Substituting 'cable' type cable for coax

[lower]

I'm in the process of rewiring my house and want to put TV points in each room.

To future proof, am i better off using the sort of cable used in satelite and cable installations rather than normal coax? If i use UHF type cable, can i still connect a normal terrestrial aerial to the same lead with a coax to F type converter?

[kerrywez]

You can use the cable you mention and it would be far better than ordinary TV cable.

Very best regards Wez

[lower]

What about joints in the cable? If i make the connections using normal f type connectors will the joints cause much in the way of losses?

One of the things i'm trying to do is give myself the option of using cable box in one bedroom using a split feed coming off the incoming cable feed. The other option is to connect the feed to the bedroom straight to the terrestrial aerial but because the cable will be buried in the walls there will be a few joints along its length.

[Robbo]

Any joint in a cable causes losses. They are best avoided if possible. Minimize the amount of joins you have.

Robbo

[k.jacko]

why would there be joints in the cable? You've asked which is the best cable to use, so surely you'd be buying based on the answer? In which case, buy a 100m drum.
I recently fitted my house out with sat grade CTS100 foam filled, copper braided coax = excellent stuff. Its split from a loft box to all bedrooms using f-connectors and freeview quality is superb. Also using it for connection to my Eurovox Max V.

Or am i misunderstanding your use of the word 'joints'?

[Robbo]

mmm... yes, I couldn't understand why you were having all those joints either. Not sure why you need any.

[lower]

I've not explained myself very well.

The TV itself will be mounted on the wall in what will be the main bedroom. So the aerial cable has been buried in the wall and run into the wardrobe where i have also put in a power point. The idea is that i can either:

1. put a cable box in the wardrobe, split the incoming cable signal, run one feed up to the wardrobe, through the box and into the TV. In which case there will be no unnecessary joins.

2. i can just connect the cable to a normal terrestrial aerial, run it up to the wardrobe, use a F type connector to bridge the gap in the cable where the box would have been and then let the tv recieve a normal terrestrial digital signal, an additional join. This would also allow me to put a freeview box in if i want.

Hence asking if the join in the cable where the cable box or freeview box would have been will be a problem if i go with the terrestrial feed option.

[Robbo]

If the incoming signal is strong enough, it would be OK, there is not a huge amount of attenuation from one join.

I would have thought that the incoming terrestrial feed would have to be very marginal in the first place to cause a problem.

[lower]

Cool.

Thanks for all the replies.

If i do split the terrestrial signal, i'm assuming that i'm much better off using an F type splitter than converting to coax and using a coax splitter?

My knowledge is limited, but i assume that the F type connections are a much better solution than the old coax types.

[Rick]

OK Hi, Hope this helps ......

1. Cable, use the best that u can get your hands on. I normally use RG59 which is satellite grade cable. Improves all TV signals simpily because the cable is better sheilded and has move copper in it. The better the cable the less u have to amplify the signal to get it to the end of the cable.

2. Rather than run 1 cable to each room, think about running 2 to rooms that have / are likely to have stb's or other video sources in them which u want to distribute. (3 cables if you have a sky box in a room)

3. Buy a tv distributor. I use a LABGEAR hud unit (available from screwfix amoung many others) these are about £70 for an 8-way but worth the money. This will take the signal from your tv ariel, sky, cable, etc and drop them down on 1 cable to all tv's. The second cable to the rooms is used as an uplink to send signals to the distrubutor.

4. When fitting cables the golden rules are.
NEVER allow the cable to kink or twist.
NEVER make sharp bends with the cable
ALWAYS clip cables so they will not sag and strech
NEVER run coax/cat 5 cable with mains unless you have no other option
ALWAYS use screened wallplates, preferably f connectors.
ALWAYS plan cable runs before you start putting cables in.

I run cat5 and coax together and usually pull them to the room together. Both are screened and dont cause interferance with each other. Consider pulling cat5 in or even cat 6 as this will future proof. Look at BT vision etc with stb's connected to your LAN. Remeber each and evey joint costs u about 2db of signal. So a cable with 3 joints looses 6db wall plates count for 2 joints anyway though they are recommended as they prevent the cable being damaged. A flylead is easy to replace.

Hope this helps