Coaxial recycling

Epirb · 02-28-2011, 01:51 PM

I have just bought a house that was fully hard-wired for cable TV.

I will not be subscribing to cable and will probably go for a free view or free sat set up.

Can I use the installed coax cables to distribute the signal with and if so, what would I replace the current booster box with? Poor picture here, better could follow if required:

Thanks for your help,

Epirb.

**octaneman** · 02-28-2011, 06:44 PM

Hi Epirb

You won't be able to use the hard wire setup because cable companies modulate their signals at different frequencies to prevent piracy of their networks.

Epirb · 03-01-2011, 11:37 AM

Hi Octaneman, thanks for taking an interest.

I am not sure what you mean about the modulation affecting what I want to do, it is particularly the wires (and their associated holes in the walls) that I want to reuse.

It is difficult to see in the lousy picture I have posted and I am not sure what the box pictured does (just a junction or booster too?) but the incoming signal wire is the brown one and everything else is for distribution.

Therefore, if I took a cable from a digital aerial, or satellite dish to this point, could I distribute it around the house from here and if so, what sort of splitter / booster would I need? Or have I missed something, is the difference in modulation requiring different cable?

What I really want to do is reuse the wires and not make any more holes in this poor old house!

Cheers, 'pirb.

**octaneman** · 03-01-2011, 12:29 PM

I've done a little research based on what I can make out on the box it appears that the box can process a digital signal through it and it also boosts it. It also acts as a filter so I'm guessing less noise traveling down the wire to the designated spot where you have your t.v set up. I can't make out most of what is written on the box, but on it you should see its design specs, do some research on it from the manufacturer but I'm betting you will be able to run your satellite through it with no problem.

Epirb · 03-01-2011, 01:53 PM

Thanks for that, think I will nip out and have a look at it in the morning!

Cheers, 'pirb

Epirb · 03-23-2011, 12:11 PM

Slight embarressment as got a local areials firm in to look and ask them the question...

Two things,

1. this is already a system based on digital terrestrial.

2. if you turn on the booster (Pictured) that he installed then you have a perfect digital signal which works with all my kit!

Whoops, oh well, at least I asked the right man, the isle of Wight is like that.

thanks for looking all.

Epirb.