Help on FM use

[dmelroy]

Very little written up on how to connect or use the trap feature for FM reception. I have an 8200U, love it so far for HD reception, picking up 2 markets which are 120 degrees apart with no issues! I love it. On the use of the FM part, do I just split the signal? I have a preamp (ap-8700) with a fm trap option and I don't know what to do with it. Thanks!

[winegard]

Good afternoon dmelroy -

If you use a splitter to split off the FM signal you will lose 30% of your TV and FM signal with a 2 way splitter and 60% of your TV and FM signal when using a 4 way splitter. You will be much better off using a CA-8800 TV/FM band separator which will separate the FM signal from your TV signal with less than 1.0% loss to both signals. The FM trap built into the AP-8700 will have to switched out at the AP-8700 preamplifier.

[stevelab]

I would like to confirm that when the CA-8800 TV/FM band separator/coupler is installed at the head end as an antenna coupler, the FM frequencies are stopped from the UHF/VHF/FM antenna signal connected to the TV input (a FM notch filter) so that there is no duplicate FM signals from the 2 antennas.

[stevelab]

Follow-up question on the CA-8800: How would the CA-8800 handle the AM Band 500 KHz to 1750 KHz from an AM/FM antenna connected to the FM antenna port?

[winegard]

Good morning stevelab -

The CA-8800 is used as a signal combiner or separator. It combines the FM signal (88 to 108 MHz) from a separate FM antenna with the TV signal from a TV antenna. The TV antenna side has a built in FM trap which prevents the FM signal on the TV antenna side to mix with the FM signal coming into the CA-8800 on the FM side. So only the good FM signal from the FM antenna is combined in with the good TV signal. The FM side has a FM band pass filter built into it so it blocks any TV signal from coming through on the FM side. When you use the CA-8800 as separator the signals are merely separated from the single combined input to separate TV antenna and FM outputs.



The bandpass filter on the FM side of a CA-8800 is only going to pass 88 to 108 MHz so it will not allow any AM signal through it. I do not know of any coupler that will allow you to combine or separate AM signals onto a common coax cable.

[SilverFox]

I have a HD 7082....work great...now I want to split off the FM signal for my A/V reciever but I need a recommeded FM adapter that will fit the FM output of your CA8800 / It also needs to have 2 wire leads to attach to the Pioneer receiver. Your TV-2900 have the wrong connector to attach to the CA8800.

[winegard]

You merely use a short piece of coax cable between the CA-8800 and the TV-2900 to connect the two pieces of equipment together. There are no TV -2900 type matching transformer manufactured that have a male F connector on it to fit he female F connector on the CA-8800.

[e_identity]

This thread was helpful to me, and I appreciated it.
I want to confirm my understanding of how to use the CA-8800 for my application.
I plan to install the HD-7082P (fm/vhf/uhf) on my roof.
I will string a single coax from the antenna (via an exterior grounding block) inside the house.
The Coax from the antenna will connect to the connector on the CA8800 labeled "output."
I will then connect coax from connector lableled "fm" to my fm radio (75 Ohm Coax antenna in).
I will also connect coax from the connector labeled "tv" to a splitter, then to two TV Tuners.
I expect to have strong signal and am not planning to use an amp.
I understand that the advantage of this will be that both the TV and the FM tuners will end up with a stronger signal as compared to using a three way splitter.
Please let me know if my proposed install technique misapplies the CA-8800.
Thank you very much,
e_idenity

[winegard]

Good morning e_identity -

That is correct. That is the proper way to install the CA-8800.