 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneralRural LivingHome AutomationSecurity AlarmsConstructionRepairPlumbingCleaningPest ControlLawn and Garden |
Homeowner Forum / Home Automation / July 2004Wireless TV access??
I've got a customer who just moved into a new house. Lots of expensive wallcovering and hand painted murals. (actually kinda cool) They just got their cable TV service installed along with a cable modem. The problem is, there's only one RG6 drop on the entire 2nd floor - and of course, this is where the office space and the master bedroom is. I took a look in the attic to see if there was a way to pull some cable from this one drop to the MBR and the office. Nothing is going to fit up there except a VERY small cat. Punching holes in the drywall and pulling from below isn't going to work due to the aforementioned expensive wallcoverings and the mural on the office wall. Getting connected to the net isn't a big deal. A wireless NIC and access point will take care of that. The issue is the TV in the master bedroom. I could get a wireless modulator and connect it to the cable set-top box's output and the upstairs TV but then there would be no way to change the channel from upstairs and whatever is being watched downstairs would also be on the upstairs set. Here's my question. What if I put the wireless modulator on the cable where it comes out of the wall and then put the Rx on the input side of the cable box upstairs? (It's a Motorola digital box BTW) Would that provide an "unmolested" cable feed to the cable box?? Or do these modulators only work in analog? Anyone know of a product that will allow me to "beam" the CATV signal to the other set-top box and still retain the digital signal and not affect the cable modem? >I've got a customer who just moved into a new house. Lots of >expensive wallcovering and hand painted murals. (actually kinda cool) [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >where it comes out of the wall and then put the Rx on the input side >of the cable box upstairs? *WON'T*WORK* > (It's a Motorola digital box BTW) Would >that provide an "unmolested" cable feed to the cable box?? Or do [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >to the other set-top box and still retain the digital signal and not >affect the cable modem? Doesn't exist. Sorry. 'Creativity' is called for. There _have_ to be some 'non-showplace' walls, somewhere -- Closets? 2nd floor laundry room? How does the _plumbing_ get up to 2nd floor? is there access hatch for the tub? How about the stack for the furnace and/or water heater. If all else fails, how about _plenum-rated_ cable, _in_ the heat/AC ductwork? >Doesn't exist. Sorry. Didn't think so, but that'd be a slick little box to have available. >'Creativity' is called for. There _have_ to be some 'non-showplace' >walls, somewhere -- Closets? 2nd floor laundry room? Not really. Evidently the 1st owner was some sort of artsy-fartsy designer and the whole place looks like a museum. I normaly don't care for this look, but it actually does look very nice. At this point, I'm pitching a new run from the entry point in the garage, through the garage ceiling and straight up into the wall.. Lots of drywall cuts, but the garage isn't "fancy". Homeowner is "concerned" about the cost. ($800k house and he's worried about $350.. sheesh..) >How does the _plumbing_ get up to 2nd floor? is there access hatch >for the tub? No access hatches for the tub upstairs, Plumbing apparently is buried in the common wall between kitchen and family room and of course, this is a wall with fancy wallpaper on the living room side and is covered in cabinets on the other. >How about the stack for the furnace and/or water heater. Furnaces are in the attic space. Only enough room up there for servicing the units. Everyting else is sheer paneled trusses or just very very low. >If all else fails, how about _plenum-rated_ cable, _in_ the heat/AC >ductwork? I'm actually leaning that way to tell you the truth.. I'm pretty sure I could feed a fiberglass fish tape through the flexible ducting.. .... > At this point, I'm pitching a new run from the entry point in the > garage, through the garage ceiling and straight up into the wall.. > Lots of drywall cuts, but the garage isn't "fancy". Homeowner is > "concerned" about the cost. ($800k house and he's worried about > $350.. sheesh..) More likely, he's worried that $350 becomes $1000. And having money to pay that forever mortgage on the $800k house. >>How does the _plumbing_ get up to 2nd floor? is there access hatch >>for the tub? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > is a wall with fancy wallpaper on the living room side and is covered > in cabinets on the other. ... cabinets come off.... >>How about the stack for the furnace and/or water heater. > > Furnaces are in the attic space. Only enough room up there for > servicing the units. Everyting else is sheer paneled trusses or just > very very low. >>If all else fails, how about _plenum-rated_ cable, _in_ the heat/AC >>ductwork? > I'm actually leaning that way to tell you the truth.. I'm pretty sure > I could feed a fiberglass fish tape through the flexible ducting.. Excessively illegal. Fire runs up wires in ductwork. They frown on it. A lot. My dad's in an 1850's victorian. Got that fancy "cable" stuff in the early 80s. Ran it into the basement and up through the floor in the living room (fine). Upstairs we ran it outside the house and, for a long time, in through a window with a 1/4" hole at the bottom of the sill. Eventually, a little remodel opened a wall and gave us the chance to throw wires down to the basement. Outside trumps ductwork. (NEC trumps ductwork). >.... >> At this point, I'm pitching a new run from the entry point in the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >More likely, he's worried that $350 becomes $1000. >And having money to pay that forever mortgage on the $800k house. The mortgage isn't my problem. :) I'd be willing to bet the 1st part is probably fairly accurate though. > Furnaces are in the attic space. Only enough room up there for > servicing the units. Everyting else is sheer paneled trusses or just [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I'm actually leaning that way to tell you the truth.. I'm pretty sure > I could feed a fiberglass fish tape through the flexible ducting.. Do not run anything inside the ducts. It violates code. It's often possible, however, to run something /along side/ a duct. Thus using a stiff fiberglas rod (with screw-on extensions) is often a handy trick. Push up 3 ft, screw on extension, push another 3tf, etc, repeat. Likewise for running across ceiling/attic/crawl spaces. if you can transmit wireless video to the tv up stairs why can't you use an RF remote (i.e. hometheater master or RTI) to control the cable box down stairs? > I've got a customer who just moved into a new house. Lots of > expensive wallcovering and hand painted murals. (actually kinda cool) [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to the other set-top box and still retain the digital signal and not > affect the cable modem? >if you can transmit wireless video to the tv up stairs why can't you use an >RF remote (i.e. hometheater master or RTI) to control the cable box down >stairs? That's the solution I pitched over the weekend. Split the cable at the working location downstairs, install bothc able boxes there. Wireless IR repeater for remote control to the upstairs box, wireless XCVR to shoot 2 channels of sound and the video upstairs. Not quite $300 in hardware and about an hour of my time.. (I hope) Is there carpeting? How about baseboards? Pull the baseboards, dig a groove behind them and run the wire in it. Otherwise sneak it along the side under the carpet. Run it down from a nearby closet. Modulators are only analog. You can't wirelessly send the digital cable signal anywhere. The only thing you could do wirelessly is use one of those 2.4gHz wireless video senders. Trouble is the quality of signal is crappy. Look for 'nearby' alternatives that can be 'fished' and run from them. Drill a hole through the outside wall and down to the basement or other nearby location. Or run inside the floor joists. There are undoubtedly any number of clever ways to run cables. -Bill Kearney > There are undoubtedly any number of clever ways > to run cables. Sometimes it is necessary to run cables from the second floor down to the basement or crawl space. One ancient technique requires removing the baseboard at each level. Cut a small hole at a 45º angle into the base of the wall behind the baseboard on the second floor. Shove an electrician's snake into the hole until it reaches the bottom of the first floor wall cavity. Pull the baseboard on the first floor and repeat. You can now pull a cable from the basement to the second floor. Drop a pull wire from the device location to there and pull the cable the rest of the way up. Be sure to pull an extra foot or two and leave it in the wall to facilitate hookup and future service. Another method I've used for many years works just as well. Cut a hole for a retrofit box or caddy fastener in the second floor wall. Reach into the hole with a 1/2" D'Versi bit (ordinary wood boring bit welded onto a springy steel shaft) and drill through the base of the wall to the wall cavity below. Withdraw the bit and push an electrician's tape into the hole. This usually takes a minute or two to find the hole if it's an insulated wall. If it's an interior (empty) wall you can make your job easier by taping a dental mirror to a pocket mag light to view inside the wall while you fish. Install a phone jack or anything else you can convince your wife is needed in the wall cavity below and use the hole to repeat the procedure. I did this when I was rewiring a 1929 Cape style home in CT many years ago. The house came with 30-Amp service (old buss fuses). There wasn't a single grounded outlet in the house. All the wiring was knob and tube. I upgraded to 200-Amp service, added a generator with transfer switch, e-panel, etc. The hardest part was dealing with plaster walls. The stuff likes to crack if you're not careful. I've installed lots of security, HA and A/V systems over the years but my own house was one of the more challenging because we had so many different services to install and the house was so outdated. I have a lot of helpful (IMO) tips on installing systems in existing homes in my FAQ website (URL below). Feel free to browse. Alarm and Home Automation System FAQ http://www.bass-home.com/faq/masterfaq/faq.htm Regards, Robert =============================> Bass Home Electronics 2291 Pine View Circle Sarasota · Florida · 34231 877-722-8900 Sales & Tech Support 941-925-9747 Fax 941-232-0791 Wireless Nextel Private ID - 161*21755*1 http://www.bass-home.com http://www.bassburglaralarms.com =============================> >> There are undoubtedly any number of clever ways >> to run cables. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >snake into the hole until it reaches the bottom of the first floor wall >cavity. >Pull the baseboard on the first floor and repeat. You can now pull a cable >from the basement to the second floor. Drop a pull wire from the device >location to there and pull the cable the rest of the way up. Be sure to >pull an extra foot or two and leave it in the wall to facilitate hookup and >future service. No such thing as basements here in So CA. Crawlspaces are only in very old homes. The problem is the newer homes out here have truss-built roofs and they're sheer paneled all over the place in the attic. The only holes are for ducting. I've done homes in the past (including mine) where I've pulled ducting out, done my cabling and reinstalled the ducting. This particular home I can't do that. I doubt even my smallest guy would fit up in there even if we were able to remove some of the ducting. >Another method I've used for many years works just as well. Cut a hole for >a retrofit box or caddy fastener in the second floor wall. Reach into the >hole with a 1/2" D'Versi bit (ordinary wood boring bit welded onto a springy >steel shaft) and drill through the base of the wall to the wall cavity >below. Drilling down through walls is not an issue. I have a nice selection of long flexible bits and various and equally flexible extensions. Getting to places where I can drill is the issue. >Withdraw the bit and push an electrician's tape into the hole. This usually >takes a minute or two to find the hole if it's an insulated wall. If it's [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >own house was one of the more challenging because we had so many different >services to install and the house was so outdated. As have I, both commercial and residential (I did my current house before we moved in back in 2002) If it weren't for the fancy wallpaper and this darned mural, I could have knocked it out in a couple hours, patched drywall and all.. I had to cut several dozen holes in the drywall here to get lighting/AV/Secuity and network cable installed and you can't tell where any of them were (since I repainted the whole house when I was done.) >I have a lot of helpful (IMO) tips on installing systems in existing homes >in my FAQ website (URL below). Feel free to browse. > >Alarm and Home Automation System FAQ >http://www.bass-home.com/faq/masterfaq/faq.htm I'll have a look, but at this point, unles I can train my 7 year old to drill down through walls, I'm kind of at the mercy of the house. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.