Aerial amp/splitter under floorboards and possible problems

[bejay]

Hi
I want to fit an external aerial and run the aerial cable 10 metres into the loft and down to under the landing floorboards to an amplifier and 6 way splitter. Then run the aerial cables to 5 rooms maximum distance about 10 metres. The nearest transmitter is about 3 km away and I was concerned that the 10 metre distance from aerial to the amplifier may cause signal deterioration can somebody please advise.

Also I wondered if running aerial cables under floorboards close to a central heating gas pipe, heated water pipes (high temperature) and to mains electric cables may cause any signal or other problems.

I understand the power supply for the amplifier can be supplied through one of the aerial cables at the tv end, but I'm not sure if this would cause a problem close to a gas pipe in case of electrical problems (eg sparks).

Thank you

 

[sparkwright]

Hi
I want to fit an external aerial and run the aerial cable 10 metres into the loft and down to under the landing floorboards to an amplifier and 6 way splitter. Then run the aerial cables to 5 rooms maximum distance about 10 metres. The nearest transmitter is about 3 km away and I was concerned that the 10 metre distance from aerial to the amplifier may cause signal deterioration can somebody please advise.

Also I wondered if running aerial cables under floorboards close to a central heating gas pipe, heated water pipes (high temperature) and to mains electric cables may cause any signal or other problems.

I understand the power supply for the amplifier can be supplied through one of the aerial cables at the tv end, but I'm not sure if this would cause a problem close to a gas pipe in case of electrical problems (eg sparks).

Thank you

why put the amplifier under the floorboards?



it is inconvenient and inaccessible for future repairs etc.
the amplifier should be in the loft space/in a cupboard.

as for the power, the usual/easiest way is to situate the amplifier in the loft and spur off the lighting circuit from a permanant supply, using either a 5A plug and socket or a switched fused spur unit with 3A fuse.

 

[electronicsuk]

Also, 3Km away to the nearest transmitter really isn't very far, so you shouldn't need to worry about loss on the downlead between aerial and amp.

 

[MisterG]

Hi

Why don't you put the amplifier in the loft?

It will mean a short cable to the amp.

I did this and it made it dead easy to run the cables to the rest of the house.

Fortunagtely I was lucky that when I had my house rewired I got the spark to run a circuit to the loft, which was easy to extend to get the socket in the right place.

Have you got power sockets in the loft?

Regards

G

 

[bejay]

Thanks for the replies.

I want to put the amplifier/splitter under the floorboards because when the central heating was installed it was routed through all my rooms and the floorboard sections secured by screws so I will have good access to all the cables. The position I had in mind for the amplifier would allow installing all the aerial cable feeds to the 5 rooms with almost no visible cables. It also seemed a good idea to add a telephone extension and broadband cables.

I aslo wanted to know whether running aerial cables close to a gas pipe, hot water pipes, mains cable, telephone cable and broadband cable would be a problem in signal loss or danger from explosion.

I do not have a power point in the loft, but I understood there are amplifiers which do not need a direct power supply. Instead they are DC powered using one of the aerial cable terminations to provide power up the aerial cable to the amplifier.

 

[Aragorn84]

I dont think the gas or heating pipes are going to bother the signal quality...

I dont like the idea of an amp under the floor, as it would be a pain to get to it should it fail at some point... Ripping up the carpet instead of just hopping up the loft...

What exactly do you mean by "broadband cable" as that really doesnt mean anything. Your either going to run a telephone cable, which can be used for a telephone or broadband router, or your going to install some Cat5 ethernet cable, which can be used to create a wired LAN around your house.

If you mean both telephone and ethernet, what are you going to do with all the ethernet cables once they congregate in this point under your floorboards?

 

[bejay]

OK. I will run the amplifier from the loft and direct the split cables to the landing floorboards to distribute the cables to each room.

The telephone cable is just a telephone extension to another room. The additional two broadband connections are ethernet (RJ45) cables to run from the vicinity of the virgin cable modem (in upstairs room) and using a router to connect the ethernet to two rooms downstairs so I can run my laptop from one of three locations in the house. I think that should work, I'll now have to find suitable cable terminations.

 

[Donkmeister]

I notice no-one has asked this yet, so I will ask it...

Will your aerial have line-of-sight to the transmitter? If so, at 3km distance you really don't need an amplifier with an externally-mounted aerial... provided it's correctly positioned and aimed.

In this instance, use a slightly larger or higher-gain aerial, feeding a passive splitter to distribute the signal. Most electrical places, sheds and Maplin can sell you one.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MX220.html

 

[housebasher]

I agree with the last comment, with a decient hi gain Aerial you might not need a amp if your going to fit a Amp try an get one with variable gain, or just a small one with two o/p and then feed it to, two 3 way spliters, too much signal will result in crossmodulation and all sorts of problems.