Chasing and general wiring query

[rcpanimal]

Hi,

I have an old 1960 house with a large chimney breast. I plan to mount the TV on the wall and have all the cables hidden. When this is ready to go I assume the electrician spur off of the socket near the chimney, chase around horizontially and then vertically.

I want to add my own channel for HDMI, VGA, digital SPDIF etc. I am not sure if I want to put a facia on the wall so instead. This would allow HDMI1, HDMI2,HDMI3 to have wall ports to plug into and then the devices plug into the wall port at the bottom. This way I ensure I don't have to feed cables through if I decided to move items. I could just buy a longer cable and move it around. Does this make sense? If so what does anyone suggest for connections, depths etc.


Other query- My lights do not have an earth and the sparky will be doing a rewire at some point. Where will they get the earth from? In the loft I have an earth coming in from the new extension which is earthed. What will they do?

many thanks

 

[Peet]

Hi,

I have an old 1960 house with a large chimney breast. I plan to mount the TV on the wall and have all the cables hidden. When this is ready to go I assume the electrician spur off of the socket near the chimney, chase around horizontially and then vertically.

I want to add my own channel for HDMI, VGA, digital SPDIF etc. I am not sure if I want to put a facia on the wall so instead. This would allow HDMI1, HDMI2,HDMI3 to have wall ports to plug into and then the devices plug into the wall port at the bottom. This way I ensure I don't have to feed cables through if I decided to move items. I could just buy a longer cable and move it around. Does this make sense? If so what does anyone suggest for connections, depths etc.


Other query- My lights do not have an earth and the sparky will be doing a rewire at some point. Where will they get the earth from? In the loft I have an earth coming in from the new extension which is earthed. What will they do?

many thanks

I've not really messed with HDMI connections having been knee deep in other stuff since SCART was the best thing around. But some food for thought.
1)The audio and video connections need to be in their own channel/conduit for physical isolation from the mains cable.
2) read up on HDMI cable lengths as long ones maybe problematic. The wiki from memory was quite good. Also types of and their respective bandwidths. I've heard of some cables loosing sync or data over longer lengths and sometimes its not the most expensive ones that are the best.
3) SPDIF coaxial and optical cables length doesn't matter within reason. And as you'll know are easy to route.
4) audio interconnects NEED to be twisted pair with an overall screen and usually the screen is only connected at one end (usually the source end) if you don't want them to behave like an antenna. The cheap cables supplied with regular audio products like CD players, they have a single core with an overall screen, don't cut it really. Don't spend lots but something like Belden 8451 is ideal.
See http://www.canford.co.uk/ProductResources/ig/5631.pdf
5) to cut the number of wires travelling up to the TV could you use the TV as a HDMI monitor and send only one HDMI up to it and do all your HDMI source switching below? That way you gain more flexibility in the system but it does alter the system workings.
6) VGA cables may also ghost or degrade the image over long lengths.
7) The new earth for the lighting will come with the rewire and will be in the lighting radial he installs.