Really need to understand what sort of connection I have?

[jacton]

I hope this is the correct place for my query. I have not posted for some time but over the past few years, my community has had a satellite system put in place. It has a 1.9 Famaval dish for 72 properties. I had my own dish also 1.9 which due to it being installed down my chimney had to be removed as I need a fire installed.

So I reluctantly joined the community system, but I am using my own Humax Foxsat HD box, and not the box the installers are selling to us. I was connected to the community system for Spanish Freeview and was horrified when the installer cut my Spanish Freeview cables. I was receiving both UK Freesat TV through my Foxsat box and via a Spanish HD box Spanish HD Freeview.

I have spoken at length to the installers who informs me he needs to put (I apologise for my lack of knowledge or understanding at this point) a duel splitter on to the end of the Freesat cabling which will enable me to receive both signals through the one cable. Not sure how this would work as they are different systems with different receivers, one a Sat dish and one an aerial.

I asked how would I be able to receive both satellite and Freeview signal and how would I transmit this to my TV, he suggested I used the Loop connection to connect the aerial to both boxes, but a Foxsat box does not have a loop connection although the Spanish TDT box does. Would I be able to connect the one cable coming from my internal junction box to first the Spanish TDT box and then via the loop connect to the Foxsat box and be able to receive both Freesat signal and Spanish Freeview?

Sorry to go on but am totally at a lose as to how this could work.

One other point since joining the community system I have lost some channels that I used to receive from my own Dish in particular the radio station Gold and some other residents do receive this station. Does this suggest that the dish is not correctly aligned or is there some real glitch in this community system?

Many thanks for any help you can give

regards

[satandpcguy]

Hello and welcome back,

I have spoken at length to the installers who informs me he needs to put (I apologise for my lack of knowledge or understanding at this point) a duel splitter on to the end of the Freesat cabling which will enable me to receive both signals through the one cable. Not sure how this would work as they are different systems with different receivers, one a Sat dish and one an aerial.

Yes it is possible to have both satellite and terrestrial signals down one cable.
You use a "mixer" or "MEZCLADOR TV Y SATELITE", that mixes the two signals from the aerial and satellite into one cable. This is possible as the two systems use different frequency ranges... the lower frequencies for TV and the higher freqencies for satellite. They dont overlap each other, so you can have both TV and satellite signals down one cable.

I asked how would I be able to receive both satellite and Freeview signal and how would I transmit this to my TV, he suggested I used the Loop connection to connect the aerial to both boxes, but a Foxsat box does not have a loop connection although the Spanish TDT box does. Would I be able to connect the one cable coming from my internal junction box to first the Spanish TDT box and then via the loop connect to the Foxsat box and be able to receive both Freesat signal and Spanish Freeview?.

And this leads us to how to "unmix" the two signals.
YOu need a wall plate or "TOMA TERMINAL" that allows the single cable to be attached. This wall plate seperates the two signal frequencies, and has two "connections": one for TV and one for satellite. Conenct the former to the TDT box, and the latter to the satellite receiver. And thus the unmixing of signals is now done.

But yes, this can also be done on some satellite receivers that have RF outputs or in some cases loopthru outputs, without the need for a wall plate.

Although they should have sorted all this out for you when they conencted you up to the system...not very good or professional of them not to fully do the job.

Sorry to go on but am totally at a lose as to how this could work.

No problems that is what this place is for.

One other point since joining the community system I have lost some channels that I used to receive from my own Dish in particular the radio station Gold and some other residents do receive this station. Does this suggest that the dish is not correctly aligned or is there some real glitch in this community system?.

IF others are receiving channels and you are not, then it either means that channel is not loaded into your satekllite receiver, or there is a glitch in the community systems, specifically your connections form the community systems. It may be that the connections are poor, or that the system does not have enough amplification in it to make all frequencies available to everyone. This you need to mention to the installers / community system operators. It should nnot a box issue, so dont be forced into buying their box.

[jacton]

Many thanks for your prompt and as always comprehensive answers.

Just to clarify would they need access to my property to install the Toma Terminal, as they told me they did not need access so it seems that they will not be installing one of these.

If that is the case would it be possible that if I had a Television that has an inbuilt digital tuner would I be able to receive the Spanish TDT through it with only one connection into my Foxsat box?

I can actually get a working Sky HD Box with working card over here instead of the Foxsat box if it would work through it.

[satandpcguy]

Some satellite receivers with an RF output are able to do the "unmixing", but not all, and so yes it may have been possible to get that to work without the need for a wallplate Toma Terminal.

But as the Freesat box does not have an RF output, then you need the Toma Terminal to "unmix" the signal and provide it back into two cables: one for TDT and the other for the satellite.

In some cases, satellite receivers with a loopthu can also be used, withouth the need for a "unixing" wallplate. The "mixed" signal is first sent to the input on the satellite receiver. usuing the loopthru, that mixed signal is also sent to the TDT receiver. I know that the basic Humax Freesat box does not have a thruput, but the PVR (hard drive recording - Freesat+) versions does (but I am not sure if this works on that model - perhaps smething to test over the weekend...).

[jacton]

Okay and once again many thanks.

I have just brought in the UK a brand new Panasonic TXP42ST30 which has a built in Freeview digital tuner. Am thinking of bringing it over to Spain and replacing my existing TV. This will be connected to the Humax Foxsat box via HDMI cable, but would the built in digital tuner pick up the Spanish Freeview signal without any additional boxes or cable?

Sorry to be a pain

[satandpcguy]

Yes, you shoud be able to receive Spanish Digital TV without any additional boxes or cable simply by connecting the TV up to a TV aerial.

Using a UK Freeview receiver in Spain does generally tend to work.
There are a few issues though in using a UK Freeview box or tuner in SPain.
In the UK frequency 69 is not used for digtal tv, but it is used in most of Europe. So you may find that you wil not be able to receive the channels on that frequency - Antenna 3, Neox, Nova. Although with the final stage of TDT later this year and maybe next year this will not be a problem, as the higher frequencies will be cleared, the channels moved to lower frequencies, and these clear higher frequencies sold off.

Also, some Freeview boxes / receivers may not be able to select the second audio track that usually carries the undubbed original audio. I have found that some Freeview boxes will only look for audio carrying the words "English" "Gaelic" and "Welsh". This becomes an issue as the Spanish broadcasters use a range of descriptions for the second audio track : DOS, MUL, QAA, VO, and so the Freeview boxes are unable to select this second audio track.

I cannot say if the Panasonic will suffer from these issues or not.
Sometimes, on some systems, although it says "Freeview" they may be an option to go into a "Non Freeivew"mode, so you are no longer limited by the Freeview software..

[jacton]

Just an update to my situation, yes it is still ongoing.
The community installer has actually disconnected all the residence from the Spanish signal and are asking 50 autos to reconnect. I am now seeking what i can do legally to get my Spanish signal restored. I know all he need do is connect the mixer and a toma terminal, i actually brought one out with me from the UK last month to connect up inside my house and found out he had actually taken the mixer away from outside as I had not paid him his 50 euros.
I am sure what he is doing is illegal and i will pursue this as far as i can go.
I have actually suggested to our President that i will bring in my own installer to connect me up via a mixer to both the Spanish and British systems and then charge the community for my expenses.
Do you have a recommendation for anybody down in the Algorfa/Torrevieja area that i could use?
Our community actually owns our satellite system and we pay this guy to maintain both the sat system and the Spanish TDT but we are now looking for somebody else to maintain our system as this guy seems to be a bit on the sly side.

[satandpcguy]

Hi,

I suppose it is all down to the contract he has with the community / and or residents. If that contract says no pay no signal, then that's what he can do.
But as the equipment is yours / the communities does he have the right to "meddle" with the equipment when there is no issue or been called to fix an issue. If he has "meddle" the equipment without permission, is that criminal damage?
And it may be worth asking for a breakdown of what the 50euros per resident covers, and what work he / they have done for the last year as part of that cover.

Not too sure, but I know that televisiontechnology.eu look after a number of community systems in your area.

[jacton]

Thanks for you reply I will ask the questions although i still have not got an answer from him to explain why he cut the Spanish signal off in the first place except perhaps to save himself having to put new cables into each property as he was paid to do. But will ask the questions through our president as the installer now refusing to speak to me direct
will check with the company you mentioned
many thanks