cable TV in the shop

[Tbucit]

I am getting ready to insulate the shop and then go for the sheetrock. This means a very long list of things to do for the future. I am stubbing in the plumbing (I don't have water yet) putting up dead wood, foam cracks, and the list goes on. One thing that I would like to have ready is a possible cable connection. First the least expensive option would be connecting to the house. This would mean running a cable about 300 feet to the shop. The inside cable would need to be run toward the front of the shop. Or just plan for a dish and then run the cable toward the rear of the shop. So the question how far a cable can be run and still have a good picture. I have googled this and they talk of several different cables and boosters. I would prefer if someone has any personal experience.
Thanks
Randall
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47100&highlight=tbucit

 

[SMLDONZI]

I've got probably at least 200 feet of RG-6 buried in conduit going out to my garage with no issues. I don't have HD out there but the picture quality is fine.

 

[Sunstealer73]

Run quad shield RG6 and make sure it is full copper, not tin with copper coating. You might need an amplifier, but I would try without it first.

 

[RonBou]

Mine is buried and is about a 150 foot run. HD works fine in the garage. The newer RG 6 cable is much better on the longer runs than it's predecessor and I believe is required for digital service.

 

[Tbucit]

Thanks guys one quick question did any of you hook up to an existing house connection or was a new line ran?
Thanks
Randall
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ghlight=tbucit

 

[Plump]

My run isn't all that long but I do have a booster in the house just on the line to the garage. I have cable internet and it screws with that when I had it hooked up to the whole house (and not just the extra garage line). By only connecting it for the main line into the garage and the five TV's out there, everything works marvelously.

 

[jeffmoss26]

RG6 is good for around 150 feet. Anything more and you would want RG11.
Cable modems should go right off the main drop, if you put a 2 way in, one leg goes to the modem and the other leg goes to a larger splitter for TVs or an amp.

 

[mikeyr]

plan your network as well, when you run your cable include your net cable. At 300ft. its too far for wireless without hassles of antenna's etc. so run a net cable out there and be done with it, if you insist on wireless you can put a wireless hub in the garage connected to a nice reliable plug and have faster wireless.

I also ran a telephone line even though I did not plan on having a telephone and I knew we would likely go without a land line at all in the house, its cheap and easy to do now.

I put in a RJ-45 net connection at each corner near the floor and one at the ceiling in each corner, along with a cable tv connection in each corner near the ceiling. Many tv's now take a net connection so I ran one up to the ceiling with the cable thinking (correctly) that my TV would be bolted to the wall up high and out of the way.

I also ran some speaker wires to each corner and and left them in a box, they are still unused but I will likely use them someday.

 

[racer8432955]

I've got probably at least 200 feet of RG-6 buried in conduit going out to my garage with no issues. I don't have HD out there but the picture quality is fine.

I'm at about the same situation as this gentleman mentioned. My picture, while not perfect good. I don't go out there to watch tv, more so to keep me company, or casually watch the race or game. BTW, I used the cheapest rg6 i could get my hands on.

 

[planecrazy29]

@ 300 ft, you need RG-11 at minimum. You could also just ran cat 5 or 6 and use a sling box. If it were me, I'd run both.

RG-11 has a loss of 4db per 100'. 300' = 12db of loss. I would plan on using a drop amplifier at that distance, preferrably one that has 9 to 12 db of gain to overcome the cable loss. No bigger than 12 though. Make sure that the amp is rated 55-1000mhz +** db gain and 5-42 mhz 0 db gain. It will keep your local cable ppl happy.

Also, keep in mind that the cable industry is going through a transformation at the moment. Before too long, it will move to an all digital platform meaning that low signal will no longer cause fuzzy pictures. You will get no picture at all.

Feel free to PM me or post here if you have any questions. I've been in the cable industry for 12 years and have intimate knowledge of how it works

 

[jeffmoss26]

yikes, that is a lot of signal loss!

 

[Stuntmonkey]

I would run RG11 and at least 3 runs of Cat6.

Up here in Canada we have a digital HD TV over phone lines and running the Cat 6 is good because you can have wired network on one, phone/digital tv and a spare for when things get changed up.

If you're like me with using laptop around the shop and inside the house, its always good to extend you home wireless network via another router plugged into the wired network. Or just create your own garage wifi.

 

[colo crawler]

Most cable providers will supply you an amplifier for about 25$. Your best bet is to call them and have a tech come out and let you know what needs to be done. I have work in the cable industry for 7 years and have done many shop installs. I always recomend to have pro come and take a look. But plan on a underground drop run through conduit and a drop amp. But plan this before you have a driveway poured, it will make it easier to bury before than after.

-Tom

 

[NUTTSGT]

We have an amplifier in the basement. The line for the garage comes out of the amp. It's probably 125 feet out tothe garage the way the cable is run. It was run in the same trench when I trenched for the downspout tile, which was also taken out to the garage for the water line.

Yep, I trenched one time, cable, water line and a drain tile all done at once. Yard was a mess for a while.

 

[Agent1320]

Don't do it. You won't ever get any work done.

 

[Nor*Cal]

I agree with those above who have suggested running network cables. I just ran cat5e and RG6 into my garage.

 

[Brentocool]

inline booster!

 

[Tbucit]

Well now I think I have all the information that I needed. But that brings up this. What about running cat 5 or 6 line from the the shop to a junction box on the outside of the building and when I can connect to the cable everything on the inside should work, I think....
Planecrazy What is a sling box?
Agent I know your right but I expect to grow old in this shop
Thanks everyone
Randall

 

[NUTTSGT]

I ran my cable well inside the garage. It runs under the foundation (following the water line), beneath the concrete floor and up inside a wall into the attic. It ends at this and is connected to a splitter.

 

[gbrett]

I am a system tech at a cable company we run a 750 mhz system and 300 to 400 foot is our max drop length for RG11 we are designed for 15 db out of the tap. You will need at least RG11 and probably an inline amplifier. The loss at 1000 mhz will be about 5db per 100 ft but only 1 db at 55 mhz (ch 2). You can get and amplifier from radio shack if the cable company won't supply you with one your cable company will most likely give you the wire for your ditch and the inside wire for your shop.

 

[Provincial]

I highly advise running PVC conduit everywhere you are running CATV, network, or phone. That way when technology changes, you can keep up without tearing everything apart. PVC is cheap, and conduit seems to be priced cheaper than water pipe.

 

[Kevin54]

You can run it that far but what happens is that it will weaken the signal not only out to your garage, but it weakens the signal inside the house also. I know that I have run multiple cable lines over the years in my house and I had to get a booster for my big screen in our house due to signal drop. Yhat you want to do is get a good cable, not the cheapest that you can find. The best thing to do is talk to one of your cable installers and see what they recommend for you. They might sell you their cable at a decent price or even run it for you. I have Time Warner and the installers that have been here were great to work with. They had to run some new cable in my crawlspace to my big screen, upgraded some other cable lines, and was here maybe three hours or a little longer and didn't charge me anything. These days, the cable companies want to do all they can for customers so they don't switch over to Dish.

It doesn't cost anything but a couple of minutes of your time to give them a call.

 

[brownbagg]

just run the conduit for the cable now, and worry about the cable later. that way with conduit you can upgrade years from now