# Difficult to combine dual ota signals?



## bnewt (Oct 2, 2003)

I want to combine 2 separate antennas into a single feed, that will be sent to several tv's in my house. Presently, I combine the rf feed of my 508 & ota signals via a channel 4 signal combiner. That signal is then split to 4 tv's. I want to add another antenna that will pick up digital stations that my present antenna can not due to direction. Is this a difficult task? What will I need to combine the separate antenna signals?


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

I always heard that you just need an A/B switch for that. Make a second run to all four TVs, then add an A/B switch for each.

Or if there are only one or two analog OTA stations that you want to spread around, maybe you could get an old UHF converter and move the "good" analog OTA signals to a position where it won't bump against any other signal. I dunno.


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## KKlare (Sep 24, 2004)

A/B switches are bad if you plan on timer recordings of more than one station or you forget to change the switch.

Avoid trying to plug channels 3 and 4 into the same splitter/combiner.

Certainly do not pick a coincident or adjacent (channels 5/6 6/7 and 13/14 are not adjacent) over-the-air channel with your own.

Having a 10-dB 4 output amp might be a good idea as the combiners or splitters will lose 2 to 6 dB each.

Never feed an output into a commercial cable system.

Just some thoughts.
-Ken


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## Tower Guy (Jul 27, 2005)

bnewt said:


> I want to combine 2 separate antennas into a single feed, that will be sent to several tv's in my house. Presently, I combine the rf feed of my 508 & ota signals via a channel 4 signal combiner. That signal is then split to 4 tv's. I want to add another antenna that will pick up digital stations that my present antenna can not due to direction. Is this a difficult task? What will I need to combine the separate antenna signals?


Here's your DTV channels from antennaweb.org:

DTV	Antenna
Type	Call Sign	Channel	Network	City	State	Live
Date	Compass
Orientation	Miles
From	Frequency
Assignment
*	yellow - uhf	WLKY-DT	32.1	CBS	LOUISVILLE	KY 347°	26.8	26
*	yellow - uhf	WHAS-DT	11.1	ABC	LOUISVILLE	KY 344°	26.2	55
*	yellow - uhf	WDRB-DT	41.1	FOX	LOUISVILLE	KY 344°	25.8	49
*	yellow - uhf	WAVE-DT	3.1	NBC	LOUISVILLE	KY 347°	26.8	47
*	yellow - vhf	WBNA-DT	21.1	i	LOUISVILLE	KY 309°	4.3	8
*	lt green - uhf	WKMJ-DT	38.1	PBS	LOUISVILLE	KY 346°	26.7	38
*	lt green - uhf	WKPC-DT	15.1	PBS	LOUISVILLE	KY 346°	26.7	17
*	red - uhf	WFTE-DT	58.1	UPN	SALEM	IN 344°	25.8	51
*	violet - uhf	WBKI-DT	34.1	WB	CAMPBELLSVILLE	KY 160°	34.9	19

A Channel Master 4228 is a good choice for all but WBNA-DT and WBKI-DT. If your location is favorable, a 4221 might even work. For WBNA a VHF antenna is needed, and a UHF antenna for WBKI. Next you'll need Jointennas for channels 4, 8, and 19.


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## bnewt (Oct 2, 2003)

Tower Guy said:


> Here's your DTV channels from antennaweb.org:
> 
> DTV	Antenna
> Type	Call Sign	Channel	Network	City	State	Live
> ...


WBKI-DT is the station that I would like to receive, that I can't now. All of the others you listed, I already receive without much problem with a Radio Shack antenna mounted on my chimney. In order to receive the Campbellsville station, I need an antenna pointed in almost 180 degree different from the present one. If I do add the 2nd antenna, it will be in the attic. What "device" would I need to combine the separate antenna feeds into a single feed?


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

bnewt said:


> What "device" would I need to combine the separate antenna feeds into a single feed?


Dunno why you're quoting it, but the device I was thinking of is a channel converter, as shown here: http://www.starkelectronic.com/btp43.htm The trouble with combining OTA antenna feeds is that there's no good way to tell your TV to use the clear, normal channel 11 from the main antenna rather than the fuzzy channel 11 from the antenna pointed the wrong way.

Having said that, I dunno whether a channel converter works on digital signals. (I suspect that a standalone computer with a HD card could output something on a different, compatible channel, but that's beyond the scope of a mere device.) Which brings us back to Do: The A/B switch. Good luck!


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## Tower Guy (Jul 27, 2005)

bnewt said:


> WBKI-DT is the station that I would like to receive, that I can't now. All of the others you listed, I already receive without much problem with a Radio Shack antenna mounted on my chimney. In order to receive the Campbellsville station, I need an antenna pointed in almost 180 degree different from the present one. If I do add the 2nd antenna, it will be in the attic. What "device" would I need to combine the separate antenna feeds into a single feed?


You need a Jointenna tuned to channel 19. Model 0585-1
http://www.warrenelectronics.com/Antennas/joiners.htm
I'd be surprised if an attic antenna would work for a station that antennaweb rates as purple. Your only hope would be a 4228 with a HDP-269 preamp. The preamp needs to be before the Jointenna. It might hurt the channel 17 performance.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

> Certainly do not pick a coincident or adjacent (channels 5/6 6/7 and 13/14 are not adjacent) over-the-air channel with your own.


 One minor correction: ch 5/6 are adjacent! Channels 4/5 are not adjacent. There is a tiny guard band between 4 & 5 making it possible for the same market (NYC and Washigton D.C. for examples) to have both a ch 4 and 5 OTA. You would never see a 5 & 6 together. The rest of your post is correct. Between 6 & 7 is the entire FM radio band, the Aircraft band, and a few other non-TV uses before you get to ch 7. 13/14 there is a large gap between the VHF High band and UHF.


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## Larry Kenney (Aug 19, 2005)

Tower Guy said:


> You need a Jointenna tuned to channel 19. Model 0585-1
> http://www.warrenelectronics.com/Antennas/joiners.htm
> ...


I highly recommend the Jointenna. I use one to combine a VHF antenna cut for channel 12 with the CM 4228 for UHF and it works perfectly. Neither antenna affects the operation of the other.

You connect both antennas to the Jointenna and the output of the Jointenna to your TV receiver input.

Larry
SF


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