# Antenna Combiner Question



## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

I'm currently receiving my OTA HD locals via an Antennas Direct LaCrosse UHF antenna, which does a great job. Unfortunately, the digital channel assignment for WTVI, the Charlotte PBS outlet, is VHF channel 11. I can receive it via an indoor antenna with no problem, but I currently have to use a coax switch to select that channel. My question is this -- can I use a combiner to give me both UHF and VHF feeds to the TV antenna input? I realize there'd be at least a 3 db. signal loss in using one, but signal strengths might still be in the acceptable range.


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## tasp (Mar 2, 2007)

UHF/VHF splitters are made and can be used as combiners too. Insertion loss is much less than 3 dB.

I get mine from ATV Research, but even though Radio Shack doesn't carry them, it shouldn't be too hard to find one.


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## tasp (Mar 2, 2007)

You can also try a high frequency splitter, they seem to have less loss than a regular splitter. (that would be like a 2GHz splitter, not a 600 or 900 MHz one) I always use them to add modulator channels to an antenna feed.

Also, for anyone out there using a channel 3 (or 4) combiner box on an antenna circuit, always use a UHF/VHF splitter ahead of and afterwards. Do not run UHF thru one of those combiner boxes, they attenuate quite a bit. They seem ok on older 36 channel cable systems though, but channel 3 (or 4) needs to be unused on the system for best results.


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## Tower Guy (Jul 27, 2005)

Cholly said:


> My question is this -- can I use a combiner to give me both UHF and VHF feeds to the TV antenna input?


The Channel Master 0549 is a high pass filter and low pass filter meant to couple such antennas. The loss will be only 1 db.

http://www.warrenelectronics.com/Antennas/joiners.htm


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## oljim (Aug 6, 2002)

Just another reason to get a good ant. like the CM 4228 I can get good signal on ch 11 from 40 miles away.


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## kenglish (Oct 2, 2004)

Blonder Tongue makes a model MUVF, which is a "Multiplexer, Uhf, Vhf, Filter".....it combines VHF and UHF, with some filtering to keep them from interfering with each other.


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