow/red+white set of AV inputs.

Did SCART sockets ever make it to New Zealand?

That was always my preference back in the day. It supported S-Video and component/RGB output as well as stereo sound and was kind of the analogue precursor to HDMI.

It could also auto-switch between consoles if you had the right hub/switch box. 😀

S-Video or RGB always gave a much better picture but I don't think really became a thing on games consoles until the SNES and later.

greymouse01

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3180681 11-Jan-2024 18:28

evilengineer:

My first Japanese console back in the day was a SNES so never owned an original NES, Master System or Megadrive.

But didn't most of them at least have a composite (yellow) output jack in addition to RF?

It might give a slightly better picture and be easier to find a working switch box for?

Unless your 14" TV is truly ancient it should at least have a yellow/red+white set of AV inputs.

Did SCART sockets ever make it to New Zealand?

That was always my preference back in the day. It supported S-Video and component/RGB output as well as stereo sound and was kind of the analogue precursor to HDMI.

It could also auto-switch between consoles if you had the right hub/switch box. 😀

S-Video or RGB always gave a much better picture but I don't think really became a thing on games consoles until the SNES and later.

it would make things easier to setup, but I'm really looking for that experience of playing games on my consoles using RF like I did back in the day :-) just means something to me

have an atari 2600, Sega SC3000 which uses RF, I haven't tested that one in awhile but it runs off the same power brick as the master system

Gordon