Moving the cable jack

2514 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by KarenStein, Jun 21, 2016

edta1

Discussion Starter · Jun 3, 2016 (Edited)

Not sure where I should place this thread (here or electrical?) but here it goes.

In our new house we have a cable jack on the east wall of the living room. How do we move it to the west wall easily?

I'm trying to avoid cutting holes in the ceiling or ripping off carpet, etc. There is nothing connecting the west wall to the exterior walls. So I can't run a cable along the baseboards.

Is there a device where I can plug the cable jack in and broadcast to another jack on the opposite wall? What's it called? Anyone use one of these?

Thanks!

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

de-nagorg

· #2 · Jun 3, 2016

Call your cable company to move this.

In my area the cable company gets irate when anyone other than their technician touches their cable.

Most cable companies will rent you a WIRELESS connection also, to send the signal to another place in your home.

ED

hyunelan2

· #3 · Jun 3, 2016

If you don't want to drill holes yourself, call the cable company. They usually charge a small amount to install a new cable outlet/jack.

The way to do it is to go below (basement) or above (attic) the wall and drill directly through into the wall. Then fish a cable through the hole to the existing jack location and install a splitter. Now you have an active cable run. Find the wall you want your new jack, cut a hole for the jack location and again fish the wire from the basement/attic to the hole where you are installing the new outlet.

If you don't have access above or below the room, this project will be more complicated and you're probably best served by renting a wireless cable box.

edta1

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 3, 2016

hyunelan2 said:
If you don't want to drill holes yourself, call the cable company. They usually charge a small amount to install a new cable outlet/jack.

The way to do it is to go below (basement) or above (attic) the wall and drill directly through into the wall. Then fish a cable through the hole to the existing jack location and install a splitter. Now you have an active cable run. Find the wall you want your new jack, cut a hole for the jack location and again fish the wire from the basement/attic to the hole where you are installing the new outlet.

If you don't have access above or below the room, this project will be more complicated and you're probably best served by renting a wireless cable box.

YUP. And that's the problem. We are on a slab basement. So we can't go down. Upstairs is a bedroom, not an attic. Other option would be to pop holes in our living room ceiling and run a cable? That or go wireless.

We don't plan on getting cable TV. We want to use the traditional fishbone antennae.

Tizzer

· #5 · Jun 3, 2016

Around here, Comcast restrings coaxial cable along the outside of the home then bores a hole through. Charge a small fee I think. Most of the time they'll send a self- install kit that you do yourself.
Or you can install the wireless modem on the east wall and live with it.

KarenStein

· #6 · Jun 3, 2016

Just a thought .... but will "Chromecast" do this?

Chromecats is a $35 gizmo that lets your computer 'broadcast' to your TV. I get my internet through the cable company. So ... maybe the geeks have the answer.

I'd visit BestBuy and ask the folks there ...

hyunelan2

· #7 · Jun 9, 2016

edta1 said:
We don't plan on getting cable TV. We want to use the traditional fishbone antennae.

If you just need an antenna on the TV, put a single antenna behind the TV. There are plenty of hidden models out there. Don't even mess with running wires back to the main house antenna - unless you are extremely rural and need a SETI-sized array to get a signal.

edta1

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 9, 2016

hyunelan2 said:
If you just need an antenna on the TV, put a single antenna behind the TV. There are plenty of hidden models out there. Don't even mess with running wires back to the main house antenna - unless you are extremely rural and need a SETI-sized array to get a signal.

This might be an option. I just question how good they are. I don't think I've ever found one that picks up signals as well as the outdoor fishbone type.

I am in the suburb of Chicago. Not living in a high-rise downtown. Definitely a ways away from Willis Tower.

bondra76

· #9 · Jun 9, 2016

Do you have carpet or hardwood floors?

edta1

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 9, 2016

bondra76 said:
Do you have carpet or hardwood floors?

Its carpet.

KarenStein

· #11 · Jun 9, 2016

Fishbone antenna?

I thought all TV went digital in the 90's, so the old TV's and antennae became completely useless. Am I wrong?

"Digital" TV uses a different type of antenna. New TV's come 'digital ready.' More and more, the cable company is becoming a 'must' ... for cable, regular TV, internet access, and house phone as well.

"Dish TV" is basically cable by way of a satellite, while 'Quadravision" was a digital transmission of cable TV.

Personally? I stopped using ordinary TV -regular and cable- long ago. Whatever programming I want is available over the internet.

ktkelly

· #12 · Jun 10, 2016

This should do the job for you.

https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-...scsubtag=WC5518&linkCode=xm2&tag=thewire06-20

It's one of the top rated indoor antennas.

No, I have noting to do with that company, and it may not do the job, but in your situation, it might be the best route to try.

Since you're not going to get cable, the cable company would very doubfully be interested in "helping you out" in any manner. Besides, most do really bad work.

hyunelan2

· #13 · Jun 12, 2016

KarenStein said:
Fishbone antenna?

I thought all TV went digital in the 90's, so the old TV's and antennae became completely useless. Am I wrong?

"Digital" TV uses a different type of antenna. New TV's come 'digital ready.' More and more, the cable company is becoming a 'must' ... for cable, regular TV, internet access, and house phone as well.

"Dish TV" is basically cable by way of a satellite, while 'Quadravision" was a digital transmission of cable TV.

Personally? I stopped using ordinary TV -regular and cable- long ago. Whatever programming I want is available over the internet.

This is mostly incorrect. An antenna is an antenna. Being an "HDTV" antenna is mainly a marketing gimmick. What has changed is the technology to decode the signal, which is inside the TV. If you have a TV from 1995, no antenna is going to work for you, and you'll need a digital decoder.

I am about 45 miles outside of Chicago. I have a large antenna I put in the attic of the garage, which does no better than the small antenna I have for a distant TV. The big difference maker is to put a signal amplifier on the antenna. Most decent antennas come with this, otherwise you can purchase it separately. Those make a much bigger difference than a different antenna from my experience.

The "Moho Leaf" antenna is a very highly rated antenna, and comes designed for a variety of ranges from 30, 50, 60 miles IIRC.

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subbuilder

· #14 · Jun 20, 2016

hyunelan2 said:
This is mostly incorrect. An antenna is an antenna. Being an "HDTV" antenna is mainly a marketing gimmick. What has changed is the technology to decode the signal, which is inside the TV. If you have a TV from 1995, no antenna is going to work for you, and you'll need a digital decoder.

I am about 45 miles outside of Chicago. I have a large antenna I put in the attic of the garage, which does no better than the small antenna I have for a distant TV. The big difference maker is to put a signal amplifier on the antenna. Most decent antennas come with this, otherwise you can purchase it separately. Those make a much bigger difference than a different antenna from my experience.

The "Moho Leaf" antenna is a very highly rated antenna, and comes designed for a variety of ranges from 30, 50, 60 miles IIRC.

I couldn't agree more.....I dumped cable TV and now have a wire that splits into a "V" for an antenna and get about 30 channels. This works better than the "digital" antenna I bought (but I do use an amplifier)>

Sub

ddawg16

· #15 · Jun 20, 2016

as hyun correctly stated, digital, analog, HDTV...what ever....an antenna is an antenna. They have a specific frequency range they work in. If you have an old UHF/VHF antenna, it will work just fine. Though I would suggest upgrading your coax to RG6.

We have been using OTA for years. The wife and kids spend a whole lot less time parked in front of the TV watching garbage. If there is something we really want to watch, it's DVD, Redbox or Netflix.

Or, the boys and I get out the chess board and have a friendly game....though, they are not so friendly now. My 12 year old is starting to kick my a$$.

Reactions: 1

pjmarkert

· #16 · Jun 20, 2016

KarenStein said:
Fishbone antenna?

I thought all TV went digital in the 90's, so the old TV's and antennae became completely useless. Am I wrong?

"Digital" TV uses a different type of antenna. New TV's come 'digital ready.' More and more, the cable company is becoming a 'must' ... for cable, regular TV, internet access, and house phone as well.

"Dish TV" is basically cable by way of a satellite, while 'Quadravision" was a digital transmission of cable TV.

Personally? I stopped using ordinary TV -regular and cable- long ago. Whatever programming I want is available over the internet.

Digital ready is a sales ploy, old antenna will work fine

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

KarenStein

· #17 · Jun 21, 2016

Thank you both for the clarifications.

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