TV aerial cable query - advice sought

[glasgowcyclist]

What's the technical name for the threaded connector (male) on the end of a BSkyB aerial cable? I want to convert it to a standard push-fit RF connector for plugging into a televison to get terrestrial programmes and don't want to order the wrong thing.

 

[stephec]

It's a Sky cable thingy, or is a doodah?

 

[Milkfloat]

You mean an F-Connector. However, I am not sure how you are going to get this working. Unless you have a decoder in your TV, connecting a satellite signal will not get you a signal.

 

[Pale Rider]

Various male/female F/RF adapters are available from the likes of Maplins.

The F plug uses the unusual 11mm spanner size, not that you need a spanner to tighten one.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/metal-coax-plug-to-f-plug-adapter-qq71n

 

[glasgowcyclist]

You mean an F-Connector. However, I am not sure how you are going to get this working. Unless you have a decoder in your TV, connecting a satellite signal will not get you a signal.

There is what looks like a standard aerial on the roof, with a twin cable marked BSkyB that finishes in the living room and has two threaded connectors. Since it's not a satellite dish I thought it would be worth a bash.

 

[raleighnut]

Sounds more like someone took the satellite dish when they moved.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Sounds more like someone took the satellite dish when they moved.

And bothered to fit what appears to be a new aerial and connect the cabling to it?

 

[raleighnut]

And bothered to fit what appears to be a new aerial and connect the cabling to it?

1 line may well be from the aerial the other would be from a dish IMO (the clue is in the BSkyB) unless someone 'nicked' a bunch of cabling from them.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

1 line may well be from the aerial the other would be from a dish IMO (the clue is in the BSkyB) unless someone 'nicked' a bunch of cabling from them.

I see, thanks.

I've found the plug I need and it's only a few bob so I'll try it and see how it goes. Answer to a similar question on DigitalSpy forum suggests it'll work:

"yes ! no problem.

the sky cable is "satellite grade", ie can "carry" signals in frequency range 1-2 GHz, which is what a sat antenna outputs. Whereas, the inferior grade cable often used for for aerial cannot carry such signals, and is limited to lower frequencies 400 - 900 MHz used for terrestrial broadcasting. But both cables are more or less the same, if used with tv aerial.

Both have the same characteristic impedence, 75 ohms."​

 

[classic33]

Various male/female F/RF adapters are available from the likes of Maplins.

The F plug uses the unusual 11mm spanner size, not that you need a spanner to tighten one.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/metal-coax-plug-to-f-plug-adapter-qq71n

The one in my pocket takes a 10mm!

 

[Milkfloat]

I would be surprised to see two cables from an antenna terminating together behind one TV. I think it is more likely that it is the pair from the satellite dish.

As a test, you could easily just bodge and connect up without a proper connector.

 

[dodgy]

Twin cable, or 'shotgun' as some call it, suggests it's satellite cable and carrying the signals from the horizontally and vertically polarised LNBs in a satellite dish.

Not perfect, but adequate to use as regular TV antenna cable.

 

[the_mikey]

Search F-connector to Belling Lee , just be mindful of the gender of the connectors you need. There's no guarantee those cables are connected to an aerial however.

 

[bruce1530]

Twin cable, or 'shotgun' as some call it, suggests it's satellite cable and carrying the signals from the horizontally and vertically polarised LNBs in a satellite dish

Close, but not completely true. In a domestic install the shotgun cable will connect to a twin (or quad or occasionally more) LNB, and rack is switched to either H or V polarisation, and Lo or Hi band, independently by the receiver unit. It's 2 independent Lnbs in the one unit.

In a commercial install, e.g. Block of flats, there will be 4 cables for the 4 combinations (lv,hv,lh,hh) which then feed multi switches and can serve any number of outlets from 1 dish.

Not perfect, but adequate to use as regular TV antenna cable.

More than adequate... it's better than standard aerial cable

 

[dodgy]

Close, but not completely true. In a domestic install the shotgun cable will connect to a twin (or quad or occasionally more) LNB, and rack is switched to either H or V polarisation, and Lo or Hi band, independently by the receiver unit. It's 2 independent Lnbs in the one unit.

In a commercial install, e.g. Block of flats, there will be 4 cables for the 4 combinations (lv,hv,lh,hh) which then feed multi switches and can serve any number of outlets from 1 dish.



More than adequate... it's better than standard aerial cable

Shows how out of date I am, used to run an aerial rigging company (very much a fledgling operation) back in the early 80s, changed jobs just as the satellite TV revolution hit and missed out on making a few quid!