UHF repeaters, extending UHF range

[Jacob S]

Is there a way of extending the range of UHF remotes to a receiver by using a IR to UHF upgrade kit and then in the room where you was going to use the remote on the fringe of the reception get another cone to extend the range? or how about extending the range by placing two IR cones (one in the room with receiver and one in another room) and then in that room put the dish IR to UHF upgrade kit in that room and then extend that on so that it would work farther?

What about a bowtie like I have been told by Dish Network? How good do those work?

[Mike123abc]

You can move the antenna from the back of the unit and attach it to a cable and put the antenna closer to the remote. I attached a cheap Radio Shack 10db amp to my antenna and it extended the range.

[TopCat99]

Bowties are (a bit) directional; that may or may not be an issue for you. Also, all the ones I've seen use 300-ohm feedline. This will likely present an impedance mismatch unless you can find a transformer to fit the jack on the receiver (just don't turn your receiver into a transceiver ;))

What Mike says is probably the most economical solution (aren't IR cones $50?). You can get a el cheapo amp for $15, I thnk.

OT: What would be *really* fun would be the ability to have the RF remote transmit somewhere in the communicator (49 MHz) band. Control your neighbors' receivers from a 1/4 mile away :lol: Or hack the remote and build a cross-band repeater. Of course you'd need to know frequencies, modulation type, have to key the xmitter at just the right time... Then you'd have to get FCC type acceptance. OK, no more caffeine for me tonite!

[drjake]

I've installed a $20 amplified RCA VHF/UHF/FM antenna, connected it to a length of coax and it works great.

[Jacob S]

Is there a certain type of amplifier that you need to get with a certain amount of db 's and certain ones that you should not get?

I tried and amplifier once and it would not work or did not help.

What is the maximum length of coax you can use with an amplifier?

Can I get an amplifier on a 300 ft of cable to work?

[TopCat99]

300 feet?! Forget the el cheapo amp, then. RG-6 loses 4.3 dB of signal over 100 feet at 400 MHz; RG59 is absolutely useless. (I don't know what freq the UHF remote uses, so I chose 400 MHz--which is UHF--as the figure for the losses.)

A 10- or 15-dB amp is going to still be working against that loss, which defeats the whole purpose of the project. Do a shorter run, a better amp, or set up a farm of IR pyarmids.

If this is gonna work, it's gonna be pricey, I'm afraid. Good cable (NOT RadioShack, but the good stuff) is a must, a nice amp, and preferrably a somewhat directional antenna.

How far are you going with this thing line-of-sight, anyway? You might be able to just use a directional antenna like a Yagi at or near the receiver.

And welcome to the world of radio ;)

[AntAltMike]

Try diplexing the RF channel 3/4 output with the UHF antenna input using a high-low signal joiner (common part designation: HLSJ) and then split the signals apart at the destination with another HLSJ and connect your UHF antenna to the "high" side of that one.

I don't believe that the signal loss over 300 feet of coax will drop the UHF remote's signal below the input threshold of the UHF remote circuitry. I successfully did this over about 300 feet with a 4DTV receiver. If you want to boost the UHF remote signal a little, use a cable TV amplifier rather than a UHF/VHF amplifier, because the UHF section of a UHF/VHF amplifier might have a band roll-off characteristic below 470Mz that will tend to negate the amplification at the UHF remote's frequency.

[Jacob S]

Thanks, I never thought about doing that before, some interesting ideas. I like messing with this stuff and try to do things that some think impossible or some things that others did not think one could do. I am also wondering about IR emitters and IR transmitters. Can I put one on each end of the coax to get it to work? Basically what I am looking for is a wired remote instead of a wireless remote, it would be changing it from wireless to wired. I would not think it would be hard to do, kinda like a remote control car that is wired instead of wireless.

I will try this out, as I have a cable amplifier and some RCA diplexers from Wal-Mart (would those work like the one - HLSJ - that was mentioned by AntAltMike ?)

[AntAltMike]

RCA diplexers will not work if the are "Sat/Ant" diplexers which pass 5Mz to 806Mz on one leg and 950Mz and above on the other An HLSJ passes 5Mz to 88Mz on one leg, which includes your channel 3 or 4 modulated output, and 174Mz and above on the other, which includes your UHF remote signal. I buy them wholesale for about a dollar each. You might find them retail somewhere for three or four dollars each. It is by far the cheapest way to go, and compatible with amplification if they are inadequate by themselves.

[Jacob S]

This one is an RCA Ant/Sat diplexer and it says D920 and costs about $8 at Wal-Mart. It says its 40-2150 MHz and has a DC pass on it.

Would IR emmiters and transmitters do a better job of this?

[sticks]

Jacob S I sent you a PM and a email on buying your equipment...please get with me


thanks

[AntAltMike]

Originally posted by Jacob S
This one is an RCA Ant/Sat diplexer and it says D920 and costs about $8 at Wal-Mart. It says its 40-2150 MHz and has a DC pass on it.

Would IR emmiters and transmitters do a better job of this?

Wrong animal. You can buy HLSJs HERE (http://www.allthingsdigital.net/Accessories/index.asp) for $2.49 each. I predict that you will get more range with two of these than with IR extenders for $40 or so