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Old December 9th 04, 08:16 AM
Hank
 
Posts: n/a
Default TV antenna question..........

Hello,
I hope I'm in the right newsgroup..........

I am totally remodeling my house.
The walls are gutted down to the studs.
I want to run any and all appropriate wires and cables before the
drywall goes up.
I want to receive UHF and VHF TV signals for my TV.
Most people now get their signals via cable or satellite.
I would be happy with just six channels or so.

What kind of cable should I run ?
What type of amplifier should I have ?
Rotor type ?
What are good antenna brands ?
Model numbers ?
Anything else ?



Thanks,

Hank


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Old December 9th 04, 08:27 AM
g g
 
Posts: n/a
Default

hey hank channel master makes a good ant and amp also you can by
the coax from wal.mart cheaper the rat shack one more thing are you in
the country or city is you tv sations close by . get the ant high
as you can

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Old December 9th 04, 09:00 AM
w9gb
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Hank" wrote in message
...
Hello,
I hope I'm in the right newsgroup..........

I am totally remodeling my house.
The walls are gutted down to the studs.
I want to run any and all appropriate wires and cables before the drywall
goes up.
I want to receive UHF and VHF TV signals for my TV.
Most people now get their signals via cable or satellite.
I would be happy with just six channels or so.

What kind of cable should I run ?
What type of amplifier should I have ?
Rotor type ?
What are good antenna brands ?
Model numbers ?
Anything else ?
Thanks,

Hank


NO, not the correct group for TV, satellite TV or home cabling ... try
rec.video.satellite.tvro or comp.dcom.cabling or
http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin.../list.cgi?2130

Home cabling today (computer network, TV, etc) is referred to as structured
wiring.
http://electrical.bobvila.com/Article/371.html

http://electrical.bobvila.com/Article/372.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_12212_make-pre-wiring.html

http://www.tvidish.com/builders.html

Remember that "off the air" VHF/UHF analog signals are due to be replaced by
Digital TV over the next 4 years. I would wire for satellite cabling
standards, if you don't have a local CATV company.
DIY TV cabling
http://www.dba.org.au/uploads/docume...0802_amend.pdf

http://www.smarthome.com/coaxcable.html

Some other links
http://www.satellitetv-hq.com/hqguid...l#installation

http://www.starkelectronic.com/

The other choice is to just pull the plastic tubing for the cable (with a
pull string) and pull the cabling later -- without ripping up your walls.
Check with local building and inspection codes for acceptance in your area.
http://www.phonegeeks.com/wirforfut.html


TIA-570-A Grades of Cabling

Service Grade 1 Cabling
Requirements
Grade 2 Cabling
Requirements

Telephone (1) 4-Pair category 3 (1) 4-Pair category 5
Optional (1) 4-Pair category 5 Optional (2) 4-Pair category 5
Television (1) 75-ohm Coax (1) 75-ohm Coax
Optional (2) 75-ohm Coax
Data (1) 4-Pair category 3 (1) 4-Pair category 5
Optional (1) 4-Pair category 5 Optional (2) Optical Fiber
Multimedia Not Accommodated (1) 4-Pair category 5
Optional (2) Optical Fiber

Benefits to Homeowners

Homeowners or tenants are exploring the full spectrum of residential
technologies available today and most certainly will continue to do so in
the future. Entertainment, security and environmental controls are only a
few of the highly desirable attributes being sought by homeowners and
tenants. In addition, there are other convenience offerings and features,
e.g., energy-efficiency, high performance in-home networking, internal or
external digital video/audio systems to name a few. Enhanced capabilities
for SOHO's, Internet access or telecommuting are obvious, and are among
additional benefits to be enjoyed by residential users, all enabled by a
TIA-570-A infrastructure in the home.


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Old December 9th 04, 01:35 PM
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Hank

Since your doing a full gut rehab anyhow!

Here are a few ideas that we often do during upscale renovations.
The cost is negligible before the walls go up.
In the den, we run a 3/4 PVC conduit from a pull box in the den, both
upwards to the attic and downwards to the basement for future unknown
technological advances. We sometimes do the same thing in the master
bedroom.
All homes are daisy chain wired to every room with two 4 wire
telephone and two 6 wire shielded cable each in their respective
pullboxes, plus from the central utility area two 75 ohm coax are run
to a pullbox in each room.
In addition to the AC electric, from the utility area we often install
low voltage DC wiring to bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways, etc. for
emergency lighting. And on rare occasions piping for oxygen to master
bedroom, kitchen and den.
And the security service wiring to doors and windows.
And the zone controls for HVAC, etc.
If you intend on having a hobby room, it's nice to have it vented and
plumbed as a wet bar as well.
Now, if your a HAM!
Don't forget the SHACK, hi hi, it should have the very BEST of all
amenities and grounded cable routes, etc.

TTUL
Gary

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Old December 9th 04, 03:18 PM
w9gb
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote in message
...
Hi Hank

Since your doing a full gut rehab anyhow!

Here are a few ideas that we often do during upscale renovations.
The cost is negligible before the walls go up.
In the den, we run a 3/4 PVC conduit from a pull box in the den, both
upwards to the attic and downwards to the basement for future unknown
technological advances. We sometimes do the same thing in the master
bedroom.
All homes are daisy chain wired to every room with two 4 wire
telephone and two 6 wire shielded cable each in their respective
pullboxes, plus from the central utility area two 75 ohm coax are run
to a pullbox in each room.

Gary


The usage of a pathway (conduit, etc.) is always a good idea for future
additions for your structure home cabling (especially heavily used areas)

"Daisy chaining" is NO longer the acceptable physical installation practice
for home structured cabling (EIA/TIA 570-A standard). This was the practice
by the Bell Operating companies for telephone cabling before its breakup in
1984 .. and is mentioned as a legacy method used before the adoption of the
EIA/TIA standards. The standard also addresses 75 ohm video cabling (TV,
etc.) as well as have foundation standards (568 and 569) more suited for
larger commercial or business installations.

The standardized practice for structure cabling in new installations (and
remodeling or major retro-fits) is for "home-run" wiring from each outlet
from a central location (cabling in a physical star topology) with a
distance limitation of no more than 100 meters from equipment to the
telecommunications outlet. BICSI also performs certification of structured
cabling installers (electricians, contractors) for both residential and
commercial installations.

Do a Google search on EIA/TIA 570-A ; structured cabling or BICSI and you
will find the necessary information. The major cabling vendors (Leviton,
Systemax(old AT&T cable), etc.) also have this pertinent information.

I only point this out, since I am a professional consultant in this area ---
and find the "daisy chain" approach for physical cable installation still
practiced and approved by municipalities and contractors ... UNAWARE of
these standards ... now 10 years old and reviewed on an annual basis through
the EIA and TIA organizations.

gb




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Old December 9th 04, 04:14 PM
Allodoxaphobia
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 15:18:40 GMT, w9gb hath writ:
"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote in message
...
Hi Hank

Since your doing a full gut rehab anyhow!

Here are a few ideas that we often do during upscale renovations.
The cost is negligible before the walls go up.
In the den, we run a 3/4 PVC conduit from a pull box in the den, both
upwards to the attic and downwards to the basement for future unknown
technological advances. We sometimes do the same thing in the master
bedroom.
All homes are daisy chain wired to every room with two 4 wire
telephone and two 6 wire shielded cable each in their respective
pullboxes, plus from the central utility area two 75 ohm coax are run
to a pullbox in each room.


The usage of a pathway (conduit, etc.) is always a good idea for future
additions for your structure home cabling (especially heavily used areas)

"Daisy chaining" is NO longer the acceptable physical installation practice
for home structured cabling (EIA/TIA 570-A standard). This was the practice
by the Bell Operating companies for telephone cabling before its breakup in
1984 .. and is mentioned as a legacy method used before the adoption of the
EIA/TIA standards. The standard also addresses 75 ohm video cabling (TV,
etc.) as well as have foundation standards (568 and 569) more suited for
larger commercial or business installations.

The standardized practice for structure cabling in new installations (and
remodeling or major retro-fits) is for "home-run" wiring from each outlet
from a central location (cabling in a physical star topology) with a
distance limitation of no more than 100 meters from equipment to the
telecommunications outlet. BICSI also performs certification of structured
cabling installers (electricians, contractors) for both residential and
commercial installations.

Do a Google search on EIA/TIA 570-A ; structured cabling or BICSI and you
will find the necessary information. The major cabling vendors (Leviton,
Systemax(old AT&T cable), etc.) also have this pertinent information.

I only point this out, since I am a professional consultant in this area ---
and find the "daisy chain" approach for physical cable installation still
practiced and approved by municipalities and contractors ... UNAWARE of
these standards ... now 10 years old and reviewed on an annual basis through
the EIA and TIA organizations.


I second the comment daisy chaining telco wiring.
Several months ago I did a self-install of DSL here. And, from past
'projects' putting in 'extra' phones in various rooms, I knew the
hay-wire daisy chain scheme I had (circa. 1977) -- going all 'round
the attic -- thence to the finished basement and snaking through the
stud walls there. What I ended up doing was installing my own NIB
(Network Interface Box) just downstream from the telco NIB. There I
installed a DSL filter on the daisy chain line headed for attic.
Ahead of the DSL filter I installed a new line and pulled it into
the home office. Not a lick of trouble with DSL since day 1.

Going the other route: installing DSL filters at each outlet
along the daisy chain did *not* give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
I felt there would still be plenty of opportunity for RF noise
to get into the long daisy chain (read: random wire antenna) --
which would degrade the DSL operation. Too, I was concerned
about the interaction (both ways) between the DSL signals and
my amateur radio activity.

Just last week I did a DSL install for a small, local real estate
office -- two agents and a receptionist -- 3 PC's (that were
here-to-fore freestanding.) They had a punch-down block in the
basement for 2 'voice' lines and 1 'fax' line -- with separate lines
running off to phones and fax. Simple install: I installed a DSL
filter on the fax line (the line carrying DSL) right at the punch-down
block -- breaking out a new, short line to the DSL modem/router and
hub thingies which I mounted on a shelf close by. From there it was
'simple' to pull CAT-5 cable to each of the 3 PC's upstairs.

I'd say: pay the telco to put in a punch-down block -- and run
two lines in from the street or alley (even if you only plan on
using 1 line -- now.) Then run 2-pair from 'everywhere' in the
house to the punch-down block -- but tie back (store) the ones
that are not (yet) in use.

HTH
Jonesy
--
| Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
| Gunnison, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | OS/2 __
| 7,703' -- 2,345m | config.com | DM68mn SK
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Old December 9th 04, 08:20 PM
w9gb
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Allodoxaphobia" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 15:18:40 GMT, w9gb hath writ:
"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote in
message
...


I second the comment daisy chaining telco wiring.
Several months ago I did a self-install of DSL here. And, from past
'projects' putting in 'extra' phones in various rooms, I knew the
hay-wire daisy chain scheme I had (circa. 1977) -- going all 'round
the attic -- thence to the finished basement and snaking through the
stud walls there. What I ended up doing was installing my own NIB
(Network Interface Box) just downstream from the telco NIB. There I
installed a DSL filter on the daisy chain line headed for attic.
Ahead of the DSL filter I installed a new line and pulled it into
the home office. Not a lick of trouble with DSL since day 1.

[snip]
HTH
Jonesy
--


Yes, one DSL filter at the "head-end" or entrance panel can address all of
the distribution issues with DSL. In fact, I prefer to keep the DSL modem
and router AT the head end.
Surplus network equipment that is more than adequate for home networking is
almost being given away these days.

I live the Leviton system, but have used others, as well as the original
plywood backer board and 66-block / 110 block installations

Leviton has a very good book (Adobe Acrobat that anyone can download) that
should be required reading for the planning stages. It's normally $ 10 BUT
the downloadable Acrobat copy is FREE
Covers ALL of the diagrams and techniques the are compatible with the
EIA/TIA standards.
This is a MUST for your local building contractor or DIY installer.
http://www.levitonvoicedata.com/learning/wiring.asp

Wiring Strategies Installation Guide (its a 2 Mb file)
http://www.levitonvoicedata.com/lear...strategies.pdf

w9gb


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Old December 9th 04, 08:26 PM
w9gb
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Hank" wrote in message
...
Hello,
I hope I'm in the right newsgroup..........

I am totally remodeling my house.
The walls are gutted down to the studs.
I want to run any and all appropriate wires and cables before the drywall
goes up.
I want to receive UHF and VHF TV signals for my TV.
Most people now get their signals via cable or satellite.
I would be happy with just six channels or so.
Thanks,

Hank


The difference between RG-6 and RG-59 coaxial cable


What's the difference between RG-6 and RG-59 Cable?

RG-6 and RG-59 are two types of coaxial cables that can be used with F-type
connectors for the distribution of RF signals for cable TV (CATV) and
satellite (broadband), and BNC connectors for closed-circuit environments
and data transmission (baseband).

RG-59 is a lower grade of coaxial cable, consisting of a small center
conductor, a small insulating dielectric, and typically, a single outer
shield. It delivers acceptable performance for all of the above-mentioned
applications.

RG-6, on the other hand, has a larger center conductor, a dual or quad
shield, and a much larger insulating dielectric, thus ensuring more
bandwidth and a lower frequency loss per foot. It delivers exceptional
performance for the above-mentioned applications, and is considered the
cable of choice for digital TV.


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Old December 9th 04, 09:20 PM
w9gb
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Hank" wrote in message
...
Hello,
I hope I'm in the right newsgroup..........

I am totally remodeling my house.
The walls are gutted down to the studs.
I want to run any and all appropriate wires and cables before the drywall
goes up.
I want to receive UHF and VHF TV signals for my TV.
Most people now get their signals via cable or satellite.
I would be happy with just six channels or so.

Thanks,

Quality 3/4" exterior grade plywood can easily serve as a centralized wiring
center (TV, telephone, computer network) for service demarcations and
termination point for the house wiring (coax, UTP and fiber), in some
cases -- space or esthetics dictate other approaches or solutions for a
centralized wiring center.

When you do not have no basement, need a "flush mounting" cabinet (that fits
between standard 16" stud construction) and have esthetic considerations
within the house .....
I like to install and use the Leviton Structured Media Center.
http://www.levitonvoicedata.com/cata...uildPageID=223

I installed one of these Leviton enclosures last year at my brother's home
(1-story ranch) which was built in the mid-1990s. Leviton SMC enclosures
are available at Home Depot, Lowes and numerous electrical distributors that
carry Leviton (e.g. TriState Electronics, Mt. Prospect, IL).

Installed the Leviton model 420 (large unit) flush in his garage wall. This
larger enclosure allows for the eventual incorporation of a security system
and a whole house audio/sound system.

Today, the SMC supports two Category 5e unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables
and 1 RG-6/U quad shielded coax cable terminated at a telecommunications
outlet (every room of the house). Specific room locations (e.g. video/sound
media center, home office/computer area; large family room) were wired with
additional jacks or outlets to accommodate specific equipment needs, future
growth and the ability to move furniture within large rooms (and hide
cables).

The installation was standardized on telecommunication outlets from
Leviton's QuickPort Decora Multimedia Insert collection. This matched the
existing Leviton Decora electrical switches and outlets (in both color and
design - esthetic considerations) throughout the house.
I primarily used the 4-port inserts with some 2 and 3 port inserts at
specific locations of the house for specific usage.

Complete installation took about one week (2003 Thanksgiving week):

Maintain all telephone, CATV, home network and Internet services during
installation (This does contribute to the longer installation timeline)
Installation work could only be performed between 9 AM and 5 PM, with
mandatory clean-up tasks at 4:30 PM (This was due to the week chosen and
specific hosting and family commitments)
Rough in Leviton Structured Media Center (SMC)
Pull new Category 5e cables (about 24 runs)
Pull new Quad shielded RG-6/U coax (about 12 runs)
Reroute high quality CATV cables for reuse (3 runs).
Route all cabling through attic space and establish primary cable pathways
within attic space (minimizing pathways adjacent to home electrical cabling)
Install multimedia (coax) 3x8 distribution unit (supports satellite, cable
and video inputs)
New service drops (CATV) to SMC from 2 local providers (Newnan Utilities and
Charter cable)
New electrical circuit run for main circuit breaker box (power to the SMC)
Reroute Bell South telephone drop and demarcation to SMC enclosure

Remove original owner's Quad (obsolete 4-wire) telephone cabling throughout
house. Former owner was a building contractor who installed existing
cabling infrastructure (He was clueless on structured cabling or standards).
BTW, if you get DSL services many Baby Bells will not support internal quad
cabling .. and either wire to specific point or advise you to rewire the
house.
Remove existing (poor quality) RG-59 coax and distribution (splitter)
system.

Full 100 Mb (Fast Ethernet) home network and CATV services are supported
throughout house, with 802.11(b) "WiFi" capabilities added this past summer.

The only way to go, a "Plug-n-Play" house.

w9gb


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Old December 10th 04, 05:01 PM
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi gb

I agree!

I also was not quite clear in my statements either.

We only daisy chain each rooms telephone circuits from a central
locatiion using loops in the pullboxes, having blank cover plates over
those pullboxes until it is decided which one will suffice for the
room furniture layout.

For computer we usually use the 75 ohm cable direct to the central
area for internet, and for internal networking the 6 wire cable is
used. It too runs from each room to the central area. If the
internal network only goes to rooms B and D only those two connections
are made in the central area.

In my house I have a shielded twisted pair going to each room, in each
room it is daisy chained to all possible outlets, at least 1 on each
wall, in some cases two on a couple of the walls. Unless it was used
at one time, there are no connections within the pull boxes.

However one decides to handle their wiring and extra's it's better to
have and not need than to not have at all.

Price is also a consideration! Running 6 telephone lines from a
central area to each room in the home can get quite expensive and
overly redundant for most home installations.

In addition, some cities charge 10 to 13 bucks extra on the permits
for each pullbox installed, even when those pullboxes are used for
non-permit required applications.

In my old house we had 46 outlets in the kitchen.
As if 46 were not enough already, the inspector required that we
install 4 more additional outlets in areas we considered to be very
hazardous to have outlets at all.
And sure enough, one of the extra duplexes we had to add, became a
constant torment to us. Not from usage, its 'required' location was
in a place where it was continually damaged and required regular
replacement.
Another was in a location where water was splashed on it several
times.
But you cannot fight the STUPIDITY of City Hall!

TTUL
Gary

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