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OK, so a couple of installers have just visited to fix my intermittent Freeview channels, and I wanted an opinion of the work they’ve done.
To recap, I moved in a year ago and took the advice of Graham Thompson to fit a Vision V20-4260L mast head amplifier to recover missing channels from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter about 30 miles away, placing it just inside the loft. It worked a treat.
Then in March the 5G clearances led to a retune and Com7 & Com8 becoming the rather unreliable host to BBC4 HD and Channel 4 HD+1 etc. Phoning the Freeview helpline eventually led to them sending the pair of installers to do whatever was needed to restore the channels, at their cost. With my 20+ year old basic/contract aerial looking distinctly old against generally newer and more elaborate designs nearby, I was fully expecting a new aerial to be fitted.
One of the installers connected his meter (with small TV screen and costing a few £k he said) and quickly diagnosed 4G interference. I pointed out my masthead amp claims to screen this out, but he had little truck with this claim. His meter also said I was picking up Waltham, even further away than Sutton Coldfield to my surprise. So he went to the loft and inserted a 4G filter (see picture) between aerial feed and masthead input. He complimented my choice of masthead amp compared to the DIY store junk most people use. The yellow patch cable he used looks push-fit not F-type screw-on, is this a bodge?
Measuring again downstairs, he seemed to think there was still interference (could this be picked up by the descending coaxial cable after the masthead amp/filter?) so he fitted a second filter down there. After this, he pronounced success. The signal strength (from Humax HDR-2000T) was on some channels down at 4 out of 10 but quality for all was 10; he said to ignore these built in strength meters. He said that 4G masts vary their strength during the day; elsewhere I've read they’ve been upping their power to see what they can get away with without complaint.
Obviously, only time will tell if this is all successful. There is indeed a 4G mast a few hundred meters away, in the vague direction of the aerial. He said my strength (post masthead amp) was midway between 45 and 65dB range needed.
So, not a complaint, just a question for the experts: Was this a decent job/solution?
[attachment=67126,1020] [attachment=67126,1021] [attachment=67126,1022]
The yellow F connector is a moulded on design, should be even more reliable than a screw on one. Picking up 4G on the downleads suggests the cable screening isn’t very good. Best to use double screened sat grade cable like Webro WF100.
Vision Products gear is the best that money can buy in the UK.
Thanks both for your replies and another affirmation for Vision products. The loft 4G filter was a fairly heavy die-cast thing and is marked ‘Channel 60’; the downstairs one leading into the Humax was a lighter plastic affair marked ‘Channel 59’. Build quality aside, is there any significance in the difference in marking?
The cable down from loft to living room is to me a very standard brown coax, certainly not awful or unduly thin. Is the suggestion of pickup in this (the reason for the second filter?) a reflection of poor cable quality or more the 4G mast being too close for comfort?
Beyond these questions, do you feel this is an OK job? Didn’t cost me anything.
Roy22 – 30 minutes ago »
Thanks both for your replies and another affirmation for Vision products. The loft 4G filter was a fairly heavy die-cast thing and is marked ‘Channel 60’; the downstairs one leading into the Humax was a lighter plastic affair marked ‘Channel 59’. Build quality aside, is there any significance in the difference in marking?
The cable down from loft to living room is to me a very standard brown coax, certainly not awful or unduly thin. Is the suggestion of pickup in this (the reason for the second filter?) a reflection of poor cable quality or more the 4G mast being too close for comfort?
Beyond these questions, do you feel this is an OK job? Didn’t cost me anything.
Copper braid, Gold Foil Under, Copper Centre Core and foam dialectric
http://www.webro.com/coaxial/tv-satellite/wf100-cable/
http://www.aerialsandtv.com/cableandleads.html#CoAxNextToMainsCable
Check any wall outlet plates are the screened type.
grahamlthompson – 1 month ago »
The yellow F connector is a moulded on design, should be even more reliable than a screw on one.
Sorry, I know this is an old thread, but I’ve only just noticed it.
That yellow connector doesn’t look like an F connector to me at all. It looks like a standard TV coax (Belling-Lee) plug rammed onto the F socket?
Mooperman – 10 minutes ago »
grahamlthompson – 1 month ago »
The yellow F connector is a moulded on design, should be even more reliable than a screw on one.
Sorry, I know this is an old thread, but I’ve only just noticed it.
That yellow connector doesn’t look like an F connector to me at all. It looks like a standard TV coax (Belling-Lee) plug rammed onto the F socket?
Which one are you looking at ? The one on the masthead amplifier is a f connector. The one on the channel 60 filter is a standard Belling Lee.
You cannot possibly connect a Belling Lee connector to a F socket, the centre core is much larger. A F connector uses the centre core of the coax which is much smaller than a Belling Lee Plug male connector. It would be impossible to connect it.
http://www.webro.com/coaxial/tv-satellite/wf100-cable/
Yellow is a available colour
There is a standard co-ax to F-connector adapter. I have used them. When I purchased my Vision Products amp/distributor it came with F-connections only. To avoid having to replace a bunch of co-ax connectors I bought these adapters.
Ah, ok so you can get push-on F connectors (an oxymoron if you ask me). Didn’t realise such abominations existed.
Mooperman – 1 hour ago »
Ah, ok so you can get push-on F connectors (an oxymoron if you ask me). Didn’t realise such abominations existed.
They aren’t push on F-connectors. They convert a f terminated coax to Belling Lee male or female plugs.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-f-to-coax-adaptors-pack-of-10/33532
https://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-f-to-coax-plugs-pack-of-10/39772
By far the best way to make up quality interconnects using WF100 satellite grade cable.
Whilst I am loathe to contradict you Graham, the yellow connector certainly look like a standard patch lead that has been pushed onto the threads. You can even see the threads through the expansion gaps, as indicated.
I see no sign of any adapter.
In fact, the adapter you suggest wouldn't be required as the amp is threaded thereby not needing the coax to be converted.
[attachment=67824,1059]
SSThing – 14 minutes ago »
Whilst I am loathe to contradict you Graham, the yellow connector certainly look like a standard patch lead that has been pushed onto the threads. You can even see the threads through the expansion gaps, as indicated.
I see no sign of any adapter.
In fact, the adapter you suggest wouldn't be required as the amp is threaded thereby not needing the coax to be converted.
[attachment=67824,1059]
I don’t see how a Belling-Lee could possibly fit. The hole in a F socket is tiny. If you are correct it certainly is a bodge.
One of these with a short length of coax with a f connector on each end will convert it unless the Belling Lee is completely ruined.
http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/rw7-011/tv-coax-socket-to-f-female-brass/dp/CN16115?mckv=sw5mVutv3_dc|pcrid|224689766569|kword||match||plid||slid||product|CN16115|pgrid|49729733449|ptaid|pla-412324023826|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7-Ww7dri3AIV6rXtCh1mfg-YEAQYASABEgIcufD_BwE
It is probably THIS {Click} sort of thing.
I didn’t know they existed either.
As GLT says, a Belling Lee would just not fit.
Trev – 4 minutes ago »
It is probably THIS {Click} sort of thing.
I didn’t know they existed either.
As GLT says, a Belling Lee would just not fit.
Well found!!
That certainly looks like the one, expansion slots etc all appear the same.
Just out of curiosity, I have just (without much effort) successfully pushed a male standard fitting onto an f-connection and it’s a very flush fit externally but I suspect the inner of the f has been damaged/distorted. A standard female would be impossible without a definite bodge
Trev – 17 minutes ago »
It is probably THIS {Click} sort of thing.
I didn’t know they existed either.
As GLT says, a Belling Lee would just not fit.
Never seen one either but a search found this
The reviews make interesting reading.
I have in the past used a F to male belling lee and a f to female to make a quick disconnect option on a satellite cable I needed to disconnect fairly often. This had no noticeable effect with signal quality and strength remaining at 100%.
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