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

[CSParnell]

Hey @Noyade without testing with signal strength meters it's hard to tell you would have need to take a reading pre and post any changes. Unfortunately capturing hard data is the only true measurement.

With your Telly that's a standard PAL male and your FM that just looks like a standard PAL female.

[MitchellMc]

@Noyade,

It appears that the range is marked not FM capable as there is potential that not all FM signals are picked up. Some could be outside these aerials capabilities, and it looks like the supplier is erring on the side of caution and marking them as not FM capable to avoid disappointment.

It looks like you've had a win with your one.

Mitchell

[Noyade]

Thanks very much @MitchellMc for doing that. 👍

You got a better answer than I got.

I'll take any win I can with life.

[MikeTNZ]

Hi @Noyade,

What you need for FM radio is a dedicated FM aerial, you can buy these from decent aerial manufacturers.

Using a TV aerial cut for VHF and UHF frequencies is always going to be a compromise and it will work poorly.

Inherently, FM aerials are of the Yagi type, with 3 or more elements (ie one reflector, one driven element (where the coaxial cable connects) and any number of directors toward the front of the aerial).

The aerial you buy will depend upon how far you are away from the transmitter, try and buy the highest gain aerial you can, install it with low loss coaxial cable using decent connectors.

If you need any further advice, by all means, let me know, I'm an Amateur radio operator in my spare time.

Cheers,

Mike T.

[MikeTNZ]

Hi @Noyade,

Don't use Belling-Lee connectors like in your pictures, always use F-type splitters, every extra connector you use has an insertion loss of about 0.3 dB

this is 12% of your total field strength (signal level) at the aerial, irregardless of wether it is amplified or not.

Always fit F-connectors to coaxial cable, all of your cables should be RG-6 and they all use the same connectors, same size.

Don't mess about with RG-59 cable it is thinner and has a lot higher losses than RG-6, it also requires different connectors, it isn't even worth worrying about, I stop using it in the late 90's.

If you require any further help/advice, by all means, let me know.

Cheers,

Mike T.

[CSParnell]

Thanks for your input @MikeTNZ, it comes down to what is required by the equipment not all devices accept F Type so PAL is required. 

Yes behind the plate 100% F Type and RG6 is preferable RG6 Quad Sheild is best but if a short run is required and RG6 connectors are not available and RG59 is the loss would be minimal. It all comes down to the design of the installation.

Carl

[Noyade]

Well it was a misty murky morning when I got onto the roof and stood next to the antenna. The transmission tower, in the distance, has to be no more than 1,500 metres away - probably why I got lucky.

Perfect FM reception.

Perfect TV reception.

I'm not gonna change a thing.

But thanks anyway.

[MikeTNZ]

Hi @CSParnell,

Carl,

I totally get what you're saying, of course you have to work with what you've got.

I did a 1 year sojourn as an installer for SkyTV over here back when it was based on a terrestrial platform only (before Satellite came to be a thing).

It was company policy that any installer remove all RG-59 from the building before installing new RG-6, as a radio ham, this made no sense at all, but you have to follow the rules.

I left after a year, installing cabling and antennas to make a dollar on each install, was soul-destroying, I swore I would never work like that again.

Cheers,

Mike T.