Wall to equipment. How to handle cables? (1 Viewer)

[Neil_S]

For a new HT layout I'm planning on placing my equipment across the room from the TV. This will mean a run of about 15' for my video cables and I need to run them under the house and then up the wall. I'm planning on making my own (probably Belden 1694a) but here is my question...

It makes sense that you want to keep the number of 'patches' in your cable to a minimum... Ideally zero. If I were to use wall plates that would introduce two 'patches' to the cables. For example, a small component cables goes from the DVD player to the wall plate. This then patches it to the line under the house. On the TV side the same things happens. TV to wall plate which patches it to the line under the house. Essentially I would have three separate component sets hooked together at the wall plates.

What do others here with this similar issue do? Do you just run enough cable to leave a few feet dangling out of the wall on each side and not even bother with wall plates?

Can anyone understand my rambling? :b

Neil

 

[Brian Campbell]

Neil, I hope you get a reply because I have a similar situation for speaker cables. I've just completed my HT room, and I have a 12 g Home Depot wire running in-wall. I left enough on the speaker end to connect directly to the speakers. But I need some sort of patch for the amp side. Can I just twist the speaker wires coming out of the amp together with the in-wall wires using a wire nut? Or should I use a little patch panel?

 

[Bill Kane]

Neil, I'll pass along what I've learned from two mentors here (Bob McElfresh and Wayne Pflughaupt).

As you surmise, ideally make a direct run of cable/wire. I first looked at "neat" binding post type plates and various Leviton snap-in wall plate plugs but am bypassing these.

You CAN cut out a hole to insert a self-locking blue gang box, but it may be a chore to locate a wall plate with screw holes to match the box. I found wall plates come with a VARIETY of screw hole sizing -- 2in, 3 1/4, 3 1/2 etc.

Instead of the box, you can drill a small hole in the wallboard sufficient to feed and grab the wires and pull out enough to reach the speakers or source equopment.

To dress it up, then either install a wall plate for rotary dimmer switch to run the wire through, or get solid blank and drill a hole with your wood bit. (At .69 ea. you can practice getting a neat hole.)

Now to attach the plate, use EZ #6 or plastic wall anchors (using 3/16in starter drill hole). Screw the wall plate into the anchors. A blank plate, for ex., comes with 3 1/4in hole spacing. If this works, the longer screws incl with the plate will attach to these anchors.

Some day down the road, one cud always install a plug-in type binding post plate since you have an unbroken length of cable. Leaving several feet of slack somewhere in the run is important for this, or in the event the equipment rack is moved.

hope this helps...

bill

 

[Bill Kane]

Neil, Brian,

I will repost with this: my previous refers primarily to speaker wire runs for rear surrounds.

In the use of VIDEO cable, I believe it is crucial to maintain a full, unbroken run in that video needs the best, solid 75 ohm connection possible.

Brian, did your speaker wires come up short at the amp end? You cud install a banana plug wall plate outlet; solder a speaker wire extension; or go ahead with wire nuts if the hidden wires wont suffer from future tension.

 

[Neil_S]

Thanks for the input and all the quick replies!

I believe I will go with a direct run and when I make the cables keep them several feet longer than needed. I will just pull them through the wall and dress up the wound to look nice.

Thanks again!

Neil

 

[Brian Campbell]

Bill,

Yes my rear speaker wires are short at the amp end. Running those wires was an afterthought in my project (I made a somewhat spontaneous decision to dive into HT), and I didn't think about how the amp would connect to the wires. They only protrude from the wall about 1 foot.

What do you mean by "suffer from future tension" -- just that if I pull on them the wire nut connection might come apart? I suppose that's true. Well, in any case, I'm sure I can either solder, get a banana wall plate, or use the wire nuts. Sounds like none of these would degrade my sound too bad.

Thanks!