Multi-Room Set-up

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Sorry if this has been asked before!
If I wanted to have aerial sockets in a number of rooms in a property:
Would be a case of running a single length of coax cable to each outlet from the loft space and there installing a multi-room box and connecting the aerial to incoming port and the individual aerial sockets to the output ports?
What would be the best type cable for this tasks?

 

[Lucid]

Yep, that's it in basic form. The cable to use is Webro WF100.

When fitting anything using power in to a loft that's then going to be left unattended for a long time I'm always mindful of the "what ifs..." such as a roof leak on to 240V mains. Then there's also the extra work (and cost!) of putting power sockets in to a loft. To save yourself time, money and worry there's a neat alternative to the conventional 240V powered aerial distribution amp. That alternative is the phantom powered amp. It runs off 12V, and that power is fed up one of the downleads; IOW the signal comes down the wire and the power goes up in the opposite direction. There's a power supply that lives in one of the rooms, and it connects in-line between the aerial cable coming out of the wall and the TV being supplied with a TV signal.

The only other thing to consider is whether you want to piggyback the aerial output signal from a Sky box or some other device (e.g. CCTV) on to the the aerial incomer.

 

[Sam Gangee]

OP you don't say how many rooms. This amplifier will do eight:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page11c.htm#8WAYAMP

If the occupants also want satellite TV you might use a multiswitch system instead. Obviously provision for both Freeview and satellite TV costs a little more initially but also justifies a higher rent - especially if you provide two satellite feeds to the main room (for a PVR) plus a feed from there to the bedroom(s).
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/multiswitches.htm

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The situation is that I am rewiring a property that is undergoing a revamp and extension. I have the plans for the electrical installation which includes aerial sockets to be installed. The property is two storeys high and three rooms on the ground floor plus two bedrooms on the first floor are to have these sockets in. I don't normally bother with the aerial cabling, but have been asked to do this for the client, well at least run the cables in.

 

[Sam Gangee]

I don't normally bother with the aerial cabling

Do you mean "I've never installed coaxial cable previously and I have no idea what I'm doing?"
If so then you should start with the basics. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S4XSLAG

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Do you mean "I've never installed coaxial cable previously and I have no idea what I'm doing?"

Not quite but basically yes! I have done first fix on a couple or more occasions but never done the final terminations/commissioning part, since the last time of doing this things technically have moved on and I understand the cable standards have developed and improved to match that technology.

If so then you should start with the basics. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S4XSLAG

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S4XSLAG
I wil check that out

 

[Sam Gangee]

Read all the technical information on the SatCure site as well.
Pages such as this. http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/kinked_cable.htm
and http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable_over_roof.htm
and http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wall_plates.htm
and many others - all free!

 

[winston1]

Have you measured the signal level from the aerial? In many areas all you need is a good aerial and a passive splitter. No mains power needed.

I notice you are in Londonderry, due you intend to distribute Saorview as well? Things can get complicated and you may need to engage the services of a professional aerial installer.

But as a first fix run WF100'cable from each socket position to the loft.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I have not measure a signal, I have only just received plans/drawings of the project, with a request to construct a material list for the project. The project location is on the mainland England.

 

[Sam Gangee]

In theory, Winston is correct and you ought to measure the signal strength and do the (simple) calculations in advance.

However, if you don't know the Freeview signal strength but you know (from neighbours) that it's sufficient, then you can simply specify a masthead amplifier with adjustable gain. You have a 98% chance of getting away with that! Obviously someone has to adjust the gain for optimum results on all TVs. That's easier if all the cables from the amplifier are approximately the same length. If they are significantly different you'll occasionally need to balance the signals by fitting an attenuator at the bottom end of each shorter cable.

You can check the predicted signal strength and aerial type here:
http://www.wolfbane.net/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

Not wanting to confuse the issue but for completeness: in the last century it was common to install a "head end" amplifier to greatly boost the signal, then feed it down a single cable that "daisy-chained" a series of wall sockets. Each socket had an attenuator tap to reduce the excessive signal to a usable level. If the system was correctly designed, the last socket would need no attenuator.

Such a system had the advantage of using less cable but the disadvantage that a fault in any socket would affect all subsequent dwellings in the daisy-chain. The system was also prone to interference because a faulty TV or VCR could inject a signal into its wall socket and thus transmit it to other dwellings. I know of such a system in an old folks home and it was a nightmare to have to knock on every door in order to determine what some innocent geriatric had plugged into their socket that was interfering with 20 others!

Another home used the "star" configuration, as recommended. Unfortunately, the Power Supply Unit that fed power to the masthead amplifier had been located in an apartment. The occupant insisted on unplugging everything when he went to bed. So, at 9pm prompt every night, all TVs went blank! Again it took a bit of door-knocking to locate that.