satellite amp

H

happyjackseven

Guest
Hi everyone,

I have a Sky digibox installed in Spain and generally I am happy with it. However I am always seeking to improve and enjoy tinkering with it.

I am thinking of installing a satellite amp they claim a 17db improvement. Would this be a worthwhile exercise?

Cheers

Happyjackseven
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
No, not unless you have an exceptionally long cable run. They are designed to counter cable/system loss, not weak original signal. All you will achieve is increase your signal noise.
 

MartinP

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
www.satcure.co.uk
It's easy to find out. Connect your Digibox to the LNB with NO LESS THAN 10 metres of cable. If there's an improvement at the worst time of day, then an amplifier in the correct position may help. If you cable is no more than 20m long then it's unlikely you'll see a difference. This presupposes that you are using the correct type of cable!

Martin
 
H

happyjackseven

Guest
Thanks Martin for the reply,

The cable run is less than 20 metres but I think that the cable is only single sheathed. Perhaps it would be worth my while changing it to double?

Happyjackseven
 

devonbrown

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
224
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Age
82
My Satellite Setup
4 systems. In Scotland Freesat with Humax Foxsat recorder. In Algarve 1.5 fixed Inv Quad LNB with 3 Pace 2600C1 and 1 Amstrad HD DRX780UK also 80cm dish with Inverto 0.2db monoblock LNB (19.2E/26E) feeding Technomate 5000CI+ usb.
My Location
Scotlandl and Algarve
can someone of greater technical ability than me explain why there isn't a sat amp. different sky boxes have different amp qualities. I have a pace 2200 in Spain and it gets some channels whilst my Panny receives others.
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
There are satellite in line amplifiers, the most common in the UK produced by Global Communications, and there are many types

20 db, 16dB , slope equalised, power driven or with independent power supply, single or twin housings and so on

Its just that you will rarely see a worthwhile result on a normal domestic system unless your cable run is excessively long.

Thats really the only time that a line amplifier should be used
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
With regard to the digiboxes, it is not differences in amplifiers, it is differences in sensitivity and tuner thresholds that make some better than others. There are more technically literate people than me on the forum who can probably explain the differences.
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
At this time of night anyway !
 

MartinP

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
www.satcure.co.uk
Originally posted by rolfw
With regard to the digiboxes, it is not differences in amplifiers, it is differences in sensitivity and tuner thresholds that make some better than others. There are more technically literate people than me on the forum who can probably explain the differences.

Actually, the problem lies with the lack of tuner s-e-l-e-c-t-i-v-i-t-y.
Basically, that relates to its ability to winkle out a weak signal while it is being swamped by a much stronger signal on a nearby frequency.

So an amplifier doesn't usually help as it simply makes the strong signal even stronger.
:rolleyes:
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
T-h-a-n-k-y-o-u for explaining Martin. ;)
 
Top