There are high chances that this is the first time you hear about a TV/SAT attenuator. However, as an Aerial Fitter in Preston we do use these from time to time. Also, this article was created especially for you to know everything that you need about this piece of equipment. At the same time, you will find out if a TV/SAT attenuator is required in your case, so you can enjoy better TV services and quality.

Why is it important to know what an attenuator is and is it good for? For starters, many people like taking the matters connected to their TV and TV equipment functioning and set up in their own hands. Many of us think that it is not that difficult to set up this kind of equipment and perform all the installation operations. So, we have the tendency to take all of these as DIY projects. While this is not always a bad thing, you need to know what you are doing to avoid the appearance of problems in the future. It is true that an attenuator is not your everyday piece of equipment. But, even so, if you do need one, it is worth acquiring useful information about it.

​As the name suggests, the TV/SAT attenuator is a piece of equipment capable of attenuating the signal received by your satellite dish or TV antenna. But why should you opt for such a type of equipment? After all, a strong signal is something everybody wants. So, when the signal is too strong, the attenuator comes into the scene and reduces its intensity. Regarding its installation, the attenuator is usually placed in the coax plug, but, surprisingly, there are many other uses of this device, as you are about to find out.

Believe it or not, a strong signal is not always a good thing. If the signal your aerial or sat dish is receiving is too strong, your TV won’t work as expected. In fact, you may experience a series of problems that will keep you from enjoying your favorite TV shows. This problem is more common than you may think, as many people have TV issues because of a strong signal. You need to bear in mind that the signal is actually voltage or current going through various pieces of equipment and cables. Well, these pieces of equipment were created to support current between certain values. When these values are exceeded, the equipment will function poorly and your TV won’t behave as desired.
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What causes a strong signal? The location where you’re at, with regard to the position of the transmitter you want to use for TV services, influences this aspect a lot. In other words, the closer you are to a TV transmitter, the stronger the signal will be. So, knowing this detail will help you determine whether an attenuator might be of help for improved TV services and a proper functioning TV.

Before buying an attenuator, it is worth knowing that they come in various types. So, it is definitely worth checking their properties out before making a final decision. You see, if you buy the wrong kind of attenuator, this will further affect the quality of the signal. So, not any kind of attenuator will do the trick in your case. For example, an attenuator that reduces the power of the signal too much is not desired, as a weak signal will cause problems in its own turn.

• The Coax IEC type

You probably can already tell that this type will go into the coax plug, where it can be easily inserted. It can be connected to the RF input or it can go into various TV equipment, such as amplifiers or splitters.

• The F type

The name of this attenuator type suggests that an F connection is required to make it work. This means that this type will have to be fitted to equipment of distribution or splitters, which can offer this kind of connection. The majority of F type attenuators have a female F connection for the input and male connection for the output. But there are also “in line” models that have the same kind of connection for both ends, which means that you need to have the other in order to make the connection possible.

• Satellite attenuators

If you are using a satellite dish, then the attenuator you are using should have a series of suitable characteristics. One of them is the ability to get through the IF frequencies of the satellite. Also, it should also be DC passing, which means that it must allow DC voltage to go through it, to power the LNB of the satellite or the multi-switch amplifier’s output.

• Adjustable attenuators

This is probably the best compromise if you don’t know for sure how much strength is required to enjoy a good signal, without facing any troubles. The adjustable attenuator will offer a degree of freedom, allowing you to adjust its attenuating power by simply using a screwdriver. There’s a special area on the side of this type of attenuator that will allow you to change the attenuator’s power between 1 to 20 dB, according to your needs. So, all you need to do is keep an eye on the TV and see how it behaves with the adjustments you made. If you attenuate the signal too much, you will notice pixels appearing on the screen of your TV. If you didn’t attenuate the signal enough, you’ll still experience problems generated by too much signal power.
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The main idea to remember is that without adjusting the signal’s power right, you will not enjoy a functioning TV. An attenuator will help you, but you will need to know just how much attenuation is needed. This is not something that can be found with ease. The best way to find the ideal values for the signal in your case is by measuring the actual power of the signal. Usually, TV/SAT attenuators are available in specific increments, such as 3 dB or 6 dB, and others, of course, this is why it is useful to know just how powerful your TV signal is. Also, it is worth knowing that you can find attenuators that are in between traditionally set increments, which offer more or less attenuation, based on what you need.

An attenuator is useful not just for solving issues linked to a signal that is too powerful. It could help you take care of matters like TV tuning. Usually, you don’t need such a piece of equipment to perform a TV tuning operation. However, there are cases when particular TV makes are simply not made in a way that allows them to store the right TV services right. How to tell if this happens? When you run the classic TV scan, in the attempt to tune your TV, the final results will end up featuring a set of duplicate channels. It would be like the TV can’t find the others available.

This happens when your TV aerial gets a signal from more than one transmitter. Although you may find it hard to believe, this is possible even when you properly align the aerial in the direction of the desired transmitter. Its sides can capture the signals provided by the other transmitters in the area. And if you also use an amplifier, this problem will be even more accentuated. So, when your TV stores the wrong kind of signal, this is when issues emerge. The only way to take care of this problem is by manually tuning your TV receiver, so you can get the desired signal only. However, you may be surprised to notice that not all of them allow this operation to be made.
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This is when the attenuator steps into the scene. With its help, you can reduce the strength of the unwanted signals that cause the duplicate channels on the TV. This way, when the TV starts the automatic scanning process, it will go over these signals as they are too weak to cause any more troubles. Once you’re done tuning the TV, remove the attenuator, as it could also diminish the power of the signals you do want to keep.

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• The installation of an attenuator must be done correctly. Otherwise, it will further create signal problems.

 

• If you’re using an amplifier, its mere presence or the fact that it may be overloaded can cause signal issues. So, it would make more sense to remove the amplifier. In the case of a distribution amplifier, you can replace this piece of equipment with a passive splitter. This will do the job while reducing the signal’s power throughout the system.

 

• Do your best to pick the right type of attenuator needed for your TV system. This means to find one that has the adequate value of signal losses and the coax connectors corresponding to your system, as this will save you from a lot of unnecessary work.

 

• The signal has to be right, not too strong and not too weak either. So, you first need to identify the strength of the signal in your case and be sure that the installation position of the attenuator is correct. Otherwise, it won’t do the job it was assigned for.

Digitec Aerials Preston
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The Watermark,9 – 15 Ribbleton Lane,Preston,PR1 5EZ

Telephone:  01772 369629 ​

In order to keep your satellite safe, out of reach of thieves and sticky fingers, and in an area away from exposure to extreme weather, you may find a loft aerial installation ideal, more information here. Regardless of whether you're considering a new setup, or your loft currently has cables in place, there are a few aspects you need to consider before taking the plunge.

Unfortunately, unlike a TV aerial, while you may be physically able to place a satellite dish in your loft, it simply will not work. Considering the way frequencies work to reach a dish, it needs an unobstructed line of sight or it won't be able to penetrate through the roof. In order to obtain a usable signal, a satellite dishes needs to be installed outdoors on an exterior wall – such as a south facing wall here in the UK. Otherwise, a wall mount may be utilised in order to point the dish over the building, in any direction.
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However, that's not to say you couldn't use a window to your advantage – especially a skylight. The signals that reach your dish are capable of passing through some kinds of glass, if it were to be installed correctly. A project such as this would not be suitable for the unskilled or beginner DIYer, as it is rather difficult and requires expert positioning of the dish. Any nearby loft beams, or rain settling on the windowpane are just two of the problems surrounding the installation of a loft dish dependent upon a skylight. Most individuals who attempt this kind of installation are at high risk of investing money, and an entire afternoon only to be sorely disappointed with the resulting signal loss.

If your home already has cables running to the loft, or you had your place of residence rewired, you would be ready to install a satellite dish. Otherwise, you are facing a large rewiring project that requires significant labour to produce a usable and safe setup. Most importantly, you will need to install cables between the dish, and join onto cables that feed the satellite wall plates that typically enter through fascia, gable end wall or soffit.

Your location, individual project specs, in addition to your loft space, will all work to determine the amount of cables and hardware required. Most often these may include:

• 1 or 2 Cables (Freesat: 1 TV)
• 2 Cables (Sky Q)
• 4 Cables (Quad LNB: up to 4 TVs)
• 6 Cables (Hybrid LNB: Quad & Sky Q Wideband)
• 8 Cables (Octo LNB: 8 TVs)

It is highly unlike for an installer to oblige most requests for a loft installation with existing cables – especially if it's been arranged with Sky. This may put someone in the position of risking their job in order to install your dish, as most Sky installers are not appropriately insured to enter lofts. However, they may be able to install new cable on the outside of the property, and join the Sky box through the wall – unfortunately, this causes unsightly cables. Why go through the process of setting up cables for an internal installation, just to be left with visible wiring from the outside?

​On the other hand, for an installation such as this, you may seek out the help of an independent satellite engineer to install the dish, instead. While the costs may be a little higher overall, you will be left with a more visibly appealing product in the end.

​It's quite disappointing to learn of the impossibilities in regards to installing a dish into your loft, considering the unsuitable positioning. While you may have resigned yourself to the idea of displaying an unsightly dish on an exterior wall of your home, there are other solutions in which you may hide your satellite dish. While an outer wall may offer an easier install, requiring less time, you may consider finding a satellite dish that appears differently (like a Squish Dish), installing a dish on a chimney, on a pole in a garden, or simply paint the dish.

When you absolutely cannot stand the thought of installing a dish on an exterior wall of your home, or building, there are other options available. Although you may be limited in the location in which you may install a dish, there are alternative services out there that you should be made aware of.

1. Opt for a loft TV aerial where a satellite dish isn't suitable. While a dish may not work in your loft, a TV aerial could be another option. However, it's not a guarantee, as an aerial is dependent upon the strength of the signal your area receives. Recordable TV from Freeview Play or Youview is compatible through a TV aerial.
2. An outdoor TV antenna will provide the best TV reception where a loft TV aerial and satellite dish may not be a possibility. In the case where a loft features a foil lining, the signals for a TV aerial will bounce around like crazy, and make it impossible for signals to reach said aerial.
3. Sky without a Sky dish, or SkyGo may be available in the near future, as Sky has promised it's in the works. Rather than a satellite dish receiving signals, a internet connection would be used over an ethernet cable or WIFI signal. It's important to note that this type of service will vary depending upon your internet speeds. Not only will it work well with high speed internet, but it may not be made available to those with slower connections any time soon.
4. Now TV is similar to Sky Go, in which you use the internet to connect and watch your favorite shows. It is more of a pay as you go service, with a 30 day option, that allows you to also connect a TV aerial, if you are in possession of a Now TV box. This type of Smart TV box, in addition to others, permit the use of 3rd party applications for access to further programming via popular apps.

Digitec Aerials Preston
Address: The Watermark,9 – 15 Ribbleton Lane,Preston,PR1 5EZ

Telephone:  01772 369629