Poor signal on aerial OUT

wseed

New Member
I have a new HDR-Fox T2 and after installing am suffering with loss of signal and picture breakup on the TV. My findings are as below:

  • Main Aerial lead plugged directly into my TV - Result: strong signal on all channels.
  • Main Aerial lead plugged into Humax in and aerial cable from Humax out to TV (Humax turned OFF) - Result Poor (Breaking up picture) or no signal on some channels, some other channels work fine. Signal strength meter on TV displaying signal quality between 30-50% and errors on MPEG decoding on poor channels.
  • Main Aerial lead plugged into Humax in and aerial cable from Humax out to TV (Humax turned ON) - Result Poor (Breaking up picture) or no signal on some channels, some other channels work fine. Signal strength meter on TV displaying signal quality between 60-90% and errors on MPEG decoding on poor channels.
  • Main Aerial lead plugged into Humax in and aerial cable from Humax out to TV Viewing using Humax tuner. - Result strong signal on all channels.

If I plug in an aerial amplifier on the main aerial cable before the Humax it improves the matter a little but does not cure the weak output signal. I've also tested with the power saving turned on and off. With power saving on I get no signal at all which is as the feature suggests. Could it be that I have a faulty unit or is it expected that the signal quality is degraded after it's been through the Humax?
 
It might not be a weak signal, it could be too strong a signal. Instead of feeding a through connection to the TV try using a splitter before the Humax and sending the split signal to the Humax and the TV separately. Alternatively put an attenuator between the Humax and the TV.
 
Thanks for the reply, I had considered an amplifier with twin outputs but a splitter may be a cheaper option. I was more concerned that the Humax may be defective.

I don't see how it could be a too strong a signal as it's improved by use of an amp sited before the PVR.
 
The Humax reports 100% for both Signal and Quality both with and without the amp. As does the TV if the Humax is taken out of the loop.
 
The Humax reports 100% for both Signal and Quality both with and without the amp. As does the TV if the Humax is taken out of the loop.
100% signal strength is too high and probably explains your problems. Try removing the amplifier and substituting an attenuator.
 
Ah ok I think this is sinking in. So if the signal is already good/strong going into the Humax and then the humax maybe amplifies it too then the signal at the TV is too strong and the TV's tuner can't handle it. In a similar way that a speaker would distort if driven by the signal from an amp too powerfull for it.

.... Instead of feeding a through connection to the TV try using a splitter before the Humax and sending the split signal to the Humax and the TV separately.

Have done this now and the signal quality is back up to 100%

Alternatively put an attenuator between the Humax and the TV.
100% signal strength is too high and probably explains your problems. Try removing the amplifier and substituting an attenuator.

I've never come accross and attenuator before but looking what they are has made me understand the issue a little better now. Thanks all.
 
A passive splitter will also attenuate the signal, this is usually undesirable but in your case it is most desirable, as stated 100% signal strength is too high
 
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