RF signal over Cat5e network - ie TV over network links

Hi all,

Anyone have any experience or links on howto carry an RF signal over a
Cat5 network cable?

Looking to split a single RF signal and then carry the signal out to 4
different cables and then into the TV's in different rooms. I can't
afford a $2000+ off the shelf solution so looking for something 'home
grown' with maybe $200 or under worth of equipment.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Hank.

 

So you want something like these?
http://www.lashen.com/vendors/intelix/AV-Cat5.asp

Maybe Dick Smith has something suitable.

 

The conventional way to distribute CATV RF signal is to use a
distribution amp and RG6 coax cable, that would probably be the cheapest
option.

You can send video and audio over cat 5 with baluns available from
jaycar and various network equipment suppliers.

CATV on CAT5 baluns are available
http://www.muxlab.com/products/ve_catv_ii_balun.html

http://www.hometech.com/video/rf.html

$US60 each though and you need a pair for each signal path

You could experiment with a distribution amp and pair of regular 75/300
coax > ribbon antenna baluns and tell us how you get on.

 

This is a BIG NO..

If you can get under the house just do it with coax cable and "F "connectors this it the only way,
plus you will need RF booster to handle the splitter loses, 6db per split.

 

This is a BIG NO..

If you can get under the house just do it with coax cable and "F "connectors this it the only way,
plus you will need RF booster to handle the splitter loses, 6db per split.



My system consists of a Mast Head Amp and using RG6 cable fed into a 5 way F connector splitter use
RG6 cable to each room, with F connecter sockets..

I work in this trade to I do know what I am doing..

 

VHF should be fine, since the cables are good to 350 Mhz, I would
initially try just whacking some baluns on each end and seeing what
comes out the other end. UHF will be pushing it since that goes all the
way up to 800's of Mhz

 

Depends what the OP wants to distribute, if its just the ch3/4 RF out
from an old VCR or other old modulator, then it _will_ work fine on
cat5e cables with just a cheap balun at each end of it. If he is wanting
to send the entire RF band, then no, it will most likly not work.

Its hard finding antenna installers that know what they are doing. I was
in serious need of getting the channels here equalised before putting
into the distribution amp and a few I called had no idea what I was
talking about. In the end I gave up calling and just whacked a fixed
tilt compensator on the UHF and a 6dB attenuator on the VHF and it
worked sweet as removing all the cross channel interference.

 

Do not use antenna installers as they are mostly copyboys use a TV tech that does antenna
insulations.


Plenty of RF repeaters for that use no cables will do that..

 

you'll need a balun.

-----

if those TVs are monitors (have AV inputs) use off-the-shelf video baluns.
ig not get some old VCRs and use them to convert AV to RF and use the same
video baluns.

you can get them from jaycar for ~$100 if you've got a trade account
somewhere that deals in video or security equipment you can probably ge them
for less...

you'll need one on each end of each run so 8 off the shelf will do less than
half the damage you feared.

-----

There may be a way to put the RF signal through a cat5 cable....
going past 100 MHz may no work too well, but you could have success
in the VL band...

Cat 5 is 100 ohms, regular tv coax is 75 ohms and regular TV baluns
are 300 ohms so that's not going to do it by itself.

You need a 75 to 100 ohms balun.
this means a turns ratio of sqrt(75/100)
7:8 is close-enough to that.

You'll have to wind it on a ferrite that's good for upto 100Mhz
and you'll need one at each end of each run
and you'll need to feed it from a VHF-L RF source... (like an old VCR, new
ones seem to do UHF on the RF out)

I reckon you could do the balun on regular TV antenna balun cores
but because of the extra turns you'll need to use thin wire and
might need to stack them up to stop them from saturating.

(jaycar part LF1220 I'd use a stack use a stack of 4 at each end
and for the wire WW-4012 (jaycar.co.nz))

you could build a pair for under $20 (not including plugs etc)
if it works acceptably build three more pairs and get an RF splitter or
distribution amplifier, any change from $200 you can send my way.

-----

good luck.

Jasen

 

About 10 years ago I was using telephone cable to get the ch3 output
from an analog sky box to my room from the lounge tv, worked fine, and
phone cables not rated anywhere near what cat5e is. You may be surprised
what works when it really shouldnt.

 

What a utter Stupid way to do this, why not use the real thing, like coax and a "F" splitter box,
very simple and Cheap..

 

Technically you may be correct about the most economical way to do
this, but do you have to be so rude about it?

also have you ever considered that the original poster may just have
cat5 in place and no ability to install coax?

 

The more you say that, the less convincing it sounds...

 

Why?

 

WOGER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!1

 

Why post if you done not have any thing better to suggest..

Plus Plus Cat5 is just not suitable, wrong impedance and high loose.

 

That's why you use a balun dummy.

and high loose.

You what ?

I hope married life is treating you well.

Sadly, Roger is probably right. For a $200 budget a conventional coax solution
is probably the best option. Having the CAT5 in place as a draw wire is a major
advantage.

CAT5 could be made to work, but you can't go and buy a 1 into 4 CAT5 splitter.
CAT5 is generally not shielded and thus interference is more likely even with
the common mode advantage.

 

And the Reason for this Empty Post is..?

 

If you don't know go to a School and find out, its so simple..

 

What crap have you posted it seems that you have nothing at all to offer..