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Long Coax Needed

tico1874
On our wavelength

Recently moved into a new house. We have Virgin TV via TiVo box in the front room. We’d like to have Virgin TV in the kitchen (at the back of the house) via another box.   

Engineer came today to install multiroom, but says it’s not possible without basically laying a coax cable through the house which isn’t possible given the layout of the downstairs. 

Instead, he suggested running an additional coax cable up the front of the house from the point outside where it enters the front room, over the roof, down the back and then in through the kitchen to the TV at the back of the house. 

Question is - how do we get a length of coax long enough for the job? Do Virgin supply cable of this length (my estimate is that the house is 15m long and at least 10m high, so maybe it would need a 30m cable?)?

Has anyone tried this approach before? Could it work?!

Thoughts and help appreciated!

7 REPLIES 7

jem101
Superstar

It should theoretically work (although getting the power levels right with such an extra length might be a challenge) but there is a massive problem. You can't do this yourself and VM won't do it (despite what the engineer said who probably just said that to be able to get away early). Even if you managed to find the right cable and run it, VM will refuse (or at least they should) to use anything not supplied and fitted by them - otherwise there can be a messy liability issue when and if something goes wrong, and the VM engineers won't generally work above first floor level.

Are you sure there's no way to run the cable at ground level around the house.

Richw1982
Rising star

The way I would usually go is either around the outside of the house low down or up into the loft accross and out the other side and down into the kitchen.  Loss over 30meters of RG6 would be around 1-1.8db  loss per 10meters so 3 - 5.4db loss.  So if you have Hub and TV in front room with a splitter, the signal should be the same in  the kitchen as you would not have the 4db loss on that leg but you would loose the same amount over the distance of the cable. (if that makes sense)

I work for VMO2 but all opinions are my own and are based on my own experiences

tico1874
On our wavelength

Yes, the Virgin engineer told us that Virgin won't do it. He suggested getting a builder to feed the cable over the building, and then we can get Virgin to complete the setup.

So Virgin wouldn't supply us with the cable?

What does 4-5db loss look like in reality? Would it massively reduce the quality? 

We can't go around as our road is terraced. 

Is there any point in us doing it?!

nodrogd
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

I would not be messing with DIY alterations on VMs network. At 30 metres you are looking at signal issues anyway. The nominal loss in the low frequency range is not bad as stated above, but VM uses frequencies up to 1000Mhz. Loss increases with frequency, so at 800Mhz where the TV signals are carried, the losses are 8dB+ for that length of cable.

Adding a long run can also unbalance an existing outlet on the drop line, so it could affect your other equipment.

Low signal results in pixelated video & spluttering sound, & if it goes below minimum you get nothing.

VM 350BB 2xV6 & Landline. Freeview/Freesat HD, ASDA/Tesco PAYG Mobile. Cable customer since 1993

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850 is where the OFDM block starts.  At 850MHz using RG6 the signal loss is 2db so 1000MHz loss is probably close to 2.5db.  If you could get hold of the tech and see if he could drop the cable round its worth doing.  As I said before even if you loose 4 db from 0db its still in spec..  If its just for TV it will be fine

 

 

I work for VMO2 but all opinions are my own and are based on my own experiences

As VM does not support the running of a cable over the roof the tech was quite wrong to suggest this. If the cable cannot be run through or around the house, then as suggested a route might be found through the loft, but you'd have to do the necessary drilling and installation of a pull rope.

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