Signal Booster for sattalite signal

[Jeff Bayley]

My rear TV seems to need some help with the signal. I relocated the Direct TV receiver to the rear a while back. The sattalite and the controller are in the front. The length of cable run from front to back remains the same. Could be that not having the Direct TV receiver in front now to push/boost the signal has allowed the signal to degrade somehow in the long cable run. So now I have these horizontal lines on the TV which I'm ready to eliminate.

Has anyone ever installed a signal booser in line to help with this and if so what kind ? I have one floating around the bus that I can't find which goes in line and is called a "signal amplifier" however I think they probabley make one that is powered and since I have easy access to power where I want to insert it my thinking is that a powered booser would be better. I'm not even sure how the non powered one would be able to do anything anyhow.

[Ray Davis]

Jeff,

Although a powered amp is probably possible, I'm not sure you'll easily find a reasonably priced solution. The frequency and line levels that come down from the satellite dish are difficult to work with. You might be easier to move the receiver back nearer the dish, and then simply running the coax from the receiver back to the TV. Regular TV signal amplifiers are reasonably priced and easily found.

Actually, this brings up something that I have been considering, and that is seeing if there is something, perhaps fiber optic cables, which would replace the coax from the receiver to TV. I have a similar situation in that I have my DirectTV box in the back of my coach, and one of the TV's is in the front. The front doesn't get as good a picture as the back.

I'm hoping there might be a fiber optic type of solution, where I could replace the coax completely?

Ray

[mike kerley]

Jeff,

I doubt that a booster will help. Chances are your cable from the rear to the front is picking up interference from devices in the coach (maybe even the remote control device some converters use) and that is causing the lines your seeing. If the signal screen on the receiver says you've plenty of signal (70 to 100 %), your fine. I've seen cable runs of several hundred feet without amplifiers so 40' to the rear should not be a challenge. Check the connectors to make sure they are well installed. I'd make sure the signal leaving the TV box in the rear was clean (plug in a TV in the rear and check it) then concentrate on the cable from there to the front. I'm assuming your sending an RF signal on channel 3 or 4 to the front TV. An option is to put in a "cable converter" that takes the video and audio from the Direct TV box and will convert it to any cable channel you select (you search for one that the interference does not bother) send that signal over your coax cable to the front tv and retune the TV to that specific channel. Just a neat work around. Check MCM Electronics web site for converters or Google RF cable converters. There are many available.

Boosters typically amplify everything, even the noise your seeing

Mike K

[Lee Bornstein]

Best solution I've found is to insure you've got the best coax available. Older coaches were pre-wired with RG-59 and this is succeptible to local radiation from TV Towers etc. RG-6 is the better product.

I've had problems here in Las Vegas with Cable TV in my coach. Had RG-59 in my 95 Beaver and was getting ghosting caused by local stations bleeding into my coach wiring. Re-wired coach with RG-6 and problem gone.

Be sure to check short cables from Cable Switch to TV, VCR, DVD, etc as they are sometimes overlooked as the culprit. Also, insure all connectors are screwed in tight... Don't use the cables with press-on connectors that come with your dvd or vcr.

That reminds me... I gave my last press-on cable to MangoMike at POG II - hope he's not being bothered by Ghosts... Spooky!

Lee

[Jeff Bayley]

Lee and Ray-

You both bring up the topic of running new cable. How could this be possible with the cable run so taught against the other wiring and mussed up on the confines of the interior body panels ?

Jeff

[Lee Bornstein]

Jeff:
Did it on mine running on drivers side from Drivers Overhead Cabinets down cable race on left side of windshield, through Prevost Electric panel (above steering bay), through wall to sofa on drivers side, under kitchen cabinets and fridge, through bath under vanity & sink, under bed, behind drawers in bedrom and finally to rear TV. Lotsa scraped knuckles and some serious snaking but it can be done in a couple of hours.

Lee

[Jeff Bayley]

I think if I was gonig to try working with improving the cable (a likely culprit as you guys said) I would start by going on the roof and rerouting the cable (from the dish) to the rear(where the Direct TV box is) instead of through the front where it is now. I could use the higher quality cable and this would shorten the length by approximatley 15 to 20 feet. That would leave an extra co-ax in the wall that could be used for something else front to back. Does this sound good ?

[Jeff Bayley]

Just a final close on this thread in case anyone else can benefit from it.

The problem with my degraded signal turned out to be the Direct TV receiver. I changed it for a new one and the picture is perfect now. It was barely a year old.

[Ray Davis]

That's a surprising solution, but I'm glad to hear that you've got it fixed!

[Kevin Erion]

I had that same problem with my house picture, new box from Direct and a perfect picture.
Kevin