Does a Coaxial Cable Splitter Cause Signal Loss?Īs mentioned above, you’ll get slight insertion loss whenever you plug the coax cable into any device.Īdditionally with a splitter, you’re effectively dividing the incoming signal into however many outgoing cables are attached to it. For example, televisions and the like are 75-ohm devices, so your splitter should be rated for this impedance. But in any case check the frequency range printed on the splitter’s label.Įnsure as well that the impedance of the splitter matches what you’re connecting it to. Quality might affect how much signal loss occurs on the splitter, and frequency range should be matched to the types of signals you’re splitting.įor instance, over-the-air TV signals in the US generally vary between 41 MHz and 608 MHz, so if you use a splitter rated for OTA TV for signals from your satellite dish, it may not work since satellite TV ranges up to 2000 MHz.Ĭonversely though, you may use a splitter rated for satellite TV for signals from your OTA TV antenna. Keep in mind that cable splitters vary in both quality and frequency range. Make sure each connection is tight and keep in mind that splitter connections aren’t generally weatherproof, so you may want to take measures if the splitter is installed outdoors. To use a splitter, you simply attach the end of each coaxial cable (which must terminate with an F connector) into each port of the splitter. Typically, coaxial splitters have 2, 3, 4, and 6 output ports (or even more) and the best of them maintain the proper impedance environment at both ends (input and output ports), which means they avoid multipath interference. It’s a so-called passive device, meaning it doesn’t run on electricity and you don’t need to plug it in (unless it’s actually a distribution amplifier).Īs a passive device, this means the signal power coming in will necessarily exceed the signal power going out (OK, save this thought for later). Your typical coaxial splitter has one input port for your coaxial cable and multiple output ports for joining other coaxial cables. In simple terms, a coaxial cable splitter (like the GE splitter with 2 output ports above) is a device that’s designed and built for the purpose of providing multiple outlets for one signal. At the very least, the signal will slightly lose energy at the port due to insertion loss. Why would you lose signal strength with a splitter? Each time you attach the coax to any device, be it a splitter, a set-top box, or a TV, you’re connecting the end of the cable (terminated in an F connector) with the port socket of the device. The only (small) caveat is to ensure your TV signal – or whichever signal you’re trying to split, like internet or satellite TV – doesn’t get overly weakened, for instance by splitting it too often. If it sounds like a simple solution that’s because it is. In this scenario, you’ll insert one end of the antenna coax into the splitter’s input port, then attach two more coax cables to the splitter’s output ports, and run each of these cables to a TV set. A splitter is designed to attach several cables together in order to provide multiple outlets for one signal. You split a coaxial cable by using a passive device called a coaxial cable splitter. Or to connect your home with internet from the cable company.īut what if you want to hook up your antenna to a second TV in another room? Then you can split the coaxial cable running from your antenna into two cables, one feeding each television. Usually a single coaxial cable is all you need to send over-the-air (OTA) signals from your outdoor TV antenna to your television. *As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases when you buy through links on our site.
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