Terminator caps

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Hi, i hear these are essential with virgin media and maybe sky but what about freeview? I have removed a tv from one of the bedrooms and i am just wondering if its essential to cap the aerial socket rather than leaving it open? Also if you were to have virgin and freeview cables running next to each other would this cause problems? The reason i ask that is virgin media cables run up to the attic and i want to run some freeview cables and was just wondering if its fine if they are next to each other or best keep away?
Cheers
 
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The only time that a 75 Ohm terminator really makes a difference with Freeview is with a distribution amp that includes a "full" A.K.A. "full power" output. This is the feeder connection to cascade a second distribution amp. The standard distribution amp outputs should be well enough isolated from each other that individual termination isn't required.

Sky: Nah. For a start, the LNB (or Quad LNB in most cases) requires phantom power from a satellite receiver on each of its outputs before it becomes active. If there's nothing connected in the lounge on the other end of the leads going to the LNB then the LNB is inert. I've been to more homes than I can possibly recall where the owner/tenant has binned-off satellite. The output leads sit there unused. I've yet to come across a situation where it has caused a noticeable problem.

The caveat to both cases above is poor quality or broken cable shielding. If there's a complete discontinuity in a live feeder cable then that might be an ingress or egress point for interference.

If you feel happier terminating, then go ahead. It won't hurt. It's just a little money and time. Personally I wouldn't bother with the LNB connections though, as without power then each LNB module is dead.


Virgin Media is a different case because the cable connects back to the VM network. Best practise is to terminate unused outputs mostly because it's a path back on to the network for noise. That said though, I've been to plenty of homes that used to have VM, or Cable & Wireless, or Nynex but they binned off the gear. I can't recall seeing much evidence of termination and don't recall anyone of the home owners telling me tales of how VM hunted them down to get the cable terminators fitted.

If you're worried about the parallel cables then either terminate the end of the VM cable, or disconnect it at the splitter point before it branches off and then terminate there instead.
 
The only time that a 75 Ohm terminator really makes a difference with Freeview is with a distribution amp that includes a "full" A.K.A. "full power" output. This is the feeder connection to cascade a second distribution amp. The standard distribution amp outputs should be well enough isolated from each other that individual termination isn't required.

Sky: Nah. For a start, the LNB (or Quad LNB in most cases) requires phantom power from a satellite receiver on each of its outputs before it becomes active. If there's nothing connected in the lounge on the other end of the leads going to the LNB then the LNB is inert. I've been to more homes than I can possibly recall where the owner/tenant has binned-off satellite. The output leads sit there unused. I've yet to come across a situation where it has caused a noticeable problem.

The caveat to both cases above is poor quality or broken cable shielding. If there's a complete discontinuity in a live feeder cable then that might be an ingress or egress point for interference.

If you feel happier terminating, then go ahead. It won't hurt. It's just a little money and time. Personally I wouldn't bother with the LNB connections though, as without power then each LNB module is dead.


Virgin Media is a different case because the cable connects back to the VM network. Best practise is to terminate unused outputs mostly because it's a path back on to the network for noise. That said though, I've been to plenty of homes that used to have VM, or Cable & Wireless, or Nynex but they binned off the gear. I can't recall seeing much evidence of termination and don't recall anyone of the home owners telling me tales of how VM hunted them down to get the cable terminators fitted.

If you're worried about the parallel cables then either terminate the end of the VM cable, or disconnect it at the splitter point before it branches off and then terminate there instead.
Hi, I'm not particularly worried about running my new freeview cables close to existing virgin media cables, from your experience is it likely that the virgin mediac signal can interfere with freeview or vice Versa
Thanks
 
Where e cables are properly shielded and not crushed or damaged in some way then no, they shouldn't interfere.
 
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Where e cables are properly shielded and not crushed or damaged in some way then no, they shouldn't interfere.
Thanks, the cable I'm planning to use is called GT-100 its double screen and all pure copper. Regarding the terminator caps from what i understand they only matter for virgin media but sky and freeview would still work fine without them, does that sound correct?
 
Sky: Nah. For a start, the LNB (or Quad LNB in most cases) requires phantom power from a satellite receiver on each of its outputs before it becomes active. If there's nothing connected in the lounge on the other end of the leads going to the LNB then the LNB is inert. I've been to more homes than I can possibly recall where the owner/tenant has binned-off satellite.

Maybe for some LNBs but I have come across cases where phantom power on one port makes all the others active. Without power though the band/polarity cannot be selected on the other ports.
 

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