Connecting two RF systems at the same time

[Atari2008]

This might be a simple question, but I'd like to know if there is some way to have 2 systems that use RF connections connected to a TV at the same time. Right now I just swap one RF cable out of the switchbox and swap in another one to alternate between systems. It would be nice if I could just have two systems hooked up to cut out that step. Are there switchboxes that allow you to have 2 systems hooked up? Or is there some other connection I could use?

[Frizo]

This might be a simple question, but I'd like to know if there is some way to have 2 systems that use RF connections connected to a TV at the same time. Right now I just swap one RF cable out of the switchbox and swap in another one to alternate between systems. It would be nice if I could just have two systems hooked up to cut out that step. Are there switchboxes that allow you to have 2 systems hooked up? Or is there some other connection I could use?

 

Go to walmart and ask for a "RF splitter"

That is what youre looking for.

[Atari2008]

This might be a simple question, but I'd like to know if there is some way to have 2 systems that use RF connections connected to a TV at the same time. Right now I just swap one RF cable out of the switchbox and swap in another one to alternate between systems. It would be nice if I could just have two systems hooked up to cut out that step. Are there switchboxes that allow you to have 2 systems hooked up? Or is there some other connection I could use?

 

Go to walmart and ask for a "RF splitter"

That is what youre looking for.

 

Cool, thanks! Will that also allow me to watch cable TV?

[Frizo]

This might be a simple question, but I'd like to know if there is some way to have 2 systems that use RF connections connected to a TV at the same time. Right now I just swap one RF cable out of the switchbox and swap in another one to alternate between systems. It would be nice if I could just have two systems hooked up to cut out that step. Are there switchboxes that allow you to have 2 systems hooked up? Or is there some other connection I could use?

 

Go to walmart and ask for a "RF splitter"

That is what youre looking for.

 

Cool, thanks! Will that also allow me to watch cable TV?

 

Well, if you have a cable running to the back than switch with the game consoles, you will need a 3-way splitter, or 2 2-way splitters, since 3-ways are harder to find.

[TwinChargers]

I used to daisy chain a bunch of systems together through there respective RF boxes (7800,SMS,SNES,Genesis). The picture quality got more and more poor the further down the chain you'd go. You can go that route if you don't wanna spend the $2 at Walmart. I wouldn't think that if your only going to put 2 systems together that the video quality would deminish too much.

[Spazmonkey]

http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-RF-AV-System-Selector-Playstation/dp/B00001YVBM

 

I use this, it's not just for playstation obviously. It has three RF inputs, plus cable. It has an A/V selector too, but I have a nicer one I use for hat function.

[figgler]

I used to daisy chain a bunch of systems together through there respective RF boxes (7800,SMS,SNES,Genesis). The picture quality got more and more poor the further down the chain you'd go. You can go that route if you don't wanna spend the $2 at Walmart. I wouldn't think that if your only going to put 2 systems together that the video quality would deminish too much.

 

I daisy chain an SNES and PS2 in the bedroom and both look fine. I hear what you are saying though and so have the SNES as the first box, figuring that a poorer picture would be less noticeable on PS2, if it happened. I notice no picture issues at all though.

Edited September 23, 2009 by figgler

[Atari2008]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, I hadn't realized that there were a few ways to hook up more than 1 game system. I actually have a switchbox that has plug-ins for two systems into the same box but there is a lot of interference when playing one system. I might try and see how the daisy chain works since I have a few switchboxes here, if not I'll just get 2 splitters, seem simple enough.

[Bruce Tomlin]

Get a bunch of RCA-to-F adapters and a multi-way RF switch. This is sometimes called a "Cable A/B Switch", but you can find them with multiple inputs, or at least you could back in the day when everything used RF inputs.

 

Even a cheap A/B switch is going to be much better built than almost any of the switches that came with games. The exception is that an automatic switch like Nintendo used should work in a longer daisy chain than slider switches.

[figgler]

Nintendo used to recommend daisy chaining your SNES and NES together. Back when most people connected using RF, there was a blurb on the SNES box I think, or could have been the instructions, saying 'Don't unhook your NES!' and a picture showing you how to chain the RFs together

[Atari2008]

Cool, I didn't realize that there were so many ways to hook up more than one game system. To think I've been swapping RF cables in and out of switchboxes all these years.

[STICH666]

I used to use this thing until I discovered my TV has 2 RF inputs.

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049619

 

It doesn't have any problem with signal bleeding like if you were using a reverse splitter or an automatic switch.

[STICH666]

Pre-NES consoles do not have a strong enough signal to use an automatic switch so dasychaining will not work.

[Video]

If your talking old RF systems (like Atari's and such) then you really need a cable splitter, hook a box (or one of those RCA-coax thingies) for each system to be hooked up. You'll still need a way to turn off the cable if it goes in the same place, but it'es easy enough. If your useing newer classics, like NES, Genesis etc, just daisy chain them. For two systems, you'll notice little to no degradation.

 

I personally got a couple of Pelican Accessories Switch boxes, they do AV, and Svideo(and I think there are newer ones that even do RGB or other stuff) And on the back end, I have one of those cable splitters with a RCA thing plugged in for my Atari and the other end hooked to the Antenna.

[STICH666]

If your talking old RF systems (like Atari's and such) then you really need a cable splitter, hook a box (or one of those RCA-coax thingies) for each system to be hooked up. You'll still need a way to turn off the cable if it goes in the same place, but it'es easy enough. If your useing newer classics, like NES, Genesis etc, just daisy chain them. For two systems, you'll notice little to no degradation.

 

I personally got a couple of Pelican Accessories Switch boxes, they do AV, and Svideo(and I think there are newer ones that even do RGB or other stuff) And on the back end, I have one of those cable splitters with a RCA thing plugged in for my Atari and the other end hooked to the Antenna.

Splitters don't work. Even with the other console off, it still gives a hell of a lot of interference for some reason.

[Atari2008]

All of the systems that I would be hooking up are pre-NES consoles. I also had interference issues when I hooked up two systems to the same switchbox, since I had a switchbox with slots for 2 systems. And even when the other system was off there was a lot of interference.

[STICH666]

All of the systems that I would be hooking up are pre-NES consoles. I also had interference issues when I hooked up two systems to the same switchbox, since I had a switchbox with slots for 2 systems. And even when the other system was off there was a lot of interference.

Yep. Use the high isolation switchbox I linked to. It has an assload of shielding and I've had no problems even when they are both on.

[Bruce Tomlin]

Pre-NES consoles do not have a strong enough signal to use an automatic switch so dasychaining will not work.

Incorrect. The automatic switches depend on a DC voltage being sent over the wire to operate the switch. Older consoles don't have this, but it is not impossible to mod them, and I've done it a couple of times.