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Please read this entire page before clicking on an Order Form link, otherwise you'll miss something important! Note: ordinary RF distribution amplifiers are often called "Loft Boxes" by people who don't know any better. On this site any reference to "Loft Box" relates to the units described below. The purpose of a loft box is to combine TV aerial, dish LNB and radio aerial signals into one coaxial cable to feed the main room. A "decombiner" wall plate separates the signals to feed the individual equipment units. A second cable acts as a "return" to feed any outputs from that equipment (Sky, VCR etc.) to the Loft Box for further distribution to other rooms. Diagram shows the typical internal signal paths -> Q. Is a Loft Box HD compatible? A. A Loft Box passes all LNB signals virtually unaltered and it doesn't care what picture format those signals are carrying. Note, however, that a Loft Box distributes RF signals only. It can not distribute HD signals from the satellite TV or Freeview receiver. To achieve that you'd need an HDMI amplified splitter or an HDMI to CAT5/6 extender system. Q. Will the Loft Box affect my picture quality? A. A Loft Box passes all aerial signals virtually unaltered so the terrestrial Freeview picture should be perfect on all Freeview TV sets. A Loft Box passes all LNB signals virtually unaltered, so it won't have any effect on your satellite TV viewing. A Loft Box passes all RF signals virtually unaltered, so whatever you put in is what you'll get out. All Digiboxes produce the same analogue "RF Output" quality picture with MONO audio. It's designed to feed a small bedroom TV set. The picture/sound quality has nothing whatsoever to do with the choice of Loft Box (but it can obviously be affected by the choice and length of coaxial cables and the choice of UHF channels in use if they conflict with each other or with terrestrial channels. See our eBook "Piping TV Around the House"). If the "RF Output" quality is not good enough on your chosen TV without a Loft Box, it certainly won't be any better with a Loft Box, so don't order one. It's unlikely that we can answer this question without carrying out a house survey and we can't undertake that. Please read the information on this page and click on the links (below) to each of the Loft Boxes that we offer. Also look at the information about amplifiers in the Technical Library. Before you attempt to install a Loft Box, distribution amplifier or similar you should make your own sketch* of the entire layout that you propose to use. Keep as near as possible to the suggested layouts on our web pages and in our "Piping TV Around the House" eBook. (If you have to ask a question, we will need to see your diagram - upload it HERE). The purpose of the diagram is to clarify in your mind what you need to put where and to let you estimate what cable and connectors are required. Please note that all our Loft Box systems can be expanded to feed even more TV sets by using a Global "amp adder" and a Global "T" or "F" series amplifier - available with up to 16 outputs. Remote extender "magic eyes" and masthead amplifiers* need to be powered via the coaxial cable. If the "TV" plugs aren't fitted correctly, the connection will be intermittent and you'll have problems. See a short movie of how to fit a plug correctly by clicking HERE. * Since a Loft Box incorporates a masthead amplifier, you will not usually need to install a separate one unless you have a very long run of cable from aerial to Loft Box. Otherwise, the Loft Box should be installed as close as possible to the aerial, to minimise interference pickup. * Mark on your sketch the stock code of each item (such as wall plates). Remember that we can also supply modular wall plates. Mark on it the approximate length of each cable run. Mark on it the UHF channel number (21 - 69) that each piece of equipment will use (Digibox, VCR etc.) Based on a figure of 0.18 dB per metre, write down the attenuation for each length of cable, where it's significant. Remember that 3 dB represents a loss of 50% of the signal. Most equipment can cope with this but an amplifier might be required if the loss exceeds, say, 6 dB. To determine the channel numbers you might need to read the eBook "Piping TV Around the House". "I don't need a Loft Box. I just want to split the RF signal to more than one TV set". Triax DDU-112 Loft Box - recommended (supports Sky+ and two additional Sky see review) Philex Loft Box (obsolete) As the RF signal from equipment does not provide "Scart quality" pictures or stereo audio, you need to make the best of what's available. A decent RF signal will provide an acceptable picture on a bedroom TV of up to at least 24". Ensure that ALL the cables carrying the signal are high quality fully-shielded type. That includes all "fly leads" between equipment and between equipment and wall sockets. These are especially prone to problems because they are close to sources of interference (e.g. the TV set!) People write to us to complain that the picture quality is absolutely abysmal on the secondary TV sets. This is invariably because they did not complete the "downlink-uplink" return connection. The signal coming out of the Loft Box "living room feed" must be returned to the Loft Box, otherwise the secondary TV sets will not receive it. Coloured (WF100) cable is ideal for helping you determine which cable goes where. There's nothing more confusing than a hole with six black cables emerging from it! Help limitations: If you email us a question about a Loft Box, you MUST state in your message that you have read and understood this Loft Box Help page, otherwise we'll simply direct you here to read it. Although we supply a FREE eBook when you purchase a Loft Box, we strongly recommend that you get a professional to finalise the installation for you. There's a strong possibility that you will get the signal levels wrong by over-amplifying (or attenuating) and there's a strong possibility that you will get the choice of UHF channels wrong, resulting in severe interference. The amount of help we can give by email is necessarily limited because we can't physically see your house layout or wiring layout. Please understand, therefore, that we may not be able to solve your problems via email, even if you include your Loft Box order number. We will not answer questions about a Loft Box that you bought elsewhere. Nor will we be able to answer questions that require detailed knowledge of your wiring layout unless you upload your own detailed diagram for us to see. We will not answer requests to recommend a specific Loft Box. They all work in a similar fashion so the choice is a personal one. Q. You supply the "Piping TV Around the House" eBook free with a Loft Box order. Can I have the eBook before I make the purchase? A. Yes, buy the eBook from SatCure then request a refund (include your order number) in the "shopping cart" notes area when you order the Loft Box. IMPORTANT: When a power supply is used to feed an amplifier upstairs, any wall plate MUST be a non-isolated type, otherwise the aerial signal will get through but the DC power won't. An isolated (decoupled) plate is often marked with a capacitor symbol -||- so if yours has this (or obviously has capacitors fitted inside) don't use it unless you short-circuit the capacitors. In addition, any "TV plug" between the PSU and amplifier must be soldered to the cable, otherwise a poor or intermittent connection is likely to interrupt viewing now or in the future, SAFETY NOTICE: Electrical equipment which is installed in a loft or roof space should, wherever possible, be mounted on a brick or concrete surface. There have been rare instances of equipment catching fire so every precaution should be taken to prevent spread of fire. Powered equipment needs good ventilation and should be kept away from flammable materials such as cardboard, paper, plastic etc. Where a separate power supply is used, mount it on a wall with good ventilation. On no account lie it on a carpet or rug. * If you need to ask us a question about your installation, please provide your diagram. To see notes about this please click HERE. ©2004 - 2010 SatCure loft box not working? Loft Box Help
How does a Loft Box work?
How the various frequencies fit into the spectrumWhich Loft Box is right for me? Do I even need one or would a simple distribution amplifier do?
OK, click HERE for amplified splitters.Links to Loft Box Order Forms
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