Faceplates on new builds (triplexer?)

[charlie30]

(have posted this in the Electrics forum but just realsied theres this Audio Visual one).

I'm helping out someone in a new build but with a basterd of a landlord, any help here would be much appreciated!

We're trying to figure out how to get TV from what looks to be a multiswitch set up, faceplates have been installed to all the flats using that have a standard terrestial aerial type connection. (Not with the screw type F connector.)

We were informed by the landlord to contact Spectrum (aka https://lovedigitaltv.co.uk/), but they also been just as useless as landlord.

Spectrum want to charge a hefty fee to come out and perform something called a 'faceplate install', which even to me does't sound very difficult. Does anyone know what this involves?

I already have a freesat digital box, but the existing faceplate (aerial type connection) is not providing any feed. It is also not providing any terrestial reception. I've already taken the faceplate off to check it's wired in and it is.

Is a triplexer normally required in these situations to get a useful feed out of the cabling? What is a triplexer?!

Any help much appreciated.

 

[GRC]

The wiring is connected to the faceplate in the flat, but they haven't installed an aerial?

Alternatively, the aerial's there but they haven't connected your flat to it?

 

[ChrisFrost]

Triplex - this is the word we use to describe getting three different source signals down one wire. A "Triplexed plate" is the faceplate in the room that splits those signals back so that each socket has the appropriate signal - TV, Satellite, FM/DAB.

 

[ericmark]

Triplex - this is the word we use to describe getting three different source signals down one wire. A "Triplexed plate" is the faceplate in the room that splits those signals back so that each socket has the appropriate signal - TV, Satellite, FM/DAB.

Should that not be Quadplex?

On new builds it is common to install the cable and no more and it is up to the user to install and combiners or boosters but common to provide a face plate with band pass filters.

The problem is band pass and de-coupling capacitors stop DC and often DC is required to power mast head amps or LNB.

Also there seems to be little consideration given to if 87.5 to 108.0 MHz (VHF used with FM) and 174–240 MHz used by DAB is the third band and with 144 - 146 Mhz likely to have 400W local transmissions to group both together is likely to result in bleed through with the FM frequencies.

There is also a problem in that 474-850 MHz is also used for Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) in conjunction with Digital TV and because of the quantity of units made (freeview boxes) it tends to be cheaper than the lower frequency DAB units.

With Sky often insisting on using only the exterior of the house to run cables this further complicates the problems faced by the house builder in selecting what is going to be provided.

A few years ago there was a move to supply LAN cabling then the use of wireless LAN made this unnecessary and was discontinued.

So I can understand why so little is now included as standard.

 

[ChrisFrost]

Triplex - this is the word we use to describe getting three different source signals down one wire. A "Triplexed plate" is the faceplate in the room that splits those signals back so that each socket has the appropriate signal - TV, Satellite, FM/DAB.

Should that not be Quadplex?

No. Triplex is the correct term.

FM/DAB are treated as 'radio' (though labelled as FM/DAB on most wall plate designs.) See link: Labgear Triplex Plate

A Quadplex would be something like this


BTW, CAT5/CAT6 for LAN is still the preferred choice in a structured wiring install. Neither I nor any of the other professional installers I know would trust WLAN to provide the comms backbone. WLAN is too flaky, slow, insecure and increasingly crowded... and not just with other WLAN networks but all the other devices that either share or interfere with the same frequency ranges.