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Old 17-Feb-2013, 10:08 PM   #2
GroundUrMast
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Posts: 4,773
What to do if you're stuck with a daisy chain

Some TVF members may be 'stuck' with a daisy chain cable arrangement. Perhaps the cable is buried in the wall or under a slab, and no attic to run cable in.

Fairly common to larger systems such as hotels, motels, airports, etc., is a device known as a tap, or feed through tap. Examples: http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp...28cp2509-10%29, http://www.cencom94.com/subpage21.html, http://www.sonoradesign.com/home.php...get=commercial.

This devise is intended for daisy chain connection. The last tap in the run will need a 75Ω termination. This termination can be a 75Ω resistor cap, an attenuator followed by a tuner input or, if the levels are not too high, just a TV tuner.

Expect to loose 1 dB passing through. So as you go further down the line, you'll likely need a lower loss tap to deliver similar levels to each TV.

This system may work with no amplifier, if so, keep the system as clean and simple as possible. In large systems, it's likely that an amplifier would be needed, particularly if the line is long and has many taps. Specialty MATV distribution amplifiers exist for this type design, though a small system could be served by a consumer grade distribution amplifier.

If you find yourself forced into this arrangement... that is you've considered rewiring in a home run style, but simply have no way to do so, then you may be left with making do with a daisy chain of taps.

Here is a basic tutorial on Master antenna TV system design, offered as incentive to consider making the conversion to a home run system: http://www.dipolnet.com/basics_of_de...ems__bib05.htm

Last edited by GroundUrMast; 19-Feb-2013 at 4:14 AM. Reason: links & comment re MATV DAs
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