Question Old TV distribution system - digital compatible?

cmagowan

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Hoping someone knows about TV distribution and can advise!
I live in a large development of 100 flats that were built in the 1980's.
We have 1 aerial up on the roof that comes down and goes through a series of boosters:-
2020-06-29 20.01.27.jpg

it then gets split up up into 6 separate feeds:-
2020-06-29 20.03.38.jpg

These feeds then go off into each block. Flats have been complaining about signal strength for years.
I am wondering if our boosters are designed for analogue system instead of digital/freeview?

To test that theory, i got a Digital signal strength meter (SLX DVB-T Signal meter) and plugged it into my socket in my flat, it read 50 (the lowest reading), i then plugged it in the distribution room before the boosters (it reads 60 with the 70 slightly flickering), i then plugged it into the output from the boosters, and it read 80 (highest reading), so presumably it is boosting the digital signal, but i was curious as to what people on here thought.
Unfortunately, as the cables coming out of the splitter are hardwired in, i dont want to disconnect one to hook up to my signal meter.
Grateful for any advice.
 

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As far as the boosters are concerned they are NOT boosting an analogue or digital signal - it is a UHF radio frequency signal which can be modulated to either an analogue or digital signal. In the same way there ia no such thing as a digital aerial
 
The system will be designed to provide a split rather than boosted signal with a degree of separation between outputs to give a level of fault tolerance. There's no reason why it won't work with digital as well as analogue, but if the cabling has been in since the 80s this may have degraded and be in need of replacement.

The aerial may not be in the correct group for the digital signals or may just need tweaking to align it a little better.

Digital TV is susceptible to ghosting and signal reflection in the same way as analogue signals are, but the displayed effect is different. Instead of a slight double image, you will tend to see digital break up and the receiver may report lower quality.

These sort of systems require specialist attention as you are getting into the black art of RF design...
 
Thanks for info. If they were boosting both analogue and digital signals, i wasn't sure if they were boosting the right frequencies. Also, wasn't sure if it would be boosting old analogue frequencies that aren't in use anymore, and i was curious as to whether that would cause a degradation of the freeview signal performance, but maybe not.
Unfortunately i think it would a massive job to replace all cables. We think that a cable might go up through a block, splitting off on each floor (without boosting) and then going in a ring around the 5 to 7 flats on that floor, so we would never be able to access those cables without ripping up every flats floors/walls i don't think!!
 
Thanks for info. If they were boosting both analogue and digital signals, i wasn't sure if they were boosting the right frequencies. Also, wasn't sure if it would be boosting old analogue frequencies that aren't in use anymore, and i was curious as to whether that would cause a degradation of the freeview signal performance, but maybe not.

The broadcast signals haven't changed, the data they carry is just interpreted differently when it gets to the TV.

I don't know anything about the booster hardware, but if the numbers on the front refer to the UHF channel them 65 and 50/51 are obsolete. Other than 55, I believe all broadcasts are on channel 48/49 or below these days.

So it does look like it may be set up for older frequencies, although you'd need to see what the transmitter the aerial was aligned with was broadcasting.

The labels pasted over the front suggests they might be adjustable somehow?

It'd also suggest the aerial may be an old one which means it could be tuned to a range of frequencies not longer in use and less sensitive to the current frequencies.
 
As has been said those boosters/filters whatever they are don't mind analogue or digital. Anyway they have the DVB logo (digital video broadcasting) bottom left. It looks as if the right hand 4 have been retuned as they have dymo stickers on them.

Do you know what your transmitter is? You could compare its channel numbers with those on the units.

Don't try retuning them yourself. It is a specialist job and there could well be a service plan in place with someone.
 

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