Advice Please: Aerial/Sat cable setup

[JB14]

I have just moved house and in the loft is a digital aerial which connects to a combiner and is joined by the sky dish cable. The outgoing cable goes to a 4 way tvlink distribution amplfier (no power) and from there are four cables that go to the aerial sockets around the house. Set up is about 7 years old. We don’t have a sky box and I have tried to get freeview channels from a new LG smart tv but to no avail - weak signal. I’m guessing the absence of the sky box has something to do with this. Can anyone advice how to use the existing cabling (and box) if poss to just having the aerial signal working in all rooms? Many thanks Joe

 

[logiciel]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Use separate indoor aerials?

 

[JB14]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Use separate indoor aerials?

Thanks, I was hoping to use the existing cabling and distributor without buying individual indoor aerials for each tv. Is this possible? Can I disconnect the sky sat cable and take the aerial coaxial straight into the distribution amplifier? If so, do I need to power this? Thanks

 

[logiciel]

You certainly don’t need the Sky connection.
The first thing to do is find out why the aerial reception is poor.

 

[Rodders53]

Google TV link ... Pretty sure they get power from the $ky box RF2 out.
No power = no pass any RF signals = no reception.
A psu kit and adapter system can be got I think, but a conventional 4-way masthead amp with remote psu may work out equally cheap.
If mains power is in loft then a cheaper distribution amp will do.
Low gain amplifiers only should be needed.

Check aerial works ok by bypassing the TV link unit to one room using a coupler/cable joiner.

 

[JB14]

Great many thanks. I will try and bypass first and if the aerial cable is ok I’ll buy a distribution amp as there is power in the loft - any recommendation just so I make sure I get the right type?

 

[winston2010]

No such thing as a digital aerial. Personally I would leave the sky dish, you may want Freesat one day.

Hi and welcome to the forum. Use separate indoor aerials?

Silly idea. The TV network is designed decent aerial systems not grotty indoor omes.

 

[logiciel]

Who mentioned removing the Sky dish?
I took it for granted that my question was about quality ones, not grotty omes.

 

[Rodders53]

ATV Aerials' Justin recommends Proception kit.
Modern ones use F plugs, so if you have TV plugs on the leads in the loft you may need adapters or to reterminate them.

 

[JB14]

That’s really helpful thanks. The leads in the loft have F plugs so all should be good. I will leave the sky dish and cable’s all in place but disconnected.

 

[winston2010]

Who mentioned removing the Sky dish?
I took it for granted that my question was about quality ones, not grotty omes.

All indoor aerials are grotty though some less so than others.

 

[logiciel]

That’s actually my old experience but from ages ago and I’d hoped they’d got much better now!

 

[Rodders53]

I’d hoped they’d got much better now!

Cue the Scotty quote from Star Trek