Creating a multi RF point for TV

[martits]

Hi. Im trying to create a multi socket so that I can connect about 8-10 RF cables (from old games consoles) to one distributor that fits into the aerial port of a TV.

I have been told I need a distributor switch but I cant find any online and Im really not too sure what to look for. Does anyone know of any that can do this for me without losing picture quality?

Thanks

 

[OLIVE2222]

HI martits,

2 or 3 TV cable switch can be easy to find. 10 channel will be more challenging for (mechanical) TV switch. It will be easier, if possible, to connect all your games consoles composite video +audio out to a easy to find 10 channels video+audio switcher and to add a TV modulator (you can reuse one from a console) at the video switcher output.

Olivier

 

[martits]

Unfortunately most of the consoles only support RF outputs (yes they are old). is there a cheap way to connect them all? I would ultimately like them to work just by turning one on and without physically having to switch anything.

 

[OLIVE2222]

martits,


Having the need for 10 way TV switch (technically a UHF 75ohms switch) is not somewhat common for home appliance.
The closer seems to be SAT switch use to select LNBs. They start working on frequencies from around 1Ghz, not sure if they can work on the lower UHF band.
You must select the LNB (here the console) with a DC voltage injected on the inputs. Also the connectors are N-type. Is not something perfect but it's use widely available mass markets components. To have all signal connected we use combiners but it's not compatible with TV signals as everything will be merged!
So having it automatic imply signal detection and switching.
You can also have look on surplus market or ebay for used broadcasting equipment they do that.
A KISS solution can be to build a box based on a 10 positions rotary switch.

Olivier

 

[martits]

Im really sorry but Im not that technical with TV wiring and this stuff is way beyond my knowledge. I was hoping that it wouldnt be such a big deal as with some of my old consoles you could simply have the RF cable and Aerial plugged in to a switch and then switch between the two.
With the Sega Dreamcast, you didn't even need to flick a switch. It will pick up the signal as soon as you switch it on.
I thought this could be a simple case of creating something like this and adding more inputs.
What if I had a few Dreamcast boxes and just added them altogether. Would that work or just lose a lot of quality? Remember I will only have one console switched on at any time.
If you could show me a link to any of the things you are suggesting that would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[davelectronic]

Hi there.
I use a selector switch for radio use, RF that is.
Inside the unit is a rotary selector knob to the switch, ground or the braid is common to all the output sockets, and the input, the center wire signal is fed to the different sockets via the rotary switch, this brings contacts together for the desired selected socket from the input, i would think any arrangement will work with mechanical switches in the same way, you just need to draw up a schematic of contact arrangements ( switching's ) to support any number of RF devices.

 

[OLIVE2222]

Hi Dave,


Thank you for your support. Indeed rotary switch is a nice solution! If you don't talk about a DIY unit, do you have any idea where to find something off the shelf, HAM shop maybe ? Which kinds of connectors are fitted on you unit?

Olivier

 

[donkey]

may i ask what consoles these are? the reason I ask this is that the nintendo series came with a little grey box that automatically switched between antenna and console, the sega had a slide swith, I am unsure what amiga and atari had. I had 2 nintendos and 2 segas hooked up to my tv once and the tv signal was fine.
anyway as soon as I saw this I thought rotary switch would be easiest, but if you can't do the soldering then the messier alternative is using a few of the 3-4 way splitters. I myself am trying to find a way to get about 6 things hooked up to my tv before i also try plugging in a few old nintendos

 

[jackorocko]

If you bought the right rotary switch you wouldn't necessarily need to solder. I am thinking of those wire connectors that you crimp on and then they slide over a tab (the like kind you find on car fuses) The part you crimp onto the wire is what you find in the fuse box that the fuses slide into. Not sure what they are called but they are common as hell.

Anyway, just depends on how small you want this setup and if you still want it to be automatic.

 

[davelectronic]

My radio selector RF unit is a retail unit, not a diy job, but its so simple in its function it could be put together using toggle switches or other switches i think, coax braid is common to all connections, input and the outputs, the signal wires, center of the coax is switched to the appropriate radio or antenna, its backwards compatible. PL259 for RG58 coax 50 ohms, but 75 ohms would work fine, my unit supports 3 devices, you can buy bigger units with more device supports.

The black post i added for a grounding copper rod. This was not original to the unit.

 

[martits]

may i ask what consoles these are? the reason I ask this is that the nintendo series came with a little grey box that automatically switched between antenna and console, the sega had a slide swith, I am unsure what amiga and atari had. I had 2 nintendos and 2 segas hooked up to my tv once and the tv signal was fine.
anyway as soon as I saw this I thought rotary switch would be easiest, but if you can't do the soldering then the messier alternative is using a few of the 3-4 way splitters. I myself am trying to find a way to get about 6 things hooked up to my tv before i also try plugging in a few old nintendos

Yeah I have a few nintendos but Im not sure if I have enough of those kind of switches to go around all the consoles. I guess if I was clever I could possibly get around it as I believe I could use composite leads on the SNES and N64 but it would be ideal to have a neat little box that wouldn't require manual switching.

 

[martits]

My radio selector RF unit is a retail unit, not a diy job, but its so simple in its function it could be put together using toggle switches or other switches i think, coax braid is common to all connections, input and the outputs, the signal wires, center of the coax is switched to the appropriate radio or antenna, its backwards compatible. PL259 for RG58 coax 50 ohms, but 75 ohms would work fine, my unit supports 3 devices, you can buy bigger units with more device supports.

The black post i added for a grounding copper rod. This was not original to the unit.

QUOTE]

Do you know of anywhere that is selling this kind of device? I've had a trawl through the net but no luck.

 

[Resqueline]

What about using aerial splitters in reverse as combiners? You'd need 7 two-way splitters to get 8 inputs. I don't know if these would attenuate the signals too much.

 

[donkey]

I have seen rf selectors and av selectors but how many different consoles do you have?
http://www.amazon.com/playstation-xbox-360-gamecube-nintendo-wii/dp/B0002CFEI4 is something i saw.... but once again how many are needed?

just an idea but wouldn't it be nice if someone made an all in one that played all the old games on one system? anything that is out of copyright anyway

 

[martits]

I have seen rf selectors and av selectors but how many different consoles do you have?
http://www.amazon.com/playstation-xbox-360-gamecube-nintendo-wii/dp/B0002CFEI4 is something i saw.... but once again how many are needed?

just an idea but wouldn't it be nice if someone made an all in one that played all the old games on one system? anything that is out of copyright anyway

Wow thats exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for. No wonder I had problems finding one, there is only one on Amazon and thats in the US only. Im form the UK so I have asked the seller if he will send one over. I think 5 connectors will be sufficient if Im clever with the switche supplied with some consoles and using composite leads on consoles that support them. Great find. Thanks a lot!

 

[donkey]

no worries. if all else fails use google.
also try getting an av selector for your snes and any other ones using av chords

 

[martits]

I got some more info on the product and it just deals with AV cables instead of RF leads. So I've tried searching for RF selectors (now that I know the name of it) and all I can find is ones that have multi AV sockets but no RF points. Im really stuck now.

 

[donkey]

just a thought, from memory most of the older consoles used an AV(thats what I call them, I also see them called RCA) plugs. if you use the AV selector plugging 1 chord into each in then for the AV out plug up the nintendo chord or what ever else you got. that may work