Anyone have experience with these?



http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049643



Know of anything better than a manual a/b switch like this: http://www.summitsource.com/product_info.php?ref=1&products_id=6655



I own the latter of the two and it royally sucks; makes the picture crappy… Been switching currently by hand at the TV between the two cables. One is basic cable feed and the other is OTA digital antenna feed. Some signals OTA are weak, so I would prefer not to loose any dB's...

The TV is a Samsung HL61A750. I have an Onkyo TX-SR706 with learning remote. Can I program the remote to control the Radio Shack switch?

If there is a better setup, PLEASE let me know. I appreciate it :]

-Mike

Yes, I have used these and very similar RF (antenna) switches from radio Shack and similar sources. The remote control switch is convenient but it will cost you loss of signal in weak reception areas. It meant the difference between marginal reception and none at all a few years ago when I was desperately trying to get a PBS station in rural New Mexico.
There are much higher quality switches such as the 15-1217 at Radio Shack. I have used it with no noticeable loss of signal. Yes, you will have to get up to use the switch but it is well worth the effort when that is the only way to get the job done and is easier than actually disconnecting cables.

Major PITA?
Don't cross post. ;)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15737256&highlight=#post15737256

Major PITA?

Stuff it with 2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce and tomato! :D

Major PITA?
Don't cross post. ;)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15737256&highlight=#post15737256

Sorry, I was assuming that different professionals would be able to respond that way.

There are much higher quality switches such as the 15-1217 at Radio Shack. I have used it with no noticeable loss of signal. Yes, you will have to get up to use the switch but it is well worth the effort when that is the only way to get the job done and is easier than actually disconnecting cables.

Thanks for the info. I will definately consider that option as the price is certainly attractive :]

How about automatic switches. Is there such a thing?

I have never heard of an automatic switch. There is always a signal being received from your cable system and antenna so even if a switch had a sensor it would always see signal from both sources.
The reason you need a switch in the first place and can not just combine the cable and antenna with a splitter used back wards is that some of the channels that the cable company uses are the same as come from the antenna. Specifically cable uses the same channels 2 through 13 (VHF) as the antenna and if your cable system goes above channel 65 those channels are the same as UHF (14-69) from the antenna.
So if your cable system does not go above 65 and if you have no VHF in your area, you could try a combiner (splitter used back wards). You did not mention that you are having to re-scan for channels each time you switch between antenna and cable, many TV would require this and make such a set-up very inconvenient.

I have tried both a splitter and dipexer (for the heck of it) in reverse with no luck.... I don't have to relearn the channels as my TV (Samsung HL61A750 LED DLP) has a cable and air set of channels. So basically, my only option is an A/B switch?

Yes, the only logical choice it the A/B switch. You could try the remote controlled one and see if the signal loss is acceptable. Radio Shack has a pretty good return policy if you can get it back in the box neatly. If the remote switch is not acceptable the high isolation switch works great.

Run the cable into a vcr w/cable tuner.Use a ch 3-4 modulator from the composite output from the vcr to one side of a splitter/other side antenna input,then on to the tv.Im pretty sure I did an install this way in a pinch a few years back.Cable pq did suffer some but not too bad.Change cable channels with the vcr remote.I know this is ghetto,has anyone here done this?

edit;Now I remember.We had sat tv and antenna in a master bedroom and the hdtv in the bath had one single coax run feeding it from the bedroom,so I used a 3-4 modulator from the sat receiver into a splitter w/antenna on the other side.That way they could get the OTA HD channels and the sat channels on the tv via ch3.

If you were willing to go to an outboard tuner such as an old VCR, I would just connect the composite video and stereo audio outputs directly into un-used input connections on the TV. That would be much better video and audio quality than the use of a modulator.
There are many old VCR's at Goodwill, etc. If it lights up when you plug it in the tuner section probably works and then you have to buy a cheap universal remote.
This method is useful for TV's that require a re-scan but since the model in question does not I would rather use the RF switch method.

Greetings ....

Use good-to-high quality 75-ohm RF cables whenever possible. While the lengths of cable between source and switchbox might vary, the length between switchbox and your TV (or video recording device) should be as short as possible.

Solid Signal can provide RF cables custom cut to a specified length (http://www.solidsignal.com/cat_display.asp?main_cat=13&CAT=RG-6%20Cut-to-Length), and they will attach connectors at both ends.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video

Greetings ....

Use good-to-high quality 75-ohm RF cables with twist-on connectors
The term "Twist-on connectors" is usually used in reference to the kind that twist onto the cable itself, and those are a major cause of grief. The kind most widely used in the industry are compression connectors. Those are also the kind in the picture that was linked to.

Greetings ....

Guess I was mis-lead by the term "twist". So what do you call them - besides male and female?

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video

Greetings ....

Guess I was mis-lead by the term "twist". So what do you call them - besides male and female?

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video
Just connectors or fittings (term used within the industry). The female connectors are found on equipment or wallplates (where they are referred to as simply "connectors"), or barrel connectors (splices)(where they are referred to as "barrel connectors" or just "barrels").

the terminology is confusing.

what is 'push on', 'turn on', 'screw on'

there can be confusion with the terms people use for making the cable ends and attaching to the device while in use.

in making the cable, the ends can be crimped or compressed or twisted on or pushed on. each of those operations can involve some pushing or twisting depends on the connector and the type and brand of cable.

for making the connection of a cable the connector can be pushed on or screwed on (twisted?)

"Push-on" connectors are those pre-made cables that come with VCRs that just slide onto the female connector.

"Twist-on" connectors are the ones that twist onto or screw onto the cable itself.

"Hex-crimp" or "compression" connectors are the ones that crimp onto or are compressed onto the cable.

Never heard of a "twist-on" connector that just pushes onto the mating connector.

No such thing as a hex-crimp or compression connector that just pushes onto the mating connector, either.

"twist on" or "turn on".... BNC?

the terminology is confusing.

what is 'push on', 'turn on', 'screw on'

there can be confusion with the terms people use for making the cable ends and attaching to the device while in use.

in making the cable, the ends can be crimped or compressed or twisted on or pushed on. each of those operations can involve some pushing or twisting depends on the connector and the type and brand of cable.

for making the connection of a cable the connector can be pushed on or screwed on (twisted?)

to be clearer

my comment is what a person, maybe not familiar with industry/product/catalog terms, might use to describe connectors/cables

similar terms might be used but have different meanings depending on if the operation is making up the end or using the cable. sometimes which is the case is ambiguous. a connector that might be screwed on in use (and a person might call that twisting on) might have the end made by pushing it on to the cable. if a person says 'push on' connector are they referring to how the cable is used or how the end was made.

brands and types of cables and connectors can also affect the terms used.

connectors -
push on - F "type" (don't bother)
screw on - F connector (typical RF connector)
twist on - BNC (not typically used for RF, but generally for RGB)

terminations -
screw on - (don't bother)
crimp - works fine
compression - most agree that this is best