Sat Coax for Cable

Myrddin

Hi guys, apologies if this is the wrong thread but I figured its more relevant to Sat, given its Sat cable.

I have a Sky multiroom install, and am planning on changing to UPC for TV/BB. Im currently trying to plan out the wiring layout, as I'd rather have it in place the way I want it, rather than a cable tech taking shortcuts. I fully intent on paying multi-room, its more a case of I dont want holes drilled where not needed.

Basically the whole living room was fully recently plastered, with only two incoming wires. The first is an old NTL wire, which has been disconnected from the junction box outside. This outlet is down the wrong end of the room now though, and is of no use to me. The other incoming wire, is from the Sky dish. This is exactly where I'd like the cable inlet (right behind the tv). Now it would be a Godsend this cable could carry UPC signals. Obviously the end connectors would be different, but is the sat coax cable itself, suitable for UPC signals?

lucernarian

Satellite-grade cable can carry upc signals just fine if it's in good nick.

Naturally you'll have to re-route the cable to wherever you or the engineer will connect it to UPC's cable.

Myrddin

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Satellite-grade cable can carry upc signals just fine if it's in good nick.

Naturally you'll have to re-route the cable to wherever you or the engineer will connect it to UPC's cable.

Brilliant, thanks for that. Yeah the main junction box is outside the front of the house. Now Im aware Im probably not authorised to go near it, but if I put the wiring in place inside the house, and create a new "cable feed" cable as such, and leave it there ready for a UPC to connect to the junction box...presumably that would be ok?

PS - the Sky dish is at the rear of the house, so I'd need UPC to be fed in from the rear where the Sat dish is.

lucernarian

Leaving the cable near the UPC feed (the connection box is known as a cable tap) would be perfect. A house I'm moving into has been precabled and 3 cables are hanging outside near the soffit and fascia board at the front of the house, ready to connect to UPC if we want to order it.

I'm not so sure that UPC would bring their own cables around to a sky dish however. If you want to do the internal wiring yourself, you may have to bring all required cables out to the point where UPC will connect you.

Yes, as you mentioned, you're not allowed to touch or alter anything to do with the actual cable tap or the cables that are already connected to it.

P.S. this thread probably would have better replies if it was in Cable/MMDS/IPTV as cable used for UPC can be equally used on satellite or for aerial installs and vice versa if the quality is good enough, whereas you're enquiring about a UPC install specifically. The term "sat cable" is really "sat grade cable" and is a cover-all term for cable that's a step up on this crap here: http://www.megalithia.com/elect/cable/txcoax_l.jpg

Myrddin

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Leaving the cable near the UPC feed (the connection box is known as a cable tap) would be perfect. A house I'm moving into has been precabled and 3 cables are hanging outside near the soffit and fascia board at the front of the house, ready to connect to UPC if we want to order it.

I'm not so sure that UPC would bring their own cables around to a sky dish however. If you want to do the internal wiring yourself, you may have to bring all required cables out to the point where UPC will connect you.

Yes, as you mentioned, you're not allowed to touch or alter anything to do with the actual cable tap or the cables that are already connected to it.

P.S. this thread probably would have better replies if it was in Cable/MMDS/IPTV as cable used for UPC can be equally used on satellite or for aerial installs and vice versa if the quality is good enough, whereas you're enquiring about a UPC install specifically. The term "sat cable" is really "sat grade cable" and is a cover-all term for cable that's a step up on this crap here: http://www.megalithia.com/elect/cable/txcoax_l.jpg

Great advice, much appreciated. What I was thinking of doing was putting all the internal wiring in place, connecting the input cables to an outdoor splitter, and running a feed wire over the roof of the house, to be left beside the cable tap for the UPC tech to connect up to. That way, once connected, the cable tap can supply my feed cable, over the roof, into the splitter & from there to the rooms.

Mods, no need to move the thread on my account - To_Be_Confirmed has answered my questions perfectly. Cheers

lucernarian

No worries.

I thought I should mention, there's a risk of damage to the cable from the wind and rain if you leave it unsecured over the roof. If the cable is able to move at all, the insulation can wear away where it rubs against the tiles or apex of the roof. Run the cable over the roof instead of around the house or through the attic only if you don't have a choice/live in a terraced house. I think you can fashion some clips that let you secure cable to roof slates/tiles too.

E.g. http://www.aerialsandtv.com/cableandleads.html#PictureOfWornCable