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nycdave
Premium,MVM
join:1999-11-16
Melville, NY
| reply to lamsao
Re: What kind of outdoor splitter should I get?
said by lamsao  :I used 2-way and 4-way splitters I bought here » www.monoprice.com/products/produ···format=2and everything worked fine with internet and TV. For the 4-way splitter, I used only 2 outputs. The other 2 were left open. I'm not sure if I need to put 75-ohm terminator caps on the unused outputs. But so far, I didn't notice any problem. --lamsao All unused ports need to be terminated to prevent spurious signal ingress into the RF network. This is not just for FiOS TV, but for any coax network.... | |
GeekGirl1
The Medium IS the Message
Premium
join:2007-01-28
Morrisville, PA
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Verizon Online DSL
edit:
May 7th, @08:29PM
| In RF theory, if the impedance of the load (splitter output - open circuit) doesn't match the impedance of the transmission line (resistance of the coax = 75 Ohms), the RF signal will reflect off the output of the splitter and add in a bad way to mess up your signals to the STB. Usually, you don't notice it. Except for maybe a few channels that don't look quite right.
The loads (terminations) on the splitter will provide the matching 75 Ohms that will absorb the "reflections" of the RF signals in your coax. This is a good thing.
I probably over-simplified, but the basic concept is that you need something like this for anything RF. It's also why you have those little black boxes on antennas to go between your coax and twin-lead. They are transformers (not just adapters) which go between 75 Ohm coax and 300 Ohm twin lead. The transformer "smooths out" those RF reflected signals to your TV. Without it, it would be a lot worse.
You can get them at Radio Shack. Price is a bit extravagant, but this is the concept: »www.radioshack.com/product/index···e=family | |
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