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Splitter

1519 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by egnlsn, May 21, 2007

[/quote]

Discussion Starter · May 17, 2007

I need an 8-way splitter for my house. I will have one cable modem split off the incoming line with a 2-way splitter, then I need an 8-way splitter to feed 8 home-runs to televisions around the house. One of those might be HD, not sure yet. Half of them will have Optimum/Cablevision digital cable boxes and the other half will just connect directly.

So what splitter should I buy? I see non-amplified 8-ways ranging from $15 to $50.

They have a Viewsonics splitter here: http://www.cabletvamps.com/splitters.htm

for $15, it says "5-1000 MHz", is that too low?

Any advice?

Thanks!

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IVB

· #2 · May 18, 2007

def get a powered splitter. I had no end of issues when I used an unpowered one, even if I put an amp before/after.

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mdrzakow

· #3 · May 18, 2007

When I do installations, I use a Channel Vision C-0332 16x1 splitter amplified with a 1 db signal gain per outlet. It usually runs around $65-70. I like it because it does not over-amplify the signal maintaining as close of a signal to what the cable company intended as possible. It will pass through HD flawlessly. It may seem like over kill to have that many outlets, but it gives you the option to add later down the road and you can just cap off the unused outlets when not in use. Anyway, if Channel Vision made an 8X1 of this version, I would recommend that but I have not seen one yet. Good luck.

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sd72667

· #4 · May 19, 2007

I got this Leviton 47690-3BY 3X8 Bi-Directional Video Amplifier Module w/RF from ebay for $52. Leviton has a newer model out, but is more expensive.

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[/quote]

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 21, 2007

Gentlemen, thanks for the responses!

Quote:
Originally Posted by IVB /forum/post/0

def get a powered splitter. I had no end of issues when I used an unpowered one, even if I put an amp before/after.

I thought the only powered splitters were ones with amplifiers built in, no?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sd72667 /forum/post/0

I got this Leviton 47690-3BY 3X8 Bi-Directional Video Amplifier Module w/RF from ebay for $52. Leviton has a newer model out, but is more expensive.

I think I would need a single input with 8 ouputs. I'm not sure what to do with the 3 input model that you are speaking of.

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IVB

· #6 · May 21, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by

/forum/post/0

I thought the only powered splitters were ones with amplifiers built in, no?
[/QUOTE]

Correct, sorry if I was unclear. If you have digital cable STBs, get an amplified splitter or else you will hate life as I did.

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[/quote]

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 21, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by IVB /forum/post/0

']I thought the only powered splitters were ones with amplifiers built in, no?

Correct, sorry if I was unclear. If you have digital cable STBs, get an amplified splitter or else you will hate life as I did.[/quote]

I see.

What about if I only have 3 TV's with digital STB's and a cable modem, is an amplifier still recommended?

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IVB

· #8 · May 21, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by

/forum/post/0

What about if I only have 3 TV's with digital STB's and a cable modem, is an amplifier still recommended?
[/QUOTE]

That's an impossible question for me to answer with any hint of a guarantee, but I can tell you my experience. I had 2 STBs and 2 direct cxns, and the *second* I split it I lost reception in one of them. I tried damn near everything (regular splitter, gold plated splitter, inline amp before the splitter, inline amp after the splitter). Seriously, I wasted $100 and hours on stupid crap, all b/c I didn't feel like buying a $50 amplified splitter. I finally broke down, bought it, all the problems went away the next minute.

And then 2 months later I switched to DirecTV and all that was moot. I actually think the powered splitter is still in my crawlspace on the dirt, I just unplugged it and left it there. I'd offer to sell it to you for a dirt-cheap price, but it's only a 4 output one. Plus it's probably pretty filthy by now, as I switched 2.5-3.5 years ago

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egnlsn

· #9 · May 21, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by

/forum/post/0

I need an 8-way splitter for my house. I will have one cable modem split off the incoming line with a 2-way splitter, then I need an 8-way splitter to feed 8 home-runs to televisions around the house. One of those might be HD, not sure yet. Half of them will have Optimum/Cablevision digital cable boxes and the other half will just connect directly.

So what splitter should I buy? I see non-amplified 8-ways ranging from $15 to $50.

Any advice?

Thanks!
[/QUOTE]

Do a search for cencom94. In their "Amplifiers" section, there is a PCT 8-Output Drop Amp w/Passive Return (MA2-8PN). That is the one you need. If you have more than 4 outlets (the cable modem counts as an outlet), then you need to amplify.

The signal leaves the tap at 15-20dBmV. When it reaches your house, it has dropped down to 10-15dBmV. An 8-way splitter loses 12dB, which leaves from ~-2 to +3dBmV at the output of the splitter. By the time it gets to the outlet, it has lost another 1 or 2.

If the cable modem's outlet was split off prior to the TV splitter, the signal levels at the outlets will be a couple of dB lower still.

That PCT 8-output amp has an overall gain of ~3dB at each port.

CIAO!

Ed N.

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