Distributing HD Throught the home
- Thread starter DrunkenLizard
- Start date
I'll try to get some pictures up tonight.
I just got my Autopatch matrix switch to connect correctly via CQC myself (but it is only a 16x8 ultra wideband switcher so you have me beat). I've had few enough HD components that I've been using my HT reciever to switch inputs up until recently. But I've had my Autopatch for a couple of months. There were some settings on the internal configuration file that required that I actually read the manual to fix.
That didn't happen until last night. It was simple to fix, but took a while to find the correct part of the manual and to read it 3 times to actually understand how to fix it and what settings I needed to change.
I just got my Autopatch matrix switch to connect correctly via CQC myself (but it is only a 16x8 ultra wideband switcher so you have me beat). I've had few enough HD components that I've been using my HT reciever to switch inputs up until recently. But I've had my Autopatch for a couple of months. There were some settings on the internal configuration file that required that I actually read the manual to fix.
That didn't happen until last night. It was simple to fix, but took a while to find the correct part of the manual and to read it 3 times to actually understand how to fix it and what settings I needed to change.
DrunkenLizard
Active Member
Thanks ctay, I can't wait till it gets here. I like shiny things, or in this case matte gray things, but it's shiny in my mind.
Actually sic were tied, a closer look at the photos shows that it only has 8 outputs, I can live with that for now lol. Can the crosspoints be reconfigured like the autopatchs?
I'll go see if I can find a manual online and read up on it till it arrives.
I'm starting to take a closer look at CQC, sounds like what I'm looking for to tie everything together. Does anyone know if you have to purchase it before you can register on the forums over there?
Actually sic were tied, a closer look at the photos shows that it only has 8 outputs, I can live with that for now lol. Can the crosspoints be reconfigured like the autopatchs?
I'll go see if I can find a manual online and read up on it till it arrives.
I'm starting to take a closer look at CQC, sounds like what I'm looking for to tie everything together. Does anyone know if you have to purchase it before you can register on the forums over there?
DrunkenLizard
Active Member
odd I keep on trying to, moderators won't activate my account, then ban my email address. First I thought it might be my screen name, but I tried more fuzzy names then drunkenlizard. No response from emails, anyone know of any mods from there forums on here I could try to send a pm?
It happens sometimes due to Deans strick rules for avoiding spam. Your original user name probably raised a flag, and the subsequent user name were all flagged due to the e-mail. I'll ask Dean to make sure he unlocks the door for you
Here are the pictures I promised.
First, a picture of the main TV in the Den (colors are a little off in this picture - my TV is not usually purple. It has the Wii sensor bar on the bottom of the TV and it also has an IR receiver on top (which I need to control my satellite box since it is in the centralized wiring closet). I'll eventually replace the IR receiver with something less obtrusive, but it's what I had at the time.
Second, a picture of the couch on the opposite wall from the TV. It is about 14' away from the TV. The Wii is on the shelf of the end table where it is hardly noticable and we keep the games and remotes in the endtable drawer. I also have a UMPC acting as a interface viewer for CQC. I can control the whole house from that touchscreen.
Lastely, the "modification" to the OEM sensor bar. I simply cut the adapter off the generic power supply (which is set to 6 volts, not 9 as I thought earlier) and the two ends are pushed into the normal Wii connector. It has a small piece of wood wedged in there to hold it all together. Although it looks rough, it works great and allows me to quickly revert back to the normal way to connect the sensor bar should I take it somewhere.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Here are the pictures I promised.
First, a picture of the main TV in the Den (colors are a little off in this picture - my TV is not usually purple
. It has the Wii sensor bar on the bottom of the TV and it also has an IR receiver on top (which I need to control my satellite box since it is in the centralized wiring closet). I'll eventually replace the IR receiver with something less obtrusive, but it's what I had at the time.
Second, a picture of the couch on the opposite wall from the TV. It is about 14' away from the TV. The Wii is on the shelf of the end table where it is hardly noticable and we keep the games and remotes in the endtable drawer. I also have a UMPC acting as a interface viewer for CQC. I can control the whole house from that touchscreen.
Lastely, the "modification" to the OEM sensor bar. I simply cut the adapter off the generic power supply (which is set to 6 volts, not 9 as I thought earlier) and the two ends are pushed into the normal Wii connector. It has a small piece of wood wedged in there to hold it all together. Although it looks rough, it works great and allows me to quickly revert back to the normal way to connect the sensor bar should I take it somewhere.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
DrunkenLizard
Active Member
I like that sic it looks clean.
With the sensor bar plug did it matter which was negative and positive?
Oh and UPS dropped off those cases of mini coax, so I highly recommend that supplier, especially to those in the midwest (drop shipping from Coleman is a lot cheaper)
Got my composite switchers in, component should be shipping on monday. Patch panel, gigabit router, new wrt54gl.
hmm, anyone know of a good place to get rca-bnc adapters?
With the sensor bar plug did it matter which was negative and positive?
Oh and UPS dropped off those cases of mini coax, so I highly recommend that supplier, especially to those in the midwest (drop shipping from Coleman is a lot cheaper)
Got my composite switchers in, component should be shipping on monday. Patch panel, gigabit router, new wrt54gl.
hmm, anyone know of a good place to get rca-bnc adapters?
beelzerob
Senior Member
I always check monoprice.com first, and then ebay second.
DrunkenLizard
Active Member
Thanks Rob,
Would I use standard RCA Compression connectors on the ends of that precision mini coax or do I need to find different ones for mini coax?
I'm pretty sure it does matter. I honestly don't remember, but I think I had to guess when I did it and it was wrong the first time. It just didn't work - it didn't harm anything. In the current setup, I have to assume that the black wire with white stripe is the positive, so that would make the longer side of the Wii adapter the positive. The short side (with the corner cut off) would therefore be the negative side.
I've bought mine off E-Bay both times. Don't skimp, you'll be surprised how quickly you use them. I'd recommend a package of atleast 20 to start with. My last purchase I got 60 for a really good price from this seller - cheapest I could find.
There are specific crimp connectors for the mini-coax size. The wire is so small that a RG-59 or RG-6 connector is simply going to fall off. So I don't think there is much chance of using the wrong one. But you don't want to buy the wrong size only to realize it when you try to terminate your first wire.
h34r:I worked last night moving some of my sources and TVs over to the autopatch. About the only thing that is still being switched by the receiver is the Wii at this point. It has the stereo sound so I need to get the correct wires to connect it to the autopatch. The stereo connections are bare wire connections rather than RCA type. I decided to get some RCA to bare wire connectors rather than hacking up the wires I already have.
beelzerob
Senior Member
Brian, where did you get RCA to bare wire connectors?
Lizard, you might consider terminating everything with an f-connector, and then using an f-conn to RCA adapter, or I guess in your case, an f-conn to BNC adapter. It's kind of a matter of preference, there's arguments for and against. I found f-connectors to be very very cheap, so it might have actually been cheaper for me to get the f-conn compression fittings and then the adapters than to just get RCA compression fittings. (shrug). I just wanted to keep all of my wires as adaptable as possible, so if I change switchers and the connections go from BNC to RCA, I won't have to reterminate my coax...just change the attached adapter.
Lizard, you might consider terminating everything with an f-connector, and then using an f-conn to RCA adapter, or I guess in your case, an f-conn to BNC adapter. It's kind of a matter of preference, there's arguments for and against. I found f-connectors to be very very cheap, so it might have actually been cheaper for me to get the f-conn compression fittings and then the adapters than to just get RCA compression fittings. (shrug). I just wanted to keep all of my wires as adaptable as possible, so if I change switchers and the connections go from BNC to RCA, I won't have to reterminate my coax...just change the attached adapter.
I think I've seen them at Radio Shack, but I haven't checked recently. I know monoprice didn't have anything because I checked today.
I think the more common connection for this type of wiring is going to be an RCA plug. That is why I decided to terminate the precision coax with the RCA plug. This way I can connect directly to source or display devices if needed. About the only thing that isn't going to use RCA plugs is the professional grade matrix switchers like the Extron or Autopatches. If you go with the F-connector, you'll have to use an adapter for everything. Even if it is slightly more expensive, having one less component that could cause signal degradation is worth it IMHO.
beelzerob
Senior Member
Well, part of that equation is if every thing goes to a patch panel first. Just for organization's sake, I NEED to risk the signal degredation to have everything organized. Otherwise, I know me too well...within one hour's time, all my wiring would revert to a spaghetti mess!
DrunkenLizard
Active Member
Update:
Well it's been a couple months and not much has been done inside, exterior of the house is looking quite nice to the relief of the neighbors.
The crosspoint I thought I won turned out to be a double listing, just picked up a extron 100 so that should handle all my current needs. rca mini coax compression connectors are in the mail so I should be able to start terminating cables next week. That gives me this week to get my 2" conduit run (for those who don't know the interior diameter of the conduit is listed not the exterior, so thats another trip to menards lol) I'm still going to run rg6 to most of the rooms in case of future downgrading/flexibility.
Well it's been a couple months and not much has been done inside, exterior of the house is looking quite nice to the relief of the neighbors.
The crosspoint I thought I won turned out to be a double listing, just picked up a extron 100 so that should handle all my current needs. rca mini coax compression connectors are in the mail so I should be able to start terminating cables next week. That gives me this week to get my 2" conduit run (for those who don't know the interior diameter of the conduit is listed not the exterior, so thats another trip to menards lol) I'm still going to run rg6 to most of the rooms in case of future downgrading/flexibility.
Similar threads
