How to choose the right TV cable

[CSParnell]

So your in need for a TV cable and your heading into your local Bunnings to pick one up but before you grab your keys there's a few things that a worth looking at before hitting the wall of cable.

Not all black and white cables are the same, first off there are 2 main connections 1. PAL 2. F Type.

PAL is the type that plug into the back of your TV and some wall socket it can be easily identified by not having a spinning nut on the end whereas F Type has a spinning nut.

Below is a PAL cable.

 

Whereas below is a F Type cable.

 

F Type connections can be found at TV splitters, boosters, HD boxes, wall plates and generally behind the plate throught to the antenna.

So what if you require PAL and F Type in the same cable? Well there are cables available that are just that with mixed ends, and there are also an array of converters available if yoi need to change one end or even create a right angle for tight spaces.

Below is a mixed end cable example.

 Where below is an example of one of the many converters.

And below in an example of the 2 types of connections you will find on a wall plate PAL female and F Type male.

Also a distribution amplifier showing F Type male connections as per below.

 

So now you have some knowledge it's best to type yourself a check list.

What type of cable eg, PAL to F Type?

What length cable?

Do you need one end right angle?

Do you want black or white if possible?

Hope that helps some of you all with identifying what type of cables you require for your TV and makes your experience shopping that much better 

Carl

[EricL]

Hi @CSParnell

Thank you for the TV cable information, despite the proliferation of wireless technology some things still need to be wired up.

Eric

[CSParnell]

Maybe one day soon it will run on 6G signal 😉

[Noyade]

I was looking at a TV aerial earlier this year at Bunnings, but purely (initially) to improve FM reception. I had a look around and then noticed this in the specification tables (seen below) Does it mean it won't receive FM or the connections don't support it - or both?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/antsig-vhf-uhf-outdoor-antenna-kit_p0280355

[MitchellMc]

I'll need to call in @CSParnell's help on this one. Our entire range specifies that they are not FM capable apart from the caravan antennae. However, several in the range are capable of DAB+ digital radio, including the Metro Fringe, Metro Prime, and Medium Metro. Did you want to use it as an external antenna for a radio or to pick up FM stations on your TV?

I'll have to look into this further after the weekend if @CSParnell can't help us out. 

Mitchell

[Noyade]

Hi again @MitchellMc 

"Did you want to use it as an external antenna for a radio."

Yes. I created a sorta Faraday cage I think with a lotta steel and corrugated iron in the vicinity.

I'll cut the story short.

I didn't know (but assumed it would).

The Bunnings staff member didn't know.

Bunnings Feedback didn't know.

I rang ANTSIG - they didn't know.

But they suggested emailing their Research and Development Unit.

I did that but never heard back.

Jaycar didn't know but felt an external aerial "should" help.

In the end I just bought the aerial .

It seems to work well.

Or maybe it only works because the transmitter aerial is 2 km away?

So I'm just wondering where the "No" comes from?

[MitchellMc]

I'll give Antsig a call after the weekend to see if I can get you an answer. It's potentially an error in the product's specifications; if so, we'll fix it.

Mitchell

[Noyade]

You're a good man @MitchellMc 😁

[CSParnell]

Sounds like you've done the R&D for them. Sometimes it's hard unless they have been given specific set conditions and parameters to work under they tend not to go outside those boundaries for testing. 

At my last company I worked for when I was developing setting up solar analysis I had a fair bit to do with our sister companies that were purely testing analysis and it was very much that set conditions test to that don't go outside it because it's not written into the budget for that project.

It didn't stop us dreaming up some pretty cool stuff but it never came to reality much due to funding.

[Noyade]

Thanks @CSParnell 

So I may have just got lucky with the improved FM reception?

I eventually did put a splitter in for TV reception as well. I embarrassed myself at Jaycar thinking the inputs were the same - but they're not. In the end I had to buy an additional cable.

It's great that the Bunnings/ANTSIG kit comes with 15 metres of coaxial. A lot of them don't supply any cable.

Telly

FM plug