Labgear HDU681S Wiring

[bullandog]

Hi

I have bought a Labgear HDU681S to distribute sky around the house. I have read various forums on the wiring if anyone can help.

I have fitted a new sky dish and was going to run 2 cables from the LNB to the Labgear distribution board, one for Sky and one for Sky+. From here I was going to run 3 cables down to my sky box. one for sky and one for sky+ and one for the return, so 3 cable in total to my sky box. I also have an aerial wire to fit to the distribution board so really confused on the wiring now.

I would like sky to be available in all other room via magic eye and I have already run 1 cable to each other room.

I will be swapping viewing main TV rooms in the next year so was also going to run 3 wires also to the other room and then just swap them over when we move on the distribution board.

This is a new install so anything is possible I am just trying to find the best way.

Any advice please is welcome

 

[Sam Gangee]

You don't appear to be asking a specific question.
You'll find comprehensive advice here:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lofthelp.htm

 

[bullandog]

I am just asking the best way to wire a hdu681s so it works all around the house.

Do I connect 2 wires from LNB to distribution board, then 3 wires to sky tv box, one of those wires used as a return.

Thanks

 

[Sam Gangee]

I gave you a link to the best information available. It should answer all your questions. (The "best way" to wire it is to follow the manufacturer's wiring diagram - which is the only way to wire it.)

 

[Lucid]

Any advice please is welcome

Don't buy a distribution amp (DA) before seeking seeking advice from the experts in this forum....... Doh!

I really wish the manufacturers would stop putting satellite inputs on their DAs. It creates a false impression that satellite signals can be distributed in the same way as aerial (DVB-T2) signals.

There's really no need to put the signal feeds from the dish through the DA. In fact, you didn't even need to spend the money that you have on the 681s; but you have and you've done the wiring, so that's that.

Anyway, wiring.......

Aerial direct in to the DA (UHF In). This combines it with the LNB 2 signal down one cable. LNB 1 goes down a separate cable. Both go down to the main Sky box location.

These wire in to a diplexer (Splitter/filter) wall socket. This splits out LNB 2 from the aerial feed. LNB 1 is presented "as is" at the diplexer Sat 1 socket.

Wire Sat 1 and Sat 2 to the two satellite box sockets. Wire TV/UHF to Sky box RF in.

Your diplexer plate should have a RETURN socket. This is what takes the Sky box RF2 signal for distribution to the other TVs in the house. This is the RETURN cable that goes back up to the HD681. It carries the Freeview DVB-T2 signal from the aerial along with the (RF2) analogue signal from the Sky box. This goes in to UP LINK IN on the 681. This is the signal that then gets distributed to the various tellies from the HD681s' OUT sockets. If you over-think it then you'll get confused. Just go with the info from Sam's link or what I've written.

Each room with a simple aerial cable feed gets Freeview (DVB-T2) for use on the TV's own digital tuner. It also receives an analogue channel on whatever the output channel (frequency) that your Sky box RF2 is set to use. The TV receiving the signal needs to have an analogue tuner. It's worth checking because with new sets they're cutting costs by dropping the analogue tuner feature.

You will tune the each TV TWICE. Once for Freeview, and once to pick up the single analogue channel from the Sky box. Some TVs will do both tunings automatically. Others give you the option of digital only or digital+analogue. Just pay attention when you're tuning.

For TVs that have been previously tuned, I'd recommend you do the First Time Tuning. Read your manuals to see how to access this.

Once all the TVs are tuned correctly, and you've got the hang of swapping between the digital and analogue tuners, then power off the whole system including unplugging the Sky box and then add the magic eyes. Re-power once all is reconnected. Switch on the Sky RF2 power out. Test the signal control via the magic eyes.

Distributing Sky like this gives the other TVs in the house a window on what the main lounge TV is seeing from Sky. I mention this because some expect to watch a different Sky channel. That doesn't happen. A Sky box can show only one channel at once. That's why it's good to have the Freeview signal tuned in as well.


As far as you changing TV viewing rooms, YES, run identical cabling to the second room as you have for the first. Also, make sure you label ALL your cables at BOTH ends. This will save you (and us) days of frustration when you come to rewire in the future.

 

[bullandog]

Hi thanks for that. That now makes sense. I have only just got the DA and it can go back, with regards to satellite feeds they have not been done either. I have just installed a new sat dish with quad LNB wires have not been run yet. I am open to ideas of how to distribute satellite signals around the house as well as freeview signals.

The only thing that has been wired are the 3 bedrooms, each having 1 wire going to each and terminating in the loft. I also have an aerial that terminates in the loft to. Downstairs is a clean install.


I am also aware that I can only watch in other rooms what is being shown on the main sky box or freeview.

Is there a better way to do this as I am starting from scratch.

 

[Sam Gangee]

Is there a better way to do this as I am starting from scratch.

Yes, indeed. Have a Sky Digibox and Freeview TV in every room for a start. What's your budget?

 

[bullandog]

I think you have just blown it. Basically I am just after sky in main room with the option to watch it upstairs in bed. Probably will never have both on at same time. Maybe 1 with freeview and one with sky.

 

[Sam Gangee]

Well, that's much simpler. Sky Digibox in main room feeding TV via HDMI cable.

Freeview Aerial cable into Digibox.
Digibox RF1 feeding main TV for Freeview.
Coaxial cable from Digibox RF2 to second TV, with a "magic eye" if required to control Digibox.

See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm

 

[Lucid]

Satellite feeds: two cables to each room direct from the LNB. If you think you'll want to put additional satellite boxes in other rooms then wire up those in the same way. You can get an 8 output version of the Sky quad LNB.

Anything more complicated than the above and you're in to the territory of quatro LNBs with a multi-switch for signal distribution.

The aerial feed from the loft goes to whichever room has the main Sky box (RF1 in). As the signal passes through the box it picks up the Sky RF analogue signal. The combined signals come out of both RF1 out and RF2 out. As Sam Gangee says, RF1 out feeds the TV in that room with a Freeview signal. Your main viewing though will be via the HDMI connection. RF 2 goes back up to the loft to be distributed around the house.

All the TVs in the house can tune independently to whichever Freeview channel they want to watch. Swapping to analogue means being able to see the Sky box picture of whatever channel it is showing at the time. If the viewer in that room has a Sky remote then they can take full control of the box and change channel, record, play back and do all the live pause tricks possible.

The size of the distribution amp depends entirely on the number of rooms you want to feed. The one other change to make is how the DA is powered. I'm not a fan of leaving 240V devices running for years on end out of sight in a loft. Out of sight is out of mind. There are DAs that work from what's called Phantom Power. That's to say that they are supplied by a power supply sitting near one of the house TVs. The power goes up the same aerial cable that supplies the TV with Freeview and a Sky signal. This doesn't affect the magic eyes, and it's far safer to have something in the loft working from 12 volt at a half amp than 240V.

Sky via RF is a neat trick; it's cheap to implement, easy to execute and it works. If there's a limitation it's picture quality. It's okay, but RF2 isn't HD.

If you want to watch in better quality then a HDMI distribution system will achieve that.

 

[Sam Gangee]

Sky via RF is a neat trick; it's cheap to implement, easy to execute and it works. If there's a limitation it's picture quality.

And mono audio. Sky RF always carries mono audio. This doesn't usually matter for a bedroom but some people are fussy.