On Mon, 3 Dec 2012 05:53:34 -0800 (PST), Bob Simon
wrote:
Now that we're doing some home renovations, a few walls and part
of the ceiling are open so this is the perfect time to run coax
from the attic to the living room.
Don't run coax. Run conduit. PEX tubing or whatever is code
acceptable in your area. That way you can replace cables, add cables,
run fiber, run rotator cable, etc. If conduit is not an option, run
every cable type you suspect you might need in the future. Two runs
of RG-6/u at the minimum.
1. Do I need to boost the signal at the antenna for a 3-way split?
If so, how much gain do I need? Is 8 dB enough?
You probably don't need any gain if you're in a strong signal area. A
passive splitter will work just fine. 4 way is more common than 3
way, which is really a pair of two way splitters in series.
If your coax run is more than about 25ft, I suggest an antenna mounted
amplifier. They come in many varieties, but mostly for OTA TV
reception. Many of these have an FM notch filter to ELIMINATE FM
overload of the TV receiver if there is an FM transmitter in close
proximity. Careful what you buy. Most such amps have 20-30dB gain
which can do more damage (due to overload) than good. You may want to
try your antenna with no amplifier first. If the signals are weak,
then add gain.
2. I still have RG-59/U on hand. Is this ok for the new 65' run
to the living room or should I use RG-6 instead?
RG-59/u is usually garbage. Good enough for indoor patch cable use,
but not much else. I strongly suggest RG-6/u with waterproof
compression (not crimp) connectors. You'll also need a compression
tool. I have one of these that works with most connectors:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150947616738
You'll also need a coax stripper:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271014357703
Note that there are different types of RG-6/u which require slightly
different compression connectors. A connector made for RG-59/u will
not work with RG-6/u.
3. If RG-6 is recommended for the new run, should I replace the
existing 25' runs of RG-59/U while I'm at it?
Of course. Coax is cheap. Your time is not.
4. What about the connectors? I originally used crimp-ons.
Should I cut them off and have someone install good compression
fittings like the kind technicians now use for cable and satellite TV?
Crimp type connectors are awful. They usually fall apart, make lousy
ground connections, and in extreme cases, leak RF. Use compression
connectors. Compression connectors are permanent.
To keep water out of the outdoor connectors, wrap them with a layer of
teflon plumbers tape, and then cover that with Scotch 66 electrical
tape. The teflon will cold flow, making a water proof connection. The
electrical tape just holds it in place. Removal is trivial and the
connector looks like new.
5. Does anything in this antenna system need to be grounded? I see
the splitter has a bolt for a ground wire.
I live in central California, where there's little lightning. Few
residential installations are grounded. However, if you live in
lightning country, grounding the mast and any associated devices is
probably a good idea.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558