CATV Splitters? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin C Brown]

Can anyone explain to me the difference between these two? Need a splitter for a (digital) cable TV line...

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd..._ID=4390&DID=7

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd..._ID=4392&DID=7

The picture is the same, but the price is different... ??

 

[LewB]

Looks like the more expensive one will 'pass DC' thru both legs.
I think that may be needed for satellite TV. I believe that DSS has a low voltage running on the line (less than 20VDC) along with the signal. I'm guessing that this voltage is used by the in-line amps that you can buy for satellite TV. Since you said that you will be using the splitter for CATV, I don't think that you should care either way. I think that you could even use splitters that are marked 5Mhz - 1000MHz. Might save a few pennies if that's important. Like I said, I'm not 100% sure, so someone please correct me where necessary.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Cool, I actually did find some out to 900MHz for like 90 cents!

 

[LewB]

Kevin:
DO NOT use the 900MHz. splitters ! Believe it or not, the 1000MHz splitters are the ones you need !
A long time ago I was having problems with my CATV, picture was poor and grainy. Got the cable guy out to the house and he discovered 2 things:
1) There was a problem with the wire from the pole to the house, he changed that.
2) He asked me what kind of splitters I was using. When I told him that I was using the basic Home Depot/Radio Shack kind he went out to the truck and gave me a free replacement for all the ones I had installed. They were 5MHz-1000MHz. and each leg of the splitter was marked with the amount that it attenuated (decreased) the signal. 3 way splitters had two -7db legs and one -3.5db leg. I used the leg with the least attenuation on the longest wire runs I had, and the -7db legs on the short runs.
Problem solved !!!
Get splitters that pass at least 1000MHz, you won't be sorry.

 

[LewB]

Yeah, I think 2Gig will work anywhere (mandatory for satellite TV) . 1Gig (1000MHz) will work for CATV. And you can take the 900Mhz ones and use 'em for paperweights.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Cool. Went to Frys Electronics, and they had the 900 MHz one for $2.49, and the 2 GHz for $3.99. Got the 2 GHz one in that I figured the 1st one would probably work for normal analog cable, but that I should hedge my bets for digital cable...

 

[ross ish]

I used a 1gig Regal isolation splitter with 3.5db attentuation and it works excellent. Less than 1gig and I experience lines going thru the picture.