[Innova]

I just bought an antenna for Rat Shack. We already have a Satellite so to simplify the wiring, I bought two Diplexers. They were $20 each. That seemed expensive, so I just did a search on Froogle, and found them as cheap as $2. Are they all the same? Should I return the two to Radio Shack and buy the cheapest one I can find? If not, what do I need to look for?

 

[AntAltMike]

Some expensive diplexers have a sharper roll off between bands, which makes a difference if you are using them in Europe where the UHF broadcast band goes up to about 860Mz. Some expensive diplexers have a slightly out-of-band rejection factor, which can make a small difference if you decide to try to backfeed your channel 3/4 outlet onto your satellite input line. I advise against that.


For 99% or more of all real applications, there is no benefit to using a so-called "premium" diplexer, and price is not a reliable indication of performance. Many $20 diplexers perform the same as $2 diplexers.


Neither of these characteristics matter to you. Radio Shack used to sell dual LNBs for $200, and they weren;t any better than the less expensive ones, and their $99 3x4 multiswitch is no better than the ones you can buy on the internet for under $30. Shack gives away the glamor item and then tries to make a substantial profit on the accessory that the customer is less likely to have price shopped for.

 

[Innova]

Thanks for the info, I kind of thought that the Shack was ripping me off. Those diplexers are getting returned, and I'm going to buy some cheap ones.

 

[Sixguns_R6]

I had an issue with the cheap diplexers that came with my Radio Shack antenna. When I had them in line, my HD through DirecTV did not work. HDNET 199 was showing BBC with no sound, and HBOHD 509 had Disney with no sound, I tried to return them and get new ones but all they would do is sell me the 20 dollar ones like you bought. I wasn't going to spend another 40 bucks. I ended up going to Lowe's and buying 13 dolllars worth of cable and did away with the diplexers altogether. I will say the in-line amp that came with it really made a huge difference. It was the model 150-2181 antenna I think. It looks kinda like an airplane and attaches to your sat post. It was suppost to come with everything you need.....except for working diplexers I guess. Good Luck!!!