Multi-switch system with a 2.4 mtr dish on a campsite.

[MILLERMAN775]

Hi Guys,
A little help if poss, My parents have just moved onto a static caraven site over here in Spain, there is a system in place of a 2.4 dish and this is routed into a multiswitch with 16 outputs... I understand that the further down the output you are you loose db's, but the are also on the end of 100mtrs cable from the multiswitch box and there service is awful:mad:... Hope this makes sense!!
Any help with how to increase there signal strength, they have fairly good quality but it seems to be the strength that is lacking.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Many Many Thanks
Chris

 

[Lazarus]

I'm struggling with the apparent contradiction between "their service is awful" and "they have fairly good quality".

If Quality is good ie No pixellation or missing Channels, even in poor weather, the Strength isn't terribly relevant.

Also, are we to assume that the dish is aligned for 28E?

 

[Analoguesat]

Any help with how to increase there signal strength, they have fairly good quality but it seems to be the strength that is lacking.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Many Many Thanks
Chris

Theres nothing they can do - you dont muck around with communal setups! Best they can do is either

get the sytem owner to fix it
put their own dish up
make do with what they have got.

 

[MILLERMAN775]

Thanks guys,
Sorry for the poor explanation... it is aligned to 28e, and although the quality is good the signal strength is virtually zero, a caravan nearer to the multiswitch, which probably only has approx 30mtrs of coax, receives all the channels that they should, but down the other end as I said my folks have about a 100mtr run of coax, and the stronger signals are ok, but the weaker ones, eg 10847, 10818, 10729 etc are not virtually none existant...
Thanks for the replies

 

[satelliteman]

The longer the cable run, the greater the attenuation (in simple terms).

Also depends on the switch and other equipment, as some switches have staggered outputs; giving more amplification for longer runs.

Cable type / size will also be a factor, as will system installation / design.

 

[PaulR]

It might need tweaking a bit to get the best. The dish alignment might be slightly out and the multiswitch might need its gain altering.

A multiswitch really needs to be set up with a spectrum analyser. You can do a so-so job without one - I did on my house - but to it absolutely right there's no other alternative.

 

[Robbo]

I think the coax length is the problem, If the closer ones are getting it, then its not the dish.

If the normal RG6 type stuff has been used, the much thicker cable could fix it. With long runs amplification can also help, but not if its at the receiver end.

 

[PaulR]

With long runs amplification can also help, but not if its at the receiver end.

A spectrum analyser would pick this sort of problem up.