I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now is
a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section first!

Thanks.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
z3 wrote:

I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now
is a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section
first!
Thanks.

Are you planning on distributing it in analog or digital form? If in analog
form, you simply need something like a Wickes (Labgear) distribution
amplifier - which has 2 inputs (TV and FM radio) and a number of outputs -
each of which you connect to a socket in a different room using low loss
coax or better. One thing to bear in mind is that most Freeview set top
boxes can only output one channel at a time - so if you want to distribute
Freeview round the house from a single box, that's fine as long as everyone
is happy to watch the same channel. If that's the way you want to go, you'll
need a set top box with an RF output - which you connect to the aerial input
on the distribution amplifier. [Many only have a Scart output for direct
connection to a TV].

If you potentially want to watch different channels in different rooms,
you'll need a separate set top box in each room, so you'll simply need to
distribute the signal from the aerial, and de-code it at each TV location.

Distributing digital TV signals is outside my experience but, if you only
have one decoder, you'll still be stuck with all watching the same thing -
so maybe analog and separate decoders is best.

If you're installing a new aerial, make sure it's one which can handle all
the Freeview frequencies being transmitted in your area - you may need a
wide band aerial, even though you don't need this for terrestrial stations.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

In article ,
z3 wrote:
I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section first!

uk.tech.digital-tv
will give you good answers and includes participants who are experienced
aerial fitters.

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

"z3" wrote in message
...
I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now
is a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section
first!

Thomson video sender. You must have the main set on the channel you
want to watch though. We paid around £25 for a pair but of course you
can add more

Ophelia

"John Cartmell" wrote in message
...
In article ,
z3 wrote:
I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section
first!

uk.tech.digital-tv
will give you good answers and includes participants who are
experienced
aerial fitters.

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

Set Square explained on 07/01/2006 :
you'll need a set top box with an RF output - which you connect to the
aerial input on the distribution amplifier. [Many only have a Scart output
for direct connection to a TV].

Some are fitted with a antenna in and out sockets, but do not actually
produce any output on the out socket - they simply pass the antenna
signal through the set top box.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Set Square explained on 07/01/2006 :
you'll need a set top box with an RF output - which you connect to
the aerial input on the distribution amplifier. [Many only have a
Scart output for direct connection to a TV].

Some are fitted with a antenna in and out sockets, but do not actually
produce any output on the out socket - they simply pass the antenna
signal through the set top box.

OK, thanks for the clarification. The sort to which I was referring need to
be able to modulate the decoded digital signal (in analog form) using an
otherwise unused RF channel.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
z3 wrote:


I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now
is a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section
first!
Thanks.


Are you planning on distributing it in analog or digital form? If in analog
form, you simply need something like a Wickes (Labgear) distribution
amplifier - which has 2 inputs (TV and FM radio) and a number of outputs -
each of which you connect to a socket in a different room using low loss
coax or better. One thing to bear in mind is that most Freeview set top
boxes can only output one channel at a time - so if you want to distribute
Freeview round the house from a single box, that's fine as long as everyone
is happy to watch the same channel. If that's the way you want to go, you'll
need a set top box with an RF output - which you connect to the aerial input
on the distribution amplifier. [Many only have a Scart output for direct
connection to a TV].

If you potentially want to watch different channels in different rooms,
you'll need a separate set top box in each room, so you'll simply need to
distribute the signal from the aerial, and de-code it at each TV location.

Distributing digital TV signals is outside my experience but, if you only
have one decoder, you'll still be stuck with all watching the same thing -
so maybe analog and separate decoders is best.

If you're installing a new aerial, make sure it's one which can handle all
the Freeview frequencies being transmitted in your area - you may need a
wide band aerial, even though you don't need this for terrestrial stations.


Thanks for the info. I haven't thought about whether I will go for
analogue or digital, but I'm guessing I should stick to digital as it
will be more future proof?

I'll be happy with everyone watching the same channel as they are only
bedrooms and they can fight it out amongst themselves!

Saying that though, there will be 3 rooms so it might make sense to
explore the option of getting a feed from the aerial and decoding it
locally via a TV and freeview decoder. In this scenario, I would have to
get three cables connected to the aerial and some kind of booster or
something?!

As suggested by Ophelia/John Cartmell, I'll post a message up on
uk.tech.digital-tv and hopefully get advice from there.


Thanks for the info on the new aerial.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 09:00:23 GMT, z3 wrote:

Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
z3 wrote:

I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now
is a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section
first!
Thanks.

Are you planning on distributing it in analog or digital form? If in analog
form, you simply need something like a Wickes (Labgear) distribution
amplifier - which has 2 inputs (TV and FM radio) and a number of outputs -
each of which you connect to a socket in a different room using low loss
coax or better. One thing to bear in mind is that most Freeview set top
boxes can only output one channel at a time - so if you want to distribute
Freeview round the house from a single box, that's fine as long as everyone
is happy to watch the same channel. If that's the way you want to go, you'll
need a set top box with an RF output - which you connect to the aerial input
on the distribution amplifier. [Many only have a Scart output for direct
connection to a TV].

If you potentially want to watch different channels in different rooms,
you'll need a separate set top box in each room, so you'll simply need to
distribute the signal from the aerial, and de-code it at each TV location.

Distributing digital TV signals is outside my experience but, if you only
have one decoder, you'll still be stuck with all watching the same thing -
so maybe analog and separate decoders is best.

If you're installing a new aerial, make sure it's one which can handle all
the Freeview frequencies being transmitted in your area - you may need a
wide band aerial, even though you don't need this for terrestrial stations.

Thanks for the info. I haven't thought about whether I will go for
analogue or digital, but I'm guessing I should stick to digital as it
will be more future proof?

I'll be happy with everyone watching the same channel as they are only
bedrooms and they can fight it out amongst themselves!

Saying that though, there will be 3 rooms so it might make sense to
explore the option of getting a feed from the aerial and decoding it
locally via a TV and freeview decoder. In this scenario, I would have to
get three cables connected to the aerial and some kind of booster or
something?!

As suggested by Ophelia/John Cartmell, I'll post a message up on
uk.tech.digital-tv and hopefully get advice from there.

Thanks for the info on the new aerial.

don't mess around. Simply distribute the lot via a dist. amp, and the
bedrooms can plug in to what they like.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
z3 wrote:


Saying that though, there will be 3 rooms so it might make sense to
explore the option of getting a feed from the aerial and decoding it
locally via a TV and freeview decoder. In this scenario, I would have
to get three cables connected to the aerial and some kind of booster
or something?!

You'll need a Labgear distribution system - as sold by Wickes, etc. - like I
said in my previous post. This is the sort of thing . . .
http://www.labgear.co.uk/pdf/6.pdf

It may be an idea to have a trawl around Labgear's website generally -
there's lots of distribution stuff, including some which is suitable for
digital signals. Screwfix sell some of this - such as
http://tinyurl.com/aeram
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message

don't mess around. Simply distribute the lot via a dist. amp, and the
bedrooms can plug in to what they like.

Please will you explain that for me please. My knowledge of such things
is limited

O

www.qpat.co.uk

z3 wrote:
I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now is
a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section first!

Thanks.

In days before Freeview there was also the trick of wiring the aerial
signal
through the video recorder *before* the distribution amplifier.

This allows view of the video output on any telly connected to the
amplifier.

As long as you can tolerate any viewer (such as a kid) watching what
mummy or
daddy is watching on the video of course...

Mungo ;-)

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
The Natural Philosopher wrote:


don't mess around. Simply distribute the lot via a dist. amp, and the
bedrooms can plug in to what they like.


How are you defining "the lot" - and how, in particular, how are you
proposing that the Freeview digtial channels should be decoded and
distributed?
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
z3 wrote:


Saying that though, there will be 3 rooms so it might make sense to
explore the option of getting a feed from the aerial and decoding it
locally via a TV and freeview decoder. In this scenario, I would have
to get three cables connected to the aerial and some kind of booster
or something?!


You'll need a Labgear distribution system - as sold by Wickes, etc. - like I
said in my previous post. This is the sort of thing . . .
http://www.labgear.co.uk/pdf/6.pdf

It may be an idea to have a trawl around Labgear's website generally -
there's lots of distribution stuff, including some which is suitable for
digital signals. Screwfix sell some of this - such as
http://tinyurl.com/aeram


Thanks for the info. So this basically takes feeds from various sources
and sends them down one cable into each of the rooms. Quite like the
idea of the CCTV - never even thought about that option!

I guess I could also take a RF feed out of my Sky box and feed that into
the distribution box too.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 12:32:27 GMT, "Ophelia" wrote:

|
| "The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
|
| don't mess around. Simply distribute the lot via a dist. amp, and the
| bedrooms can plug in to what they like.
|
| Please will you explain that for me please. My knowledge of such things
| is limited

It is a little box with a power supply which takes an RF signal,
amplifies it a little and pushes this out to several different coaxes.
Bill Wright on uk.tech.digital-tv recommends the Global F104 with "F"
connectors. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15.htm
I also have one which works fine for me.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
17,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! http://www.gutenberg.net
For Yorkshire Dialect go to www.hyphenologist.co.uk/songs/

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
z3 wrote:


I guess I could also take a RF feed out of my Sky box and feed that
into the distribution box too.

Yes, in principle, provided that:
* the distribution box has enough inputs of the correct type
* the Sky box can provide a modulated output on a UHF channel not being used
for anything else
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

On Sun, 8 Jan 2006 14:09:39 -0000, "Set Square"
wrote:

| In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
| z3 wrote:
|
|
| I guess I could also take a RF feed out of my Sky box and feed that
| into the distribution box too.
|
| Yes, in principle, provided that:

In practice also.

| * the Sky box can provide a modulated output on a UHF channel not beingused
| for anything else

Sky boxes provide exactly this sort of output on RFout2. I use it
with no problems.

| * the distribution box has enough inputs of the correct type

If you send the UHF aerial feed to a Sky box, it mixes the analogue,
digital, and Sky signals nicely and sends it out on RFout2. so you
need only one input into the distribution box. Mine is running
nicely ATM.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
17,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! http://www.gutenberg.net
For Yorkshire Dialect go to www.hyphenologist.co.uk/songs/

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Dave Fawthrop wrote:


In practice also.

* the Sky box can provide a modulated output on a UHF channel not
being used for anything else

Sky boxes provide exactly this sort of output on RFout2. I use it
with no problems.

But is it settable to any channel you like in the 22-68 range? I know that
many VCRs only have a small range of adustment - usually chan 37 plus or
minus a few - which isn't always enough to avoid clashes with terrestrial
channels and digital multiplexes.

* the distribution box has enough inputs of the correct type

If you send the UHF aerial feed to a Sky box, it mixes the analogue,
digital, and Sky signals nicely and sends it out on RFout2. so you
need only one input into the distribution box. Mine is running
nicely ATM.

Fair enough. I had assumed that the Sky box was driven by a satellite dish,
and would not have a UHF aerial input. But then, I haven't got one!
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Dave Fawthrop" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 12:32:27 GMT, "Ophelia" wrote:

|
| "The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
|
| don't mess around. Simply distribute the lot via a dist. amp, and
the
| bedrooms can plug in to what they like.
|
| Please will you explain that for me please. My knowledge of such
things
| is limited

It is a little box with a power supply which takes an RF signal,
amplifies it a little and pushes this out to several different coaxes.
Bill Wright on uk.tech.digital-tv recommends the Global F104 with "F"
connectors. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15.htm
I also have one which works fine for me.

thank you.

z3 wrote:
I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to
remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I
don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take
this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow
get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now is
a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section first!

Thanks.

This is how I'd do it:

Use CT100 cable or equivalent and run the main aerial cable to the
lounge (or wherever you keep your receivers). Then run another cable
(the distribution cable) from that location to a central point (like
the loft) and run all cables to each room from that central point via a
distribution amplifier.

Mungo wrote:

In days before Freeview there was also the trick of wiring the aerial
signal through the video recorder *before* the distribution
amplifier.

This allows view of the video output on any telly connected to the
amplifier.

As long as you can tolerate any viewer (such as a kid) watching what
mummy or daddy is watching on the video of course...

Yes, we do that essentially; it allows the video output as well as NTL
cable box output (also unswitchable, like the video) to be sent around
the house. But why "in the days before Freeview"? We don't have
Freeview, but why can't the same trick be used?

David

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lobster wrote:


Yes, we do that essentially; it allows the video output as well as NTL
cable box output (also unswitchable, like the video) to be sent around
the house. But why "in the days before Freeview"? We don't have
Freeview, but why can't the same trick be used?

David

It can, but if you only have one Freeview decoder, it's only the channel
currently being decoded which can be distributed - so you can't watch
different digital channels in different rooms.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:


Use CT100 cable or equivalent and run the main aerial cable to the
lounge (or wherever you keep your receivers). Then run another cable
(the distribution cable) from that location to a central point (like
the loft) and run all cables to each room from that central point via
a distribution amplifier.

So how would that enable you to watch several different digital channels at
the same time? (assuming you wanted to be able to do that - which doesn't
seem unreasonable).
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:


Use CT100 cable or equivalent and run the main aerial cable to the
lounge (or wherever you keep your receivers). Then run another cable
(the distribution cable) from that location to a central point (like
the loft) and run all cables to each room from that central point via
a distribution amplifier.

So how would that enable you to watch several different digital channels at
the same time? (assuming you wanted to be able to do that - which doesn't
seem unreasonable).
--
Cheers,
Set Square

If you mean watching different channels in each location then you'd
need a separate receiver in each room, the wiring would make no
difference anyhow. You can still do that with this setup. Send one,
more or no receiver outputs from the distribution cable to the
distribution amp. Up to you.

Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lobster wrote:


Yes, we do that essentially; it allows the video output as well as NTL
cable box output (also unswitchable, like the video) to be sent around
the house. But why "in the days before Freeview"? We don't have
Freeview, but why can't the same trick be used?

It can, but if you only have one Freeview decoder, it's only the channel
currently being decoded which can be distributed - so you can't watch
different digital channels in different rooms.

Yes, but that's the scenario which I and (AFAICS) Mungo have already
with distributed video (and also cable TV in my case) - it seems to me
Mungo's saying that can't be done with Freeview?

David

My apologies. All I meant was that in days before Freeview (and the
additional decoders required to
get Freeview) you could distribute six channels around your house: five
terrestrial (if you get all five)
and the output of the video.
Then we got the adverts for "freeview", so we buys a freeview decoder.
And about ten minutes after I've
plumbed it in to the main telly, SWMBO asks why she can't watch
freeview on another telly... sigh.

But nowadays with Freeview decoders in every telly you can watch
Freeview anywhere in the house.

What I haven't done yet (can't be bothered) is to use an RF encoder box
of tricks I bought to take the
phono-plug output of the freeview decoder box and recode this as a RF
signal whose output then goes
through the video to the distribution amplifier.
This would convert a single Freeview channel and make it appear as a
seventh channel to all the tellys
in the house.
You can watch any Freeview channel you get, but you can only watch one
at a time.

The encoder box came from "Henrys" if I remember correctly and was
bought along with a one-inch-square CCTV camera board so that
surveillance video and audio could be
injected into the telly distribution electronics and thus monitoring of
a location could be performed via
any telly in the house.
I can look up the details on the bit of kit if anyone asks.

Mungo

On 9 Jan 2006 03:57:38 -0800, wrote:


Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:


Use CT100 cable or equivalent and run the main aerial cable to the
lounge (or wherever you keep your receivers). Then run another cable
(the distribution cable) from that location to a central point (like
the loft) and run all cables to each room from that central point via
a distribution amplifier.

So how would that enable you to watch several different digital channels at
the same time? (assuming you wanted to be able to do that - which doesn't
seem unreasonable).
--
Cheers,
Set Square

If you mean watching different channels in each location then you'd
need a separate receiver in each room, the wiring would make no
difference anyhow. You can still do that with this setup. Send one,
more or no receiver outputs from the distribution cable to the
distribution amp. Up to you.

While you are running cables - I would also run CAT5 network cable at
the same time to each room, this will make sending TV, video and sound
from your home PC or "media centre" much easier in the future.

The cost is not great I am sure you can get wall plates which have
TV, FM and network sockets all together, although you can always leave
the network cable coiled up and unconnected till you want it.

Robert

Provided you always buy only Freeview receivers equipped with
modulators( becoming more difficult), it is possible to add as many
apparent terrestrial channels as you wish. Simply bring the initial
aerial input into a loft mounted distribution amplifier via a
combiner(splitter)( or ten) and if necessary boosting the signal levels
from the aerial and other sources. By feeding the outputs of Videos or
DVDs( more difficult as you may need to add a modulator) back to the
loft input amplifier, you can watch any channel for which you have a
modulated signal from any analogue TV in the house. Experience shows,
that apart from a bit of cross modulation(patterning on the picture) 15+
operating channels is quite feasible without major instability. The
losses at UHF are sufficient to keep the system from oscillating, even
though it has nominally 100% or more, feedback. If the aerial signal is
low noise, then digital receivers will also work without problems. There
are very few lossless UHF combiners on the market, if someone finds one,
I'd like to know about it.( Think summing amplifier)

Regards
Capitol