I have five TV's and the internet connected to my incoming cable line. Currently there are a couple of 2-ways and a 4-way doing the job. I'd like to clean the wiring mess up a bit and get a six way with maybe a booster before eveything to help with the signal. Any suggestions here in what I should get?

 

They make 8-way multi switches, but they get kind of pricey. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a radio shack unit for a thing like that.

While you're at it - its a good time to check your cables. Do away with any screw-on ends and get a cable stripper and snap-fit connector tool at lowes or wherever.

Make sure all your connections are tight, especially outdoors, and water proof them with RTV once they are good and snug (the outdoor ones). DEW can get into connections and mess them up bad!

WIENGARD is an industry leader, and you may be able to order an eight way multiplex from them online. It would save a bundle to go direct instead of retail.

I have a couple of leftover TV signal amplifiers from doing RV's, but they are bad news to mix with SAT TV. They should always be on a seperate cable, or the SAT Reciever will burn them up. Satellite recievers have an 18 or 12 volt power signal they send to the dish through the coax.

-Straight Cable TV is different, but the central distributor puts out enough power for it to be uniform on all their branch lines so amplification shouldn't be a problem if the connections are good. If your line branches are INSIDE from the cable reciever, it might be another deal entirely, but most TV's are pretty sensitive.

See what you can google up! Let me know what you find, and I'll give you the benefit of what I know about them.

~Wolfie

PS: Let's give Bruker some points! He almost never posts up unless he's got a serious question or a dead on target input on something, and he's been around here forever... Way too long to only have ONE itty bitty square. Who's with me on that? The BRUKE MAN deserves it!

 

When I switched to Verizon Vios they put in a six-way with booster for my 6 TVs. I don't know if it made a difference but even my 10+ year old units look GREAT.

 

Great post!

I too, have a couple of splitters doin' the job.
5 TV sets plus cable modem = a 2-way and a 4-way splitter.

I need to upgrade my cable, too. I wired the house before the drywall was put in, almost 21 years ago.
(The 'homerun' from entrance to cable modem is new.)
The cable company used RG-59 then. Now. . . "RG-6 Quad". Signal strength upstairs is rotten. Radio Shack signal amplifier helps.


(Way too many TVs in my house!!!!!! Darned spoiled kids!)

 

I'd suggest checking with monoprice.com They are the only place I get cables and connectors any more. If it exists they have it and they will most likely have it cheaper than anyone else. Thy also ship very fast.

 

As many of you know - TV is not a priority at my house. I do plan at some point to run wire for a twisted wire router to all the rooms in my home so that any computers can be networked as a group "BLACK HOLE".

(IE: Invisible online, but great to play against someone on a game in another room)

 

For standard cable TV does it matter what signal strength max is noted on the splitter? I've been checking out splitters online and I've found 5-900MHz, 5-1GHz and 5-2Ghz.

Greywolf, what do you think about this one? http://www.firefold.com/6-Way-Coax-1...2155C427.aspx#

 

I just finished rewiring all the coax in my house. For splitters that would work just fine. Remember each time you split a line you lose signal. RG-6 is what the cable companies are recomending as it is better able to handle the digital signal.

 

i had to completely rewire my house, Luckily, my best bud owns a a/v install co, I've got one splitter in the attic, might be a 10 way. I forget who its made by, but getting coaz from the attic to the basement is always fun.

 

Not nearly as much as I think of these:

PBI----Pro Brand International, Inc----Satellite Electronic Specialist

Eagle-Aspen is the outfit that manufactures products used by Direct TV for installation in their cable runs. Most of the installers don't expend them because they get paid by the job and have to buy the parts out of their own pockets, but they are high enough quality to withstand years of use and neglect.

"PROVEN PERFORMERS" in other words.

I have an E-A four by eight powered multiswitch left over from my attic crawling days that is the bomb! It's still in the box, I'm saving it for I don't even know what reason.

If you get what the pro's use, you don't have to go back later (like you are now) and try to fix problems that may have been avoided from jump. NOT a slam - I completely understand getting what you can find and going with it.

BUT.... That's also why I'm pointing you straight at a professional source without the "professionals" (profit hungry people) in between.

What you want to look at is the category labelled "Satellite Multi-switches". These are advanced splitters that maintain signal level and can be upgraded from cable to sat - without replacing them. They are also HDTV capable.

Browse through all of it anyway - if you're thinking about something like this you need to be aware of what is available regardless.

 

this may help u..
I recently rewired my house to run 5 TV's, VOip phone, and internet.
I fished clothesline thru the house myself, on my time. I made my runs as short as possible, kept sharp turns to minimum. The runs were very difficult to do, I spent two days fiquring out, and running the lines myself.
Then I called comcast, I said come over and run these lines. The tech came over, we pulled his cables thru, he put all the new ends on, and supplied three new splitters. The tech and I had all cables pulled and installed in 1.5 hours. It cost me 79.00 dollars.
Previously, I could not get Comcast to run cables to certian areas, or run the cables the way I wanted them. They claimed it would be impossible, impractical, or they were just too lazy or on a tight service schedule.
Now, every wire is nicely hidden away, wall jacks are were I need them, and my signals are fine. It is good to work with your ISP, because they have the right tools and meters to work better and faster, and might even find some problems on the outside feed that will improve your signal.

 

New runs down through walls that require thought are called "CUSTOM WORK" by DTV, and they charge $50 a pop to do them

Most installers can be bribed to do them for half that price

 

I work for a cable company and when anyone stops me and asks for a splitter or cable, I gladly hand it over. It's better for the cable company in the long run to insure there's decent quality splitters and cable run the first time. last week I spent two hours re-running one crappy RG-59 line.The signal strength before was -32db, I don't know how they were even getting a picture. We got the signal up to a +8.5 just buy having good cable and fittings. So I would just stop a cable guy and ask him for an eight way and maybe a plastic house box to mount it all in and hide it on the side. With the signal loss being higher the more you split, it may cause problems with your internet, depending on the signal level to begin with. Most two ways lose 3.5 db. on each leg, a four way loses 7.5 while I think an eight way loses ten.So if your internet was of the first two way you could be making your signal to the modem worse by like 6.5 db. If every thing is working good you might just consider hiding it all in a house box.

 

One big splitter is better than a lot of smaller ones ganged together no matter what. It's better to drop ten with an eight way and have two extra lines available than to gang several splitters in line. Each connection will be lossy and the total adds up fast.