Channel master 4221 install problem

Nanookz · 01-01-2006, 07:16 PM

D* came out in and installed the Wingard Metrostar 2000 a couple of months ago. The hd antenna and 1 of the sat lines combine then get seperated out at the tv. Reception was hit or miss on a daily basis. Decided to switch to channel master 4221 because of reviews here. Simply disconnected the the Wingard and mouted the channel master and reconnected the coax. Now the hd signal is great but the sat from that cable does not pick up anything at all. Any Ideas?

thanks
Mike

JimSpence · 01-01-2006, 08:50 PM

Recheck the connections. You probably loosened the sat side connecting the diplexer.

herdfan · 01-02-2006, 04:58 PM

I'll guess if you read the diplexer it says for powered antenna's only or something similar. Add an amp to the 4221 and your problem should go away.

TyroneShoes · 01-03-2006, 02:08 PM

If it is a power problem, or more accurately a power blocking problem, be sure that the legs that have power blocking are on the OTA antenna, and be sure that that leg is the one that passes the UHF frequencies. The sat leg needs power passing, and it needs the upper band. It is difficult if not impossible to use a line-powered mast amp along with diplexors when the other side is powering the LNBF, so be sure you are not trying to do that.

Without more to go on, I would guess that the diplexor at the top has no power blocking at all, that the original antenna automatically did not short the DC, and that the new antenna does short it out. If so, your installer needs to go back to community college and pick a different career.

Nanookz · 01-06-2006, 04:00 PM

Found this on the web and was curious about any thoughts.:

t is possible to use a single coax cable to carry both the satellite TV signals from your satellite antenna and signals from a local TV antenna. The device used to do this is called a diplexer. It is somewhat like a splitter but is not really splitting the signals but rather combining them on the roof and splitting them apart in the room where the cable terminates inside. Diplexers are readily available (try Best Buy, Frys (if lucky enought to be near one), Radio Shack or similar electronics vendors. They are designed for just this application.

Connection is easy--on the roof--connect the existing satellite antenna to the connector marked "Sat" , the second is for the TV antenna marked "Ant" and the third connects to the exising cable going inside. You will need to get a short coaxial cable to connect from the Satellite antenna and a second to go from the TV antenna to the diplexer. An identical diplexer is used inside and splits out the two signals. Connect the Sat receiver input to the Sat connector, the antenna input of the HD tuner to the Ant connector and the third to the existing wire from the roof. Again short pieces of coaxial cable are needed on this end as well to make these connections.

Now--if all is working as it should, your Satellite receiver should come back on with normal pictures and you should be able to tune in local stations on the HD receiver. Sometimes, however, there is interference onto the TV antenna signals from the Sat signals or vise versa due to signal conditions in your area. Very strong antenna signals may cause interference in the sat signals or weak antenna signals may permit the sat signals to interfere with the antenna signals. You never know until you actually hook them up how the diplexers are going to perform. If interference does occur in either unit, the only option is to run a separate coaxial cable for use with the TV antenna.

TyroneShoes · 01-06-2006, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanookz

...You will need to get a short coaxial cable to connect from the Satellite antenna and a second to go from the TV antenna to the diplexer. An identical diplexer is used inside and splits out the two signals. Connect the Sat receiver input to the Sat connector, the antenna input of the HD tuner to the Ant connector and the third to the existing wire from the roof...

Here's where this explanation gets fuzzy...if you don't have diplexors with the proper frequency split or correct power blocking/passing, it just ain't gonna work. Proper routing and/or blocking of DC is imperative. You can't just blindly install any diplexor any old way. Translating these instructions with that in mind, "Connect the Sat receiver input to the Sat connector, the antenna input of the HD tuner to the Ant connector and the third to the existing wire from the roof" means that the sat connector and the common connector should pass DC while the antenna connector should block it, and that is assuming you are using the right diplexors in the first place.

Nanookz · 01-07-2006, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TyroneShoes

Here's where this explanation gets fuzzy...if you don't have diplexors with the proper frequency split or correct power blocking/passing, it just ain't gonna work. Proper routing and/or blocking of DC is imperative. You can't just blindly install any diplexor any old way.

Sounds like the witch diplexor you use depends on which antenna you use. How do I go about finding the correct diplexors that I need for my setup?

thanks for the help.

TyroneShoes · 01-07-2006, 07:31 PM

The requirements are that it passes the L-band and DC (and blocks UHF) on the sat leg, and that it blocks DC and passes the UHF and lower band (and blocks L-band) on the OTA leg. A frequency split at about 900 MHz should work OK. This would be the requirement for any OTA antenna, it is just that some will short the leg and some won't, and if power is not blocked on that leg, it can kill the sat signal on the other leg if shorted.

Nanookz · 01-07-2006, 07:42 PM

Where can I get one of these? Best buy or Radio shack?

thanks for your help.

Nanookz · 02-02-2006, 01:13 PM

Thanks for all the help. Apparetly this type of antenna is powered and the diplexer was approprate for this type of antenna. I replaced the diplexer with non powered antenna diplexer and everything works wonderful.

thanks