The following is a few questions with there answers which I think some people may wish to ask, feel free to ask other questions about the RF link amplifer:-

Q - Is there more than one type of RF amplifier ?

A - Yes, there are two types -- Type 4052 which has a frequency range of 40 to 860 Mhz and a Type 4053 which has a frequency range of 87 to 860 Mhz for transmission and 5 to 65 Mhz for use as a return path.

Q - What is the "Return Path" ?

A - The return path is intended for Set-top boxes which have return communication with the distributor of programmes, for example Pay-per-view

Q - Why is the return path using frequencies 5 to 65 Mhz ?

A - This range of frequencies is part of the Band I which in most countries is no longer used for TV transmissions any more.

Q - What happens if I am in a country which still uses the band 1 frequencies for TV transmission ?

A - Then you must use the Type 4052 which does NOT have a return path

Q - Can I use the RF link amplifier if I am on a cable system like NTL ?

A - Yes PROVIDED you fit a Galvanic Isolator

Q - What is a Galvanic Isolator ?

A - To avoid ground loops or other electrical potential differences, the Galvanic Isolator MUST always be used when the RF link Amplifier is connected to a cable network

Q - Are there any other times when I may need to use a Galvanic Isolator ?

A - Yes if you are in a building feed by different mains supplies for different TV's feed from the link amplifer or the building is feed by a three phase supply, normally commerical buildings and each TV is connected to a different mains phase.

Q - Can I purchase a Galvanic Isolator from B&O

A - Yes, it has a part number of 8039004

Q - Does the Galvanic Isolator reduced the signal ?

A - Yes a little, in fact the attenuation is about 0.5 dB

Q - What is a dB ?

A - In the context of this FAQ it is a unit of measure of signal strength, usually the relation between a transmitted signal and a standard signal source. Every 3 dB = 50% of signal strength, therefore a 6 dB loss = a loss of 75% of total signal strength.

Q - What is the longest cable length which can be connected to each Input/Output ?

A - Using standard 75 ohm aerial cable the recommended maximum length is 30 metres, but if you good quality double screened cable you can get to 60 metres with only minor loss of signal. I have tested lengths of CT100 and FT100 cable up to 100 metres with totally acceptable results.

Q - I currently have a aerial amplifier, but when I use it I sometimes get interference particularly when my son is flying his model plane, will I have the same type of problems with the B&O RF link Amplifier ?

A - No because the signal entering the link Amplifier first goes through a high-pass filter which allows only frequencies higher than 27 Mhz to pass, so excluding interference from many things including walkie-talkies and radio controlled models.

Q - Can you please describe the connections to the FR Link Amplifier

A - This is best done with a picture as below

Q - I am in the UK, which Type number should I purchase ?

A - For the UK and almost all of Europe you should purchase Type 4053 which has the return path

Q - I live in the US, so which should I use

A - That will depend where you live in the US and if you get your signal via an aerial or cable, if cable then use Type 4053, if your main source is via an aerial, then you would have to consult your local B&O dealer to determine if band 1 freqencies are used in your area.

Q - What does a typical link setup look like when using the B&O RF Link Amplifer

A - The picture below best describes a typical configuration

Q - I noticed that the RF Link Amplifer has only four (4) outputs, but I have 5 link TV's, how should I configure the system for 5 TV's

A - If the cable lengths are not to long, then you can just use a splitter as shown above, otherwise you can use a second RF amplifier adjusting the switches on the second amplifer to reduce the signal into the second unit

Q - What does a splitter look like ?

A - The picture below is of a high quality splitter

Well that is all the questions I can think of at present, but if there are others then please post your questions.

very informative, however from reading the manual myself, I am not sure why you think that in the UK you need to buy the one with the return path.  You are absolutely correct that you will need it for cable broadcasts and indeed service providers that require a feedback for pay-per-view via the RF signals but for anybody using Sky this will not be the case as the pay-per-view information is verified by the telephone line, I believe.

I only mention this because of the difference in the cost of the two amplifiers, whilst not a large amount the amplifier with the return path is more expensive than the one without and if you subscribe to Sky it is uneccessary.

The amplifier with the return path is more expensive at about £70 and the non return path version is about £50.

It is true that if you are using Sky and you are NOT using a device like a Sky IR with a non B&O TV in another room then you can use the cheaper version.

Having said that if you are doing a installation you may need the return path in the future.

Keith,

thanks for a very useful piece on teh RF amplifier.

How does this work with distributing SKY. I currently have a modulator fitted to my BEO3 but im not using it yet as im installing other B&O tv's around the house. SKY is connect via SCART and controlled from the STB in the BEO3. Will the system you outlined distribute the SKY channels and if so how i.e. how do I set it up?

Regards

 Moorsight

Moorsight,

Provided you use type 4053 which has a frequency range of 87 to 860 Mhz for transmission and 5 to 65 Mhz for use as a return path you will not have any problems with Sky.

You connect the RF (LINK) output as described and shown in the diagrams in this thread. Remember you are NOT taking the RF signal from the Sky STB, you are feeding it from the RF (LINK) output of the BeoVision.

Hi,

 I have another question around using the rf amp. I no longer use the ariel input at all as we use a sky stb. In this situation how do you connect and use the rf amp? i.e. do you have to connect the ariel input to anything?

Regards

You do not need an aerial connection if you are using sky though if there is an aerial to connect, I would use one! It allows the link room to have another source. I don't use the analogue tuner in my main room set but have DVB-T but this allows my link room to have Sky, Freeview and normal analogue, all remote control on a 16 year old LX6000!

Peter :

my link room to have Sky, Freeview and normal analogue, all remote control on a 16 year old LX6000!

Hi Peter,

this is precisely what I am trying to achieve using my BV8's "active antenna" and a RF amp that I bought.

I left Keith a PM but then discovered he was on holiday in Oz.

So perhaps you can point me in the right direction?

I had read the FAQ, the various manuals, and wired the Amp as shown for my terrestrial analogue arial but I can not detect any BV8 attached sources.

I was told by the dealer than there was no need in Australia for the return path model of the Amp, i.e. they do not sell it, yet I wonder whether this is what I need for my equivalent of Sky. 

Or is it, as another thread inferred, that the BV8 only forwards signals that are on its AV2 Y-Pb-Pr interface?

Any advice gratefully received !

Thanks 

You have an answer to your PM

Keith Saunders:

You have an answer to your PM

Many thanks Keith for all your help via many emails to get my BV8 working with a non-B&O link TV.

Hi Keith/All

If I only have one link tv - is the link amplifier still necessary? 

I suppose what I'm asking is does the modulator output just modulate onto the existing TV signal, or does it just outpu the link tv signal?  The main TV is a BV7.

It's not necessary, but recommended.

The RF Amplifier does more than just amplify, it also ensures good "Impedance" matching which is very important to ensure the best possible analogue signal to your link TV.

Also, if you also require the main aerial signal to your link TV as well, it is multiplexed with the RF output from the Beovision 7 to the amplfier output without signal reduction.

Thanks Keith.

I only have 1 link TV, but the main tv needs two feeds (for TV and DVB-T).  Given the amount of splitting and combining I'd need to do (and signal losses incurred along the way), I think the RF Link Amplifier would be a far better idea!

One final Q - I assume the 'return path' version will allow the 9V signal through to power the tvlink adapters for Sky boxes?  Not that I'll be using it often, but it's useful to keep as a 'just in case'.

Hi Charlie. The BV6 you have will work the SKY BOX over ML, I don't believe it works on the same principle as the Magic Eyes which are fed off the 9v signal run down the outer core of the coax. To be fair most people just use the DVB-T together with the SKY-HD.  Stick with the Thomson, Amstrad is a bloody nightmare - Analogue hasn't got long left surely?  Why not try without first and if it is crap then go for the link amp, I don't think with the run you are considering you will have any problems,

Hi,

I have an external digital box for digital tv connected to my Beovision 8-32. The BV8 have also a DVB-t module, but since this module do not handle MPEG-4 signal I need the external box. This box i controlled by the STB controller in the BV8. I would link to distribute the signal to a link room. The room is connected via Master link to the main room with the BV-8. In the Link room I have an iMac connected with a Beoport.

First I was told that I needed a  RF Link amplifier as described in this thread to distribute both the antenna signal and the RF out signal from the BV8, but when I contacted a Bang & Olufsen dealer. He told me that is will not work. Since the BV8-32 will not distribute digital signals including the digital signal from the exernal digital tv box and he internal DVB-T and system module will not convert the digital signal to a standard SD signal, so I will have no signal out of the RF out. He said that BV8-32 only send signal from the analogue tuner out and other SD signal.  And for what use since there is no analogue tv channels any more.

Is this really correct? Is it not possible to distribute video signals from a BV8-32?

I am more and more convinced that I soon need another TV than the BV8-32. Hope that someone can help.

It is correct - the TV will only distrbute analogue input signals.  So if you can connect the box via SCART/Composite then this will work.  (bear in mind that you can connect BOTH SCART and HDMI at the same time - the TV will use the HD signal, and the RF modulator will use the SD analogue signal).

If this external box only has HDMI/Component then this can't be done without extra kit.

I agree with csmager except for the following comments:

csmager:

Component then this can't be done

I thought component was = analogue . . . . .

csmager:

the TV will only distrbute analogue input signals

there was a comment in the last 24 hours that the latest S/W update for the BV7 platform allows for the translation of digital to analogue and the distribution to link rooms . . . . . so is it too much to hope for that B&O would work some magic on the BV8 platform and add the same functionality ?

sadly I think/guess that the answer is "no" to BV8 platform ... and that is why my long term plan is for the BV8 to become a link TV to a BV7 ... or a BV10

now I wonder if the digital-to-analogue feature is currently in the BV10 platform ?

Should this RF link aplifier also be used for older TV's like the Beovision 3 or is it only for newer set's with a different modulator?

The RF Amplifier can be used to distribute any analogue TV signal so it can be used with the AVANT and Beovision 3 etc without problems.

My Dilog digital TV box have both SCART and HDMI and both are connected to the BV8-32. But I do not get any signal on the link frequency 599,25 mHz when I tune into this frequency in EyeTV. I do not have the RF Link Amplifier, but still there should be a signal from RF out? It is not just programmes from the external box I do not get any signal from via the RF out. There is also not signal from the internal DVB-T modul on RF-out.

What is wrong? Or was the person in the main Beostore in Copenhagen right when he said it is not possible with the 32'' version of BV8. Or do I need the RF link amplifier before it will work. I do not want to purchase the amplifier before I know it will work.

I am a bit frustrated. 

I am using Linkplayer together with EyeTV on my Mac in the link room. 

Has anyone tried with BV8-32?

Keith Saunders:

The RF Amplifier can be used to distribute any analogue TV signal so it can be used with the AVANT and Beovision 3 etc without problems.

Are there any differences in the RF modulators used in the various BV7 versions and the BV3/Avant?

David 

ibg001:

My Dilog digital TV box have both SCART and HDMI and both are connected to the BV8-32. But I do not get any signal on the link frequency 599,25 mHz when I tune into this frequency in EyeTV. I do not have the RF Link Amplifier, but still there should be a signal from RF out? It is not just programmes from the external box I do not get any signal from via the RF out. There is also not signal from the internal DVB-T modul on RF-out.

What is wrong? Or was the person in the main Beostore in Copenhagen right when he said it is not possible with the 32'' version of BV8. Or do I need the RF link amplifier before it will work. I do not want to purchase the amplifier before I know it will work.

I am a bit frustrated. 

I am using Linkplayer together with EyeTV on my Mac in the link room. 

Has anyone tried with BV8-32?

Well my BV8-32 works.

I think you have to force the transmission - it does not happen automatically.

So I think you need to trick the BV8-32 into thinking there is a link TV out there.

From memory there is a setting in the BV8-32 where you can indicate how the RF signal is to be treated

edited

Try this

[DTV]

[MENU]

[4]

(OPTIONS)

(ACTIVE ANTENNA) > (ON)

[GO]

[EXIT] 

Hi,

Active Antenna is something else. This is used to send 5 volt power to an external antenna amplifier. The power is then send out to the antenne in socket.

ibg001:

Hi,

Active Antenna is something else. This is used to send 5 volt power to an external antenna amplifier. The power is then send out to the antenne in socket.

oh, ok.

so how did you go trying to generate a link room video command to the BV8-32 ?

I have probably found something. In Settings where you also can change the link frequency you can also activate the RF modulator. It is by defualt set to auto, but if you do no use a Bevisio TV in the link room the modulator will not be activated automatically.

I have not tested this yet.