My house has never had any form of cabling laid for data or radio
based transmission. During my restoration of the house I have been
laying cat5e, coax and telephone cabling. I am now ready to start
making use of these cables to provide services to each room. Being an
IT person I am quite happy with the data side of things (and
telephone) but I am a little confused with the options for TV and
radio.

Mid terrace grade II listed cottage. I am providing data, TV, radio
and telephone services to two bedrooms and the living room. The
central hub for all this is an airing cupboard in the centre of the
property on the 1st floor. Freeview and FM reception are required; DAB
reception would be sensible, but I am not too concerned about Sky or
Cable since both would require external modifications (cable/dish
installation) and I doubt any future owner would want the trouble of
obtaining listed consent for these anyway. Current reception is
presumed to be good since Freeview reception is good using a TV top
aerial downstairs with an amplifier.

I am proposing to install aerials in the loft.
Run both cables into the airing cupboard.
Combine using a diplexer.
Use a 3 or 4 way splitter to take cable to 2 bedrooms and living room.
(3m, 3m and 8m cable lengths respectively).
In each room I will have a faceplate to provide TV, FM (diplexed) and
Ethernet connections.

Does this sound suitable, or am I missing something fundamental? Do I
need to address other issues as well?

I want to use good quality connections and equipment. My questions:
Is there a single aerial suitable for both DAB and FM reception?
Is there a diplexer available with F connections (I understand these
are better) to combine the aerial cable into one? Alternatively is
there a combined diplexer and 4 way unit available?
hould I consider a 4 way unit with amplifier given the cable lengths?
Is it right to get a 4 way unit with F connectors?
Is there a modular faceplate that provides a diplexed TV/FM/DAB and
ethernet connector in one? Would having the ethernet in the same box
cause interference?

Any other advice or suggestions would be great also.

Thanks.

"abaker" wrote in message
oups.com...
My house has never had any form of cabling laid for data or radio
based transmission. During my restoration of the house I have been
laying cat5e, coax and telephone cabling. I am now ready to start
making use of these cables to provide services to each room. Being an
IT person I am quite happy with the data side of things (and
telephone) but I am a little confused with the options for TV and
radio.

Mid terrace grade II listed cottage. I am providing data, TV, radio
and telephone services to two bedrooms and the living room. The
central hub for all this is an airing cupboard in the centre of the
property on the 1st floor. Freeview and FM reception are required; DAB
reception would be sensible, but I am not too concerned about Sky or
Cable since both would require external modifications (cable/dish
installation) and I doubt any future owner would want the trouble of
obtaining listed consent for these anyway. Current reception is
presumed to be good since Freeview reception is good using a TV top
aerial downstairs with an amplifier.

I am proposing to install aerials in the loft.
Run both cables into the airing cupboard.
Combine using a diplexer.
Use a 3 or 4 way splitter to take cable to 2 bedrooms and living room.
(3m, 3m and 8m cable lengths respectively).
In each room I will have a faceplate to provide TV, FM (diplexed) and
Ethernet connections.

Does this sound suitable, or am I missing something fundamental? Do I
need to address other issues as well?

I want to use good quality connections and equipment. My questions:
Is there a single aerial suitable for both DAB and FM reception?
Is there a diplexer available with F connections (I understand these
are better) to combine the aerial cable into one? Alternatively is
there a combined diplexer and 4 way unit available?
hould I consider a 4 way unit with amplifier given the cable lengths?
Is it right to get a 4 way unit with F connectors?
Is there a modular faceplate that provides a diplexed TV/FM/DAB and
ethernet connector in one? Would having the ethernet in the same box
cause interference?

Any other advice or suggestions would be great also.

Thanks.


You should look at domestic distribution systems.

Google on loftbox , and here's an example:
http://www.tvlink.co.uk/loftbox.htm

There are others, Triax for example:
http://www.triax.co.uk/Products/Domestic%20Distribution%20Products/Domestic%20Distribution%20Unit%20(DDU).aspx?produc tId={7B4B88CA-78D9-46CB-8645-561513D1A9FD}&Tab=0

Hunt around the triax or TVlink sites, and you will find most of the items
you mention, including the modular faceplates. This is all off-the-shelf
stuff.

I'm considering the triax unit for my current RF system upgrade.

--
Ron

"abaker" wrote in message
oups.com...
My house has never had any form of cabling laid for data or radio
based transmission. During my restoration of the house I have been
laying cat5e, coax and telephone cabling. I am now ready to start
making use of these cables to provide services to each room. Being an
IT person I am quite happy with the data side of things (and
telephone) but I am a little confused with the options for TV and
radio.

Mid terrace grade II listed cottage. I am providing data, TV, radio
and telephone services to two bedrooms and the living room. The
central hub for all this is an airing cupboard in the centre of the
property on the 1st floor. Freeview and FM reception are required; DAB
reception would be sensible, but I am not too concerned about Sky or
Cable since both would require external modifications (cable/dish
installation) and I doubt any future owner would want the trouble of
obtaining listed consent for these anyway. Current reception is
presumed to be good since Freeview reception is good using a TV top
aerial downstairs with an amplifier.

I am proposing to install aerials in the loft.
Run both cables into the airing cupboard.
Combine using a diplexer.
Use a 3 or 4 way splitter to take cable to 2 bedrooms and living room.
(3m, 3m and 8m cable lengths respectively).
In each room I will have a faceplate to provide TV, FM (diplexed) and
Ethernet connections.

Does this sound suitable, or am I missing something fundamental? Do I
need to address other issues as well?

I want to use good quality connections and equipment. My questions:
Is there a single aerial suitable for both DAB and FM reception?
Is there a diplexer available with F connections (I understand these
are better) to combine the aerial cable into one? Alternatively is
there a combined diplexer and 4 way unit available?
hould I consider a 4 way unit with amplifier given the cable lengths?
Is it right to get a 4 way unit with F connectors?
Is there a modular faceplate that provides a diplexed TV/FM/DAB and
ethernet connector in one? Would having the ethernet in the same box
cause interference?

You can run Cat 5 Ethernet cables next to CT100/PF100 TV Coax.

You can buy RJ45 wall plates with one socket and one blank, and then mount an F
barrel on the blank, maybe also using an F Elbow. See www.satcure.co.uk

In general you should try to keep TV aerial cable lengths as short as practical,
though this is less important if you have a strong signal. You can use
distribution applifiers.

You might want to install more than one Coax cable, in case for example you want
to passs the output from a Sky box to another room.

--

Michael Chare