DIYbanter - DAB aerial

On 2007-05-12 12:41:35 +0100, said:

Hello,

I hope this is not considered off-topic. I have read other posts here
about TV aerials and I hope to fit the aerial myself, so I think it
falls into the category of DIY.

I know you can get FM aerials for your radio and you can get a
multiplexer so that you can combine the TV aerial and fm aerial (in
your loft) into one cable and then use a demuiltiplexer at the other
end (in your lounge) to separate the TV and radio. This saves lying
another cable.

So far so good. But I have now upgraded to a DAB radio. What aerial
should I use for this? I presume a special DAB one.

Correct. There are single element ones which may be enough if you
live in a reasonable signal area or 4 element ones if not. These are
more directional but not so much so that they are not useful for signal
from the sides. I had a 4 element one fitted and directed towards
the weaker of two transmitters. This results in good and approximately
equal signals from each and a good selection of programmes.

But can I use the
multiplexer option with that? I don't want to be lifting floorboards
etc. to lay a new cable if I can help it. I haven't seen any TV/dab
multiplexers or have I? I have seen uhf/vhf multiplexers; is this what
these are? If not, what are they?

Thanks,

There are multiplexers for introducing a DAB signal into a mix of others.

The way I did it (which is the typical one, I believe) was to combine
the FM antenna signal with the DAB one. There is a diplexer to do that
(Google for DAB diplexer).

I then have a launch amplifier for my house cable system which has
separate inputs for UHF and VHF (means FM and DAB).

Otherwise, the VHF and UHF can be combined via a VHF/UHF diplexer and
the lot fed to a distribution amplifier.