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Old 18-Aug-2012, 4:25 PM   #1
michaelcgorman
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Question Cabling or Amp?

Greetings! First off, here's my signal analysis and the notes I took this morning while testing a few different setups.

The general idea is, when I put my ClearStream 2 in a second floor window for testing, I got up to 25 channels, some from 110 miles away as the crow flies. I moved it up to my roof and still got all the channels I want (15 of them) when the antenna was plugged directly into the TV, but when I ran the signal through the house wiring, it went down to five channels.

My question is: should my next step be new quad-shield RG6 or an amp of some sort? I'm comfortable running RG6 on my own, but there are no outlets in the attic and I'd have to hire an electrician to add one.

Other info: The house is 100 years old. I've owned it for a few months. The cabling looks relatively old, too, but my tester is only binary so I don't know the exact lossiness specs. The run from the roof to the living room is probably about 60 to 80 feet long, through the basement, and there's not really a shorter way I could route it. There are (currently) five outlets in the run, but only one TV (a Vizio E420VT, which will be swapped with a late-2011 TiVo Premiere once things are up and running). I use Comcast as an ISP, but I have physically separated their signal from the TV. Channels I actually want:
  • WYZZ-DT
  • WEEK-DT
  • WMBD-DT
  • WHOI-DT

Thanks for your help!
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Old 18-Aug-2012, 7:05 PM   #2
signals unlimited
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Unless your cable shows signs of deteration, it should be ok. IMO quad sheild is a waste of time and money.

If you only intend to run the one set, just find splitter and locate the line to the TV. Use an "F" barrel splice to tie the line from the antenna and the set togather. With the antenna aimed to the group of stations to the NW. rescan.

If you want to use four sets, at the location of the splitter, install a Channel Master 3414 distribution amplifier. This will give you four outlets. If you need five Channel Master has amps for more, but dont over do it. Open outlets must be terminated.


Examine all connectors and replace any that are not properly installed or otherwise suspect.

Last edited by signals unlimited; 18-Aug-2012 at 7:14 PM.
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Old 18-Aug-2012, 8:59 PM   #3
teleview
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Tv Reception.

For reception of the Tv stations/channels you have listed and More.
________

A common way of coax wiring in the past in Older buildings.
Is chaining splitters one after the other. One splitter connected to an other splitter connected to an other splitter , and at the end of chain of splitters the signals are Very Weak because each time a split takes place the signals are reduced.

A Better Way to do coax wiring is have 1 splitter or distribution amplifier and from that 1 splitter or distribution amplifier , a coax will go out to each location.

Install a Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamplifier.

For one Tv connected use No splitter/s.

For 2 Tv's connected use a HFS-2D , 2 way splitter.

For 3 Tv's connected use a HFS-3D , 3 way splitter.

For 4 Tv's connected use a HFS-4D , 4 way splitter.

Order the HFS splitters from , http://www.hollandelectronics.com , or , http://www.solidsignal.com.

_________

For your reception location Remove The Reflector Screen from the CS2 and now the CS2 will receive Tv stations/channels to the , north west and south east with either side of the CS2 aimed at about 305 degree magnetic compass direction.

Also order and install the VHF channels 7 thru 13 antenna kit that installs on the CS2 UHF antenna.

For better reception of , WILL-TV , VHF channel 9 PBS.

Here are some places to buy , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.antennasdirect.com.

Last edited by teleview; 18-Aug-2012 at 9:28 PM.
 
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Old 18-Aug-2012, 9:11 PM   #4
teleview
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Tv Reception.

Remember , No chaining of splitters.

In older buildings , splitters can be behind wall plates inside the wall.

Splitters can be behind wall plates and up inside the wall out of sight.

Splitters can be in attics.

Splitters can be in closets.

Splitters can be in basements.

Splitters can be inside a wall for what ever reason.

Splitters can be in crawel spaces.

Splitters can be in hidden places.

Splitters can be outside the building.

In older buildings , coax can be cut and spliced together with wire nuts.

In older buildings , there can be 300 ohm flat antenna wire that is spliced to coax.

In older buildings there can be a crazy wiring scheme.

Last edited by teleview; 18-Aug-2012 at 9:25 PM.
 
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Old 18-Aug-2012, 9:17 PM   #5
teleview
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Tv Reception.

Here are some above the roof antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at , http://www.solidsignal.com , by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.
 
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Old 18-Aug-2012, 11:06 PM   #6
michaelcgorman
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Thanks to both of you for the advice. The CPA-19 looks like exactly what I need; I had no idea I could separate the power source from the amp. (Though, it would be nice if they carried it in a store near here so I could get it done this weekend.)

I'm pretty sure I've found all of the splitters. (I actually have the luxury of being able to visually inspect the entire cable run, even the attic-to-basement drop, because of the way these walls were built.) I'll pick up a few additional barrel splices when I'm out shopping tonight.

Thanks again!
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Old 18-Aug-2012, 11:20 PM   #7
teleview
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The CPA-19 preamp is a high input preamp that is designed to except strong signals without over loading.

Do not go out and buy a radioshack preamp.

The HFS splitters are High Quality power passing splitters.
 
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Old 19-Aug-2012, 12:32 AM   #8
GroundUrMast
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I agree, quad-shield coax is not going to reduce loss or improve signal to noise ratio. If you find the cable and connectors at the same price or better than standard RG-6, fine, just don't expect any significant measurable differences.

FWIW, quad-shield is ideal for closed system applications that need extra shielding. Satellite systems are an example; The losses though RG-6 at the frequencies used between the satellite and receiving dish are very high so the LNB at the dish converts the satellite band frequencies down to a range that the RG6 can transport without excessive loss. Between the LNB at the dish and the receiver, they use frequencies that are also used for terrestrial services. The extra shielding prevents the two systems from interfering with each other.

An over the air antenna operates at even lower frequencies, so loss is even less an issue. The extra shielding of quad is of no value because the antenna is directly coupled to the coax. This is an open system where the antenna is intentionally coupling signal from the air into the coax... a few nano-watts of leakage through the shield is not going to interfere with reception and there's no other system or service sharing the frequency.
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