Do I need a Moca POE filter in addition to a LTE filter?

[jea101]

Currently I am running Actiontec Moca 2.0 and OTA over the same coax.
I have both a Channel Master LTE filter and a Moca POE filter install between the antenna and the Moca segments.
The LTE blocks frequencies above 609 megahertz.

LTE/5G Filter

The Channel Master LTE Filter works with all TV antennas to remove growing LTE signal interference from the broadcast signal your antenna receives.

www.channelmaster.com

Do I actually need the POE filter?

 

[krkaufman]

Not strictly for security or FCC compliance, since the LTE filter would seem to have the frequency range covered, but you’d want to check the specs of the LTE filter to confirm the attenuation/loss value.

That said, keeping the MoCA filter on the downstream side of the LTE filter might provide better MoCA performance over using just the LTE filter. (MoCA filters are designed to reflect MoCA signals.) Try both configurations and check MoCA stats (PHY rates and power levels)

 

[degrub]

do you have an amp at the antenna mast, between the antenna and the filters ?

 

[jea101]

Currently                                                                                 -- Moca adapter
Antenna – LTE filter – amp – Moca filter – first splitter                               
                                                                                             -- second splitter     -- Moca adapter
                                                                                                                              -- Moca adapter

 

[degrub]

With the amp, the moca filter will not make a difference for line loss, unless you have only 15dB of budget and more than 3.5 dB insertion loss at each splitter. Should be no more than 3.5+3.5+3.5 +3.5 +3.5 = 17.5dB to a TV off of the last moca modem if i counted right. i forget if the moca adapter TV bypass is zero loss or not. i included 3.5 dB connection/internal splitter loss in case. If you have >20dB amp budget then should not be an issue.

would need to understand the reverse direction signal attenuation on the AMP outputs to comment more. i use a channelmaster pre-amp 7778 or 7777 and have not needed the moca poe filter, but i run a physical star of moca coax runs rather than a branched layout like you show. You can look at the diagnostics pages on the modems and see if you have higher than expected errors or lower bit rate sync between the modems.

Note: it is also possible to cause tv tuner problems with too much amplification. You have to check the signal level at the tv tuner for each channel to verify. it is easy to insert another splitter (capped unused port) if you need to drop the signal level on the shorter path.

Are you having TV tuner signal level issues at the TVs ?

What are the dB loss ratings for the two splitters ( presumably going to TV). i assume you are using the TV out from the moca modem rather than going through an additional splitter.

Can you provide a full layout of the cabling paths with all devices identified by model #

You can also look at using a HDHomerun tuner box directly after the first splitter, assuming the amp is 15dB amplification.

 

[jea101]

It appears my diagram was unclear. Also, it only shows the “Moca” coax segments.
One moca adapter connects to the “main” two way splitter connected to the amp -3.5 dB to the amp.
The second two way splitter connects to the other leg of the main splitter.
The other two Moca adapters connect to second splitter -7.0 total to the amp (ignoring cable loss)
The “TV” out of each Moca adapter is split 8 ways (a two-way splitter feeding 2 four-way splitters) total -17.5 to the amp (-3.5 -3.5 -3.5 -7).
Some of the outputs aren’t actually needed and have terminating resistors.
The Main and second spitter are Moca rated – most of the other splitter are only 1GHz.

I currently have both Spectrum cable (through the home owners association) and antenna (in my attic). When I added the antenna,
I only had 1 coax to one of the three Moca locations so I moved moca to the OTA coax. I added the Moca filter between “main” two-way splitter and
the amp. At a later date I added the LTE filter and left the Moca filter in place.

The amp is a Wingard LNA-100 (20db gain)
I also have a Winegard BT-1000 amp the I can swap with the LNA-100 to check the signals on each channel.
I don’t have any RF test equip other than the BT-1000.

I recently added a coax run so now each location has both Spectrum cable and antenna. When drawing a new diagram,
I noticed the two filters and wondered if the Moca filter is actually needed.

I am also going to run two new cat6 cables which will allow me to eliminate one of the Moca adapters.

I could move Moca back to the “cable” coax runs.

I have several HDHomerun OTA tuner boxes.

 

[degrub]

Nice amps.
i tried to find any winegard documentation on the amp,but failed. Probably would have to contact winegard’s engineer with the question - it would just be seen as higher frequency noise on the output side and i expect that is well damped anyway. On the moca side of things, the filter helps performance and prevents signal leakage - whether it would be of practical impact in your case, don’t know. I would leave it in unless you have too much signal loss on the tv bands.