The TS2004 actually has 6 to 8dB gain on each output. Taylors just can't be
bothered to alter the paperwork (this is true, I have it from the horse's
mouth).

I'm not interested in selling stuff on here, but rather than see anyone pay £25
for a TS2008 if you want one send me a cheque for £15 (including VAT and jiffy
bag and stamps) and I'll send you one.

They're beginning to seem a bit old fashioned now, using Belling plugs.

I really don't know how they turn 'em out at that price. They are really good.
They used to be about £23 and then about four years ago the price suddenly
dropped to £8.95. Immediately suspicious I bought some at the new price and
dismantled one expecting to see some horrible cheap bought-in insides, but
nothing had changed.

Incidentally, while I'm rambling on I'll tell you about Mike Rae. He is the
mastermind behind Taylor Bros. He is one of the few people in this country who
can talk sense about RF distribution systems, and he is immensely knowledgable
about all aspects of RF. A technical query to most manufacturers and importers
usually ends with me thinking, "Well, that was a waste of time, the bloke
doesn't know the first thing about the products he's selling" but not so with
Mike. He knows his products inside out, and so he should because he designed a
lot of them.

Having written the above, I must ask you not to ring Mike up with 'domestic'
type questions. He is ever so busy. Pester this newsgroup instead!

Bill

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:24:08 +0000, Paul Ratcliffe wrote:

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 11:28:07 +0000, David WE Roberts
wrote:

It's not necessarily expensive. For example, Taylor Bros. do one for £11.95.
I can't vouch for its quality, but with a decent input signal it ought to
do a reasonable job. It has 'only' 2dB of gain per output which is more
or less what you want from a DA, unlike those contraptions you get in
most DIY sheds.

Do you have an online source for these components?

http://www.taylorbros.co.uk/PDF%20PA...2-12%20WEB.pdf

Prices are VAT (and postage) exclusive.

http://www.powerstrip.co.uk/html/taylor_bros.html is under construction,
but the Google blurb is roughly
"TS2004. 4 way UHF Amp. 470-860. 2dB. 22dBmV. 2db. £27.57. TS2008.
8 way UHF Amp. 470-860. 2dB. 22dBmV. 2db. £36.78."
which is a bit more than £11.95.

Don't know what all this is - Google's cache gave me the same page as the
live site.

This is probably the markup Powerstrip put on the Taylor Bros. product.

Thanks for the link - I am slowly getting there :-)

Next step is the ordering and waiting for the deliveries.

Just hope the weather improves a bit for when I am up on the roof!

Cheers

Dave R

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 19:24:44 +0000, Bill wrote:

The TS2004 actually has 6 to 8dB gain on each output. Taylors just can't be
bothered to alter the paperwork (this is true, I have it from the horse's
mouth).

I'm not interested in selling stuff on here, but rather than see anyone pay £25
for a TS2008 if you want one send me a cheque for £15 (including VAT and jiffy
bag and stamps) and I'll send you one.
snip
Having written the above, I must ask you not to ring Mike up with 'domestic'
type questions. He is ever so busy. Pester this newsgroup instead!

Bill

Many thanks for the kind offer.

I think I am O.K. because another poster has pointed me to the correct
part of the web site.

If there are any major problems with lead time I may take you up on it,
but I will try and buy from the manufacturer and not bother you.

Pestering this news group is very productive - I may yet learn to install
a proper setup.

Cheers

Dave R

Just hope the weather improves a bit for when I am up on the roof!



If we don't hear anything we'll assume the worst.. .

Bill

"Bill" wrote in message
...
Question: if you have a distribution amp in the loft do you need a
masthead amp as well?


If you need a masthead amp then you need one to feed a distn. amp. That's
unless signal levels are only a little bit on the poor side, and you can
fit
the distn amp v. close to the aerial, and the distn. amp has a lot of gain
to
each port.
Distn. amps are best when given a decent signal level. They do generate
noise
after all.
snip

Just looking at masthead amps.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...66663&id=86641

This is a masthead amp with two downleads.

So this prompts yet another question :-)

Is it better to split the signal at the masthead into two, then have 2 * 4
port distribution amps, or is it better to stick with the 1 * 8 port amp?

This (I presume) depends of the difference in signal degradation from an 8
port amp and a 4 port amp offset against the loss (or noise gain) at the
masthead by splitting there.

Also, having one distribution amp on each side of the house would reduce the
length of the downleads by a loft width for half the house (although
requiring a longer downlead from the aerial to one of the distribution amps.

I am probably overthinking all this by now (note I haven't asked about the
colour the cable should be yet) but this is a "do once to last 10 or more
years" project.

Also, the amp from Screwfix is not a Maxview as recommended by Bill, so I am
not thinking of buying this specific one. It just raised the question of
splitting within the masthead amp.

In addition, a split at the masthead gives the option of a dedicated feed to
one location (e.g. PC) and then distribution of the other feed.

Cheers

Dave R

I suggest you fit a fully screened low noise low gain masthead amp with one
output, and feed an eight way distribution amp. The latter should be situated
reasonably centrally in the property. If you use two distribution amps you will
have problems adding in-house channels, and anyway it increases the chances of
something failing.

When did I recommend Maxview? I haven't got anything against them, but as it
happens I don't use their masthead amps. Their TETRA filters work very well by
the way.

Bill

David WE Roberts wrote in message .. .

Kind of goes against the plan of using 802.11b to avoid having to run
LAN cables everywhere.

We are also kitted out with DECT phones so don't need any phone wires.

If you're happy with a network much slower than the wired equivalent,
which won't neccessarily get along with DECT phones anyway, or indeed
microwave ovens...

"Alex Bird" wrote in message
om...
David WE Roberts wrote in message
.. .

Kind of goes against the plan of using 802.11b to avoid having to run
LAN cables everywhere.

We are also kitted out with DECT phones so don't need any phone wires.

If you're happy with a network much slower than the wired equivalent,
which won't neccessarily get along with DECT phones anyway, or indeed
microwave ovens...

The UK DECT phones use a different frequency from 802.11b.

It is the US DECT phones which can overlap.

Quite happy with the network performance, thank you.

[Although the microwave isn't browsing very well at the moment.]

The (well short of) 11Mb/sec from 802.11b will still outperform the 512k
available over broadband.

If I need high bandwidth between PCs I put them on the wired LAN in the
office - although I don't recall ever needing anywhere near 100 Mb/sec
between PCs.

Wireless networking in the home is pretty damn good - as are wireless
phones.

despairing rant
I sometimes wonder why people complain abut wireless networking "not being
as fast as....".
It is fast enough for the services I want to use over it, and far superior
to dial up or having to be wired up to a fixed point.
I can use my portable in the garden, or the kitchen (like now).
My next door neighbour is sharing my broadband link over wireless - and much
more easily than trying to wire his house up with a LAN connected to my
house.
Why would I want to wire my house up if I don't need to?
Wiring up a new distribution system for a new TV aerial is turning into a
major project (getting back on topic).
Using 802.11b involves plugging in a wireless router and a bit of
configuration - not running wires in walls, fitting wall plates, making up
leads, etc.
It is easy to implement, and quite fast enough for my needs.
Why would I NOT want to use it????
/despairing rant

Hmph!

Dave R

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I suggest you fit a fully screened low noise low gain masthead amp with
one
output, and feed an eight way distribution amp. The latter should be
situated
reasonably centrally in the property. If you use two distribution amps you
will
have problems adding in-house channels, and anyway it increases the
chances of
something failing.

When did I recommend Maxview? I haven't got anything against them, but as
it
happens I don't use their masthead amps. Their TETRA filters work very
well by
the way.

Bill

Try http://tinyurl.com/598d3 :-)

You did use the words "such as" so it wasn't a specific recommendation.

Cheers

Dave R

You did use the words "such as" so it wasn't a specific recommendation.

Cheers

Dave R

Yes, well that's how it felt. I'm aware that just because I mostly use Labgear
I shouldn't behave on here as if they are the only good amps, and since several
people I know rate the new Maxview products I thought it was reasonable to
mention them.

There is a general problem here. Although I try to keep an eye on new products
from manufacturers I don't often deal with (even buying and testing samples
sometimes) the common sense thing is to find products that do what they say on
the tin and stick with them for the appropriate applications. This has the
advantages of familiarity, easier stock control, and so on. So it's all to easy
to recommend one particular make because that's the one you happen to use.

Bill

Bill