time to replace old cable but how to get the best result?

[gordon_s1942]

Over the millenia I have lived here I have run cables willy nilly thru, under and over using what cable was then available. Some of which is that brown jacketed honeycomb rg58. The only consistent thing is its all solid centre wire, not multiple.
Time has come to bite the bullet and redo it all as what was 'She'll be Right' for analog dont cut the mustard with digital.
I have hopefully attatched a 'Picasso' quality hand drawn sketch of Mine 'Chateau Dilapidated' to show the rough layout and the distances, VERY approximately between the TV sets.
Number one is in a caravan beside the house that my son uses as his personal space.
Other than that the numbers are just for convenience.
The antenna is located as shown 80 metres at the opposite end of the block, not because I felt like doing it but thats where the signal was found.
The only critera I have is that one channel is just above the threshold and the others are not much better so how to distibute the signal around the 5 TV's.
Yes, I have a MHA already in use or I wouldnt get diddly swat reception.
I can bore,drill, hammer whatever anywhere, old timber/fibro style walls. The only dificulty in this house is the underfloorcrawl space between TV 2 and 3 is almost impossible to access. But there are other ways.
I have a roll of RG6 quadsheild ready to go for the run between the antenna and the house and it will be used to replace the current in use cable around the house.
Any and all ideas will be gratefully appreciated.

[URL=http://img2.imageshack.us/my.php?image=layout1h.jpg][IMG]http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/95

[mtv]

Gordon,

The link to your diagram doesn't work.

I'm assuming the brown jacket air-spaced cable is actually 75 ohm RG59 (not 50 ohm RG58). Not that it's overly relevant if you are replacing it anyway.

That old cable can have serious digital signal BER issues.

Having visited your home, distribution distances won't be an issue. (just that long run from the antenna)

The simplest and easiest method would be a 6-way splitter with power-pass to the masthead amp.

Use all F connectors on the quadshield cable (and splitter and outlets too) to keep the cabling fully-shielded, as you need to keep every dBuV you can and to reject any interference.

Keep all cabling as far from electrical cabling as possible and where it must cross power cabling, do so at right agles wherever possible.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Col

[gordon_s1942]

dammit, I shall try to edit and repost.

I had forgotten which was which, ie RG59 for TV, 58 for CB. It was sold by Tandy if I remember correctly but it was the RG59 type.
Sketch seems to have worked THIS time.


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[z1gg33]

sorry trying to help..so people can check out your diagram...

[mate]

An 80m run of RG6 may be pushing it. RG11 may be required. Signal will drop off over a greater distance.
Have you considered sending the signal to your main TV and splitting the signal in 2 here. One leg to your main TV then the other leg to a splitter that covers the other TV's.
This maintains the strongest signal path to your most watched TV.

[gordon_s1942]

mate, I am open to all suggestions on how to do a job and I am gratefull for all help I can get.
Zigg33, thanks for doing that.
As MTV suggested above which he wasnt aware of, I already have an amped 4 way splitter but it is now many years old and to put it bluntly, the way I have configured it would make a Tech cry.
Over the years numerous changes have occured technically speaking and I thought as I have relocated the antenna, its time to redo the rest.
So before I start cutting cable and crimping ends I need to be sure I am doing the best I can.

[mtv]

Have you considered sending the signal to your main TV and splitting the signal in 2 here. One leg to your main TV then the other leg to a splitter that covers the other TV's.
This maintains the strongest signal path to your most watched TV.

Why design a distribution system that only works well on one outlet?

All outlets should be close in level to each other for a balanced system to provide reliable reception to all outlets.

You may require a low-noise distribution amp in addition to the masthead.
(to replace the amplified splitter)

RG11 will certainly have less loss than RG6 over 80 metres, but it's comparatively expensive.

Given the results to date with the existing long run of cable and dodgy joins, RG6 Quad should do the job ok

[gordon_s1942]

The Austar box was put in line as in the first sketch so I could run it to other TV's. Just the other day I installed the 5.8 Ghz room senders again to replace the cable connection.
I cant use the 2.4's as the damn cordless phone chews the Video to bits.
Dont suggest installing more Austar stb's.,please.
What you see here is what I roughly have now which has evolved over 30 years.
The parts circled in RED are to be removed which is what the second sketch shows.
You must remember that all I have done has been by guess work, asking questions and simply trying as being out of town, its both expensive and difficult to obtain services as then most were only interested in doing a whole job for obvious reasons and were loth to work on others installations.
Most of the then installers knew this area has a woefull reception and it isnt good for business reputations to present a bill for the sometimes hours of work and travel and all the customer got at the end of the day was a grainy static interferred with picture so they prefered not to come begin with. They had plenty of other customers without you to keep them busy.
Another problem has been availability of equipment. Back then it wasnt a case of being able to go online to find suppliers, If your local retailer didnt stock it,you had no idea where to look.
So as the song goes, 'I did It MY WAY'.
MOST of it has worked and I have had fair to reasonable reception which in the village is exceptional.
Despite my ignorance I have refused to just accept it cant be done and after all, its been both interesting and satisfying to have managed to get what I currently have.