Quote:
Originally Posted by BobK
Hey MG, thanks for the reminder about the new cable bandwidth. When I started fooling with this stuff, nobody ever dreamed of going that high. I think they needed about 300Mhz. I'm about to (re)wire my new house for cable AND over-the-air tv. What cable brands/model numbers are you favoring?
Oh Sunedog, remember to terminate every port on the splitter.
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First, PLAN YOUR SYSTEM before you go out and buy ANYTHING!
TOO much of anything in this area is going to hurt you...
If you're only going to have a maximum of 3 TVs/Monitors hooked to the system at any one time, don't buy a 4- or 5-port splitter...ONLY A 3-port is needed...each additional port BEYOND WHAT IS NEEDED knocks the O/P signal level down, exponentially...2-port, half the signal; 3-port, half of the half of the signal (1/4 of the signal I/P or 6dB. down); 4-port, half of the half of the half of the I/P signal (1/8 or 9 dB. down) - that's a constant...
Nothing wrong with wiring every orriface of the property...just don't hook it up all at once and leave the ends unterminated...
As for cable...
Expect to pay for the good stuff. But, to get the good stuff, you need a little knowledge...
First, make sure the cable you get is "frequency-swept" (FS) for the purposes you are intending to use it for...don't buy/pay for more than you'll ever need, but don't purchase the first batch that falls off the truck either.
If you're intending to wire for cable, and your CC has some decent technicians that actually talk to the customers and will respond nicely to honest questions, find out what frequencies they're using to transport the signals to your home...That's the first step.
Second step...if the CC techs. are still in a good mood, find out where they get their in-house cable from...and see if the field techs might even give you their "box-ends" (there's a term I heard a tech use one time...but for the life of me I can't recall it right now...) - these pieces are usually 50' - 90' and are too short for them to use in certain circumstances...they usually have 9 or 10 boxes a week that they just toss out...maybe that will save you a little cash...but remember, no splices from the CC-I/P terminal to your set..."home runs" are what you want ("Home-run" is a cable that is pulled from the main distribution frame (MDF) area of the home/business all the way to the terminal gear (phone/TV) and has no other intermediate distribution frames (IDFs) or splices in it...it's just one L-O-N-G piece of cable.)
Now, if you can't get ahold of any freebies or the CC techs. are non-existent in your area, think carefully about how many channels you are looking at getting at your residence, or what is the maximum service you can expect to get. General rule is this...for EACH channel on the service, you multiply that number by six (6) and add 300 to the product to get the answer in Megaherts (MHz.)...
Example: Channels 2-87 = 86 channels. 86 * 6 MHz. = 516 MHz.. 516 MHz. + 300 = 816 MHz..
You're looking for cable that has a frequency band-width (BW) of better than 850 Mhz.. It should specify it's been "frequency-swept" (tested for "flatness") from some low number like 5 MHz. up to, or better than 850 MHz.. This "flatness" just means that if a signal (say, at 10 MHz.) is injected into the cable at a reference level of +10dB., and the other end is measured and it measures at +7 dB., that cable shows a 3 dB. roll-off, or attenuation, for a 10 MHz. signal. Next, an 800 MHz. signal is injected. If the cable is good, it should show the same (reality is just a little more, but not too much) roll-off of around 4-5 dB.. If it's more than 6-10 dB., then that's the type of cable you want to stay away from.
Generally, the cable is marked on the box or cable reel it's in/on. But check with the manufacturer (Some cable manufacturer's websites are pretty good about giving you their cable's specs. in this area) to be sure that what you want to buy will do the job you're expecting it to perform.
Generally, I've been telling folks to get cable that's FS from 5 MHz. on the low end to up to, or better than 1 GHz. (1,000 MHz.). For most applications, this will work most nicely...
Now, I've heard that there is some cable that can go from 5 MHz. up to 2.4 Ghz.. If you run across that stuff, have at it...just be careful not to run a staple or nail through it...that's the ultimate DYIer "sucks" scenario...and Murphy lets that happen on the longest run, in the middle of said run and usually when the box/spool is about empty. Did I mention that the time is usually around 4:45 PM on a Friday afternoon? Yep, BTDT...
As for Brands? Belden - TimesFibre - CableWave - Each of these I've worked with in the past...Belden is the "gold" standard for what I do. You're paying for the name, but the quality has ALWAYS been there. TimesFibre and CableWave are what I've seen CCs use...they seem happy with their material so I wouldn't turn my nose up on those two brands.
As for the numbers? Check the websites...each application is different...just remember, you pay more for less attenuation (dB. loss per 100'/100m.) and the shielding that's just under the jacket of the cable.
RECOMMENDATION: Outdoor wiring? Get the best, low-loss, 100%-shielded cable you can afford...if you're burying it, make sure it's in heavy-duty conduit or it's the "flooded" type. Personally, I'd go the conduit route...the "flooded" is VERY MESSY and if you ever have to change it out or replace it, you'll have to dig everything up. Whereas, the conduit is there, protects the cable from Mother Nature's finest and helps facilitate replacement, if it should come to that.
Indoors? Again, quality over economy...at least for me...I go for 100% shielded cable and I route everything away from high-voltage sources (motors-pumps, etc...) as best as I can and I avoid sharp bends and turn-radius'. Stepping on, or kinking, the cable is the same as driving a staple or nail through it...keep the kids and high-heels out of the construction area and don't run over it yourself...you, yourself, can do as much, or more, damage as anything else. Watch what you're doing and again, practice save installation techniques.
Wooo! Sorry about the long-windedness here...
If you need anything else, PM me and I try to keep the reply a bit shorter...
