Connecting Loft Tv Amplifier Power

[sgtcracker]

Greetings all, great site, what a help too, I used it to successfully extended a socket to a room, so a big cheers. I have read a lot of posts regarding getting power to the loft for aerial amplifiers, so sorry for adding another, I just wanted a direct answer if you can take the time. I have a already bought the 6 way amplifier and a standard plug socket and plastic back box. I have a 5 metre run of 2.5 T&E. In my loft I have cables for the lights in numerous places and I also have what looks like two 5mm cable powering the showers. I would to ask the best way to power my amplifier, My ideas were:

Run a spur up the wall from one of the bedroom sockets below, up the cavity

or spur off one the lighting lines, junction box,

or can I come off the shower line

Many Thanks in advance.

Martin

 

[ColJack]

first option is the best.. always run sockets off the socket circuit if you can..
at a push... ( and I mean as an absolute last resort ) you can put a single socket off eh lights and lable the socket as for the aerial amplifier ONLY!!!
you should NEVER use a shower supply to run anything but the shower..

 

[oharaf]

As said ideally off the socket ring.


If you need to use the lighting circuit (last resort) rather than a socket use a Switched Fused connection unit, then later in life someone else won't be tempted to plug a large appliance in!!

 

[ColJack]

all good and well, but that asumes that the aerial amplifier power supply isn't a "wall wart"...

 

[Steve]

I was impressed the amplifiers B&Q sell had internal transformers. But I didn't want to cut the plug off due to warranty concerns.

I did this the other day for my grandad. Theres 2 lighting JBs in his loft (the loop in for 6 lights), both have about 8 cables to them. One has the earths terminated outside the box due to crowding. I decided to add another JB!

Now I think on, in his airing cupboard near the ceiling is a fused spur for the alarm panel from the upstairs ring main, I could have used this. Never mind.

 

[SkyVanMan]

Some distribution systems have the power adaptor as an F connector so you an put the distribution system in the loft and power it from downstairs simply by running an additional co-ax cable from wherever you wish to plug it in. You then connect the transformer to a power inserter and the power supply cable is attached to the power inserter. A nice solution in many instances.

 

[ColJack]

so kind of like the "magic eye" works on a sky system?
it picks up a 9V feed from the sky box and sends it up the coax?.

 

[Steve]

commonly used with masthead amps.

 

[SkyVanMan]

so kind of like the "magic eye" works on a sky system?
it picks up a 9V feed from the sky box and sends it up the coax?.

Yes, and some of the more basic distribution boxes can be powered directly from the 9v RF out 2 on the back of the Sky box. The ditribution box will then send 9v out to every TV point. However, diplexing and triplexing DDU's usually need 12v from a separate cable.

 

[SkyVanMan]

commonly used with masthead amps.

Absolutely, although not all DDU's accept power via a F type, most have a pin type socket.

 

[ninjacat]

If you need to use the lighting circuit (last resort) rather than a socket use a Switched Fused connection unit, then later in life someone else won't be tempted to plug a large appliance in!!

Surely this will be protected by the fuse/ mcb supplying the lighting circuit. A label would help so that large loads aren't plugged in, but this would just trip the lighting circuit wouldn't it - assuming that a)appropriately rated cable is used to connect the socket to the lighting circuit and b) the overcurrent device is also appropriately rated.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[FourFootMedia]

Thing is, if someone plugs in a large load, like an electric saw, the lighting circuit trips and the loft is plunged in to darkness whilst the saw spins down... not good...

 

[ColJack]

4 foot EM fluorescent fitted in the loft..

 

[Steve]

4 foot EM fluorescent fitted in the loft..

Overkill?

 

[SkyVanMan]

4 foot EM fluorescent fitted in the loft..

Overkill?

Lol, could just be a big loft.