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- it is an a/b switch (physically similar to splitter but with two in and one out and a slide switch on top.
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Good, then no problem there if the switch keeps working OK.
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I bought the ground block because it is what was on the rack at Fry's Electroincs. I rent from my landlord next door I may end up splitting the signal to them when they return in the fall.
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I have a 15' quad 6rg cable running from the antenna 75 ohm down lead to a groundblock splitter.
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It's still not clear to me what you have there. There is no such thing as a groundblock splitter. A groundblock connects the coax shield to ground to satisfy the NEC for safety; it has very little loss. It is similar to an F81 coax coupler connected to ground. A conventional 2-way splitter can be used as a groundblock, but because the signal is divided in two there is a loss.
If you have a conventional splitter at that location just below the antenna it will not pass the DC power to the preamp. The coax between the preamp near the antenna and the power supply indoors carries the RF signal and the DC power at the same time. The DC goes up to the preamp and the signal comes down the coax to the power supply and then to the A/B switch and then to the TV. You need to replace it with a splitter that passes the DC power to the preamp in addition to splitting the signal in two. A conventional splitter will not pass the DC for the preamp.
For purposes of making a test with a preamp, I suggest you mount the preamp, without the splitter, as close to the antenna as you can without climbing; there will not be too much loss in the 15 feet of coax to make it worth the trouble of climbing.
antenna > 15 ft coax > preamp > real groundblock > coax to indoor power supply > power supply > A/B switch > TV
When it comes time to send some signal to the landlord:
Code:
/ landlord's TV
ant > RG6 > amp > DC pass splitter >
\ coax to p s > power supply > A/B > TV
If you can put the splitter indoors after your power supply to send some signal to the landlord, then you can use a conventional splitter and eliminate the special splitter outdoors.
Thread about DC pass splitter:
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=9235
http://www.antennasdirect.com/store/...tter-SPT2.html
http://www.antennasdirect.com/cmss_f...itter_Opt2.pdf
Grounding thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1333059/gr...tenna-and-dish
Grounding block in attachment. The NEC calls a grounding block an antenna discharge unit.