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Splitter for TV tuner and Co-axial suggestion

BTRY B 529th FA BN

BTRY B 529th FA BN

Lifer
I just installed a Hauppauge! 2250 TV tuner card. I am about 6' away from my Cable Gateway modem thingy. I think I need to run a co-axial splitter for the modem and the TV tuner card. Is there any recommended splitters or pieces of hardware that I should use?

I thought I read somewhere something about a frequency for certain channels ranges that is needed.
 
With a few possible but unlikely exceptions, a splitter rated for 900MHz should be sufficient.

The next important detail is the insertion loss, which, in an ideal/impossible world would be 3dB for a two-way split ... typical is 3.5dB (for a two-way).

Each split will result in a 3db+ loss to each port, the "+" value is dependent on the quality of the splitter. I'm very partial to Holland splitters; they are commercial grade and engineered to a very high standard (for example they are machined threads on the port, not cast).

Holland also make splitters compatible with HPNA and MOCA, where the isolation value between ports is important.

http://www.hollandelectronics.com/catalog/catalog.php?product_id=HFS-Series-Broadband-Splitters#

(then follow the "Passives" link for datasheets)

I buy them through techtoolsupply.com: http://www.techtoolsupply.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=377
 
Thanks for the :awe: reply!

I just got back from MicroCenter and ended up with a Paladin 5-2450MHz bandwidth, 2-way Splitter Satellite TV. Each "Out" is rated at -8db Is that any good?
This model. Did I get the wrong one?

I also ended up getting a RG6 3' and RG59 6' co-axial cable... did i buy the wrong cables?

Thanks for the help so far!
 
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BTRY B 529th FA BN said:
I just got back from MicroCenter and ended up with a Paladin 5-2450MHz bandwidth, 2-way Splitter Satellite TV. Each "Out" is rated at -8db Is that any good?
Click to expand...
Wrong one for cable use. That is designed for satellite connections to LNB.
This is the correct one:
http://www.paladin-tools.com/view_tool.php?id=561&parent_id=385

I also ended up getting a RG6 3' and RG59 6' co-axial cable... did i buy the wrong cables?
Click to expand...

While you can mix and match cable types it isn't ideal. Cable companies usually are RG6 so try to stay with RG6 in the home if you can. It usually doesn't matter much, but sometimes it can cause some loss.
 
Ok, just got back from Radio Shack, lol, yes, i said Radio Shack. I did end up getting a nice pair of R6 cables: 4 & 8' so I'll be taking those back along with the Paladin. They did have one of those splitters and I did have it in my hand for about 15 minutes tyring to decide if it was the correct one.. argh, off to MicroCenter again (50 minutes of total driving time.. 🙁 )
 
RG6 comes in cheap monoprice = short run indoors and good outdoors.

also the connectors come in cheap junk and will withstand the top of skyscrapers

a good RG6 with a single run (no split/connectors) and commercial ends custom cut to your length needs will result in the highest output.

stick to blonder tongue splitters and use a tap if its more than a 2 way split.

I learned alot about this when trying to get ATSC reliable - all it takes is a cheap connector end to go from a usable signal to a breaking up signal.

same goes for everything else
 
Ok, I don't know whats going on. I've re-checked my ground wire, after I got a shock, and it's hooked up. I started hooking the line to my 2 way splitter and that's when the shock happened: to the point of tiny 'completing the circuit' melting points. I have internet but I cannot hook-up the cable to my TV Tuner card. Actually I won't because I think it will blow something up.

What's wrong here?

I got that splitter above, R6 wires, ...internet.

When I had all the co-axial cables hooked up and everything unplugged, I started to plug-in the PSU cord and the lights in the room went out.. WTF is going on here, hah!
 
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It sounds like you have a hot-neutral swapped somewhere, and / or a ground failure.

If any of the equipment has a two-prong plug, reverse it in the socket. If you have a meter handy, test shield-to-ground for AC Volts.
 
Wow, I hope I didn't screw anything up. I just got done running a ground from the outlet to a cold water line. I checked the signal after I ran the ground and the hot/neutral were in reverse. I switched them around and got it all straightened out. Lucky I didn't have my Gamer machine plugged in while that happened last night, whew. It would be bad enough if anything starts acting flaky on this Main rig.

Well, gonna go, lightening storm is here. Thanks for all the help everyone 🙂

Awesome!
 
BTRY B 529th FA BN said:
I just got done running a ground from the outlet to a cold water line.
Click to expand...

BAD idea. What you have done is probably created a situation where you can have a ground loop bad enough to destroy equipment in a surge or at the very least a ground loop which can cause hums, static in audio, lines in tv reception ,etc.

In a home you only want one connection to ground , it must be at the service entrance or meter but not both.
If there isn't you can add one. Sometimes the clamps are bad or the connection corroded not making contact anymore. The NEC does not recommend water pipes for grounding anymore in new construction because it is hard to determine how far the pipe goes underground, if it is all metal construction, etc. So they recommend ground rods. A long rod, about 8ft long you drive into the ground near the meter to attach the ground to. Home depot, etc sell them, about $8. Dig down about a foot, then drive the rod the rest of the way with a hammer + wood to keep from bending the rod, attach the clamp and wire to the rod and bury it so nothing sticks up.

BEFORE adding one, turn off the main disconnect for the home. The reason for doing this is because you do not want to connect a new ground and have it suddenly discharge any current from a leaking device.

Once that is done locate where the catv line enters the home. There should be two things there.

Grounding block -use same size wire as one grounding power meter , that goes back to the meters ground using a clamp. Lightning Arrestor is the second thing. You can get it as a combo device.
http://www.yourbroadbandstore.com/product.php?pid=250430&r=CPC01

Ground Rod
http://www.yourbroadbandstore.com/product.php?pid=002949



Ground wire clamp to rod
http://www.yourbroadbandstore.com/product.php?pid=006336

ground wire
http://www.yourbroadbandstore.com/product.php?pid=240583

Connector to connect cable ground to home ground wire, place as close to ground rod as possible.
http://www.yourbroadbandstore.com/product.php?pid=006413

Both of those items are supposed to be installed by the cable companies but I have seen where they just install the ground block, never connecting it to ground, and often skip the arrestor completely.

Once you have the above wired correctly you will not need another ground anywhere in the home. I have installed quite a lot of these setups because sat and cable installers are lazy or incompetent.
 
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Hold on, let me double check the ground I ran for the one outlet Sunday. It may be to the box ground. I know for sure the other is to a cold water line because I just got done doing it.. brb
 
It looks like the cold water line in the basement is grounded with a solid 4 gauge copper wire directly to the circuit box; which is the same grounding clamp I used for my first project/outlet. I bought a "ground checker" and all the connections are correct - which I know may not be 100% safe.

The second one I just got done with checks out ok with the "ground checker" but that is to a cold water line by the second story bathroom.
 
BTRY B 529th FA BN said:
The second one I just got done with checks out ok with the "ground checker" but that is to a cold water line by the second story bathroom.
Click to expand...

It will create a ground loop. The reason is because the ground at that pipe will have a different voltage than the ground in the basement , even if the pipe is metal the whole way through. When you connect two pipes or fittings together the connection will have some resistance to it, the further you get from the ground the more the resistance will be.

If the outlet you are using now does not have a good ground without an additional wire then you need to locate why that that is. Could be loose in the outlet, loose in the breaker box, etc.
 
I'll look into it, got a dentist appt to go to.

How about the other outlet that is grounded to the cold water line that is again grounded to the main circuit box?
 
BTRY B 529th FA BN said:
I'll look into it, got a dentist appt to go to.

How about the other outlet that is grounded to the cold water line that is again grounded to the main circuit box?
Click to expand...

The only ground going to the water line should be from the main circuit box. Then all the outlets in the home are supposed to get their ground from the main box.
 
Modelworks said:
The only ground going to the water line should be from the main circuit box. Then all the outlets in the home are supposed to get their ground from the main box.
Click to expand...

So then if the ground I ran from the first outlet, which most of my PC's will be plugged into via 2 different power strips, goes directly to the copper ground coming from the box that is on the water line, I theoretically should be ok; but the other might get a loop. How do I check if it's looping back?
 
BTRY B 529th FA BN said:
So then if the ground I ran from the first outlet, which most of my PC's will be plugged into via 2 different power strips, goes directly to the copper ground coming from the box that is on the water line, I theoretically should be ok
Click to expand...

That one should be fine.

; but the other might get a loop. How do I check if it's looping back?
Click to expand...



That one is the one that could be a problem. You would have to measure between the point you want to use as a new ground and the homes primary ground at the circuit breakers. With a meter set to AC it should read almost zero volts. I would really try to find out why the ground from the 1st floor circuit breaker is not being carried to the outlets on the second floor. Somewhere there is a ground wire not connected.
 
Modelworks said:
That one should be fine.





That one is the one that could be a problem. You would have to measure between the point you want to use as a new ground and the homes primary ground at the circuit breakers. With a meter set to AC it should read almost zero volts. I would really try to find out why the ground from the 1st floor circuit breaker is not being carried to the outlets on the second floor. Somewhere there is a ground wire not connected.
Click to expand...

Thanks Model 🙂
 
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