Aerial cable problem

[phillewis]

Ok, this could take some describing…!

We have an aerial in our loft with a cable running through the ceiling into a cupboard in our bedroom. This goes into a three-way splitter. One of these ‘outs’ has a cable which leads to an aerial socket in our lounge, and another one has a cable which goes into our bedroom (not via a socket – the cable is loose). I’m not sure where the third one goes…!

The cable that goes into our bedroom works really well – when we connect our freeview box (a Humax PVR 930T) we get all freeview channels and really good signal strength and quality.

When we connect our freeview box into the socket in our lounge, we get most of the channels but not key ones like ITV. The signal strength and quality for the other channels is still fine, but it would be good to have ITV!

I’ve tried swapping the two cables in the splitter to see if one of the splitter sockets is on the blink, but this made no difference.

I’ve also taken the socket in the lounge apart to check we have a good connection and no wires are loose – everything seems fine.

1) Could it be the cable leading to the socket will this need replacing? Is this a DIY job or do we need a professional?
2) Could it be that we have an extra ‘join’ if we plug it in downstairs? (i.e aerial to splitter to socket to box rather than just aerial to splitter to box. If we just run the wire that goes to the socket straight to the TV, would that work?

I’m loathed to call someone out to sort out the problem as we’re renting and may end up moving soon. I don’t think the landlord would be that interested in paying to get it fixed!

Any suggestions welcome!

[Chris]

My guess would be that the cable to the lounge has deteriorated - most likely at a join, either at the splitter, behind the faceplate in the lounge, or somewhere along its length, if it is made up of more than once piece.

You could try putting a powered amplifier into the socket in the lounge and then attaching the Freeview box to that. Amps that far along the cable chain are liable to amplify the interference as well as the signal, but if it's not too bad, you might get away with it. Or, you could try putting in an amp next to the splitter.

[Scrubbs]

or you could try the freeview box from your lounge in the bedroom and vice versa so you know it's the cable not the freeview box , some boxes are better than others picking up signals,
You can also connect the weakest cable(lounge , then disconnect the other cables from the splitter to find out a) which is feeder from the aerial and b) if anything is interfering with the signal


just reread your post.......you only have one freeview box ? yes?

It might be easiest to run another cable from the cupbord to downstairs somehow(under the carpet if it's only temporary