Are you sure that your builder, electrician or hired trades person is using the right cable for your current and future data / communications / networking needs???

The Australian Digital and Communications Industry Association (ADITA) has recently issued a warning regarding the need for cable technicians (including all trades that carry out cabling) to be upskilled or re-trained on the changing landscape of cabling and communications.  I think this is a timely warning as I've been asked by builders over the last couple of months, to quote on providing old style, outdated cabling for their new developments.  I'm finding that I'm needing to justify why I'm recommending different cable, even to some of the best builders in the biz, because they aren't being educated on the current and future role of the humble cable and why getting the cable right the first time is so important.

"ADITA has warned that new technologies such as the Internet of Things and Power over Ethernet are placing greater demands on cabling infrastructure. As a result it has called for upgraded training and greater awareness of the new issues from regulators and standards bodies. ADTIA secretary Dominic Schipano told CommsDay that some of the older network cabling is not rated for the data and power requirements of IoT and PoE, while technicians with older qualifications might need re-training to be aware of the issues.

One of the problems is that cables, when installed in bundles, heat up more with greater wattage and have performance degradation as a result. Cables with higher categories such as Category 6A have larger conductors and will heat up less than Category 6 and Category 5e cables. In a worst case scenario there is also a risk of other damage from using lower quality cable.
 
He said many companies were predominantly interested in cost issues and do not look at the technical requirements of the cabling infrastructure. Schipano said that it should become common practice that customers are advised of the wattage capability of whatever cable is installed so that any additional items connected over time have their power load factored in."

The above excerpt, from a recent TITAB publication confirms that this matter is important and that cablers and all trades associated with cabling are upskilled on the changing demands on the humble cable. 

For the right advice about your cabling needs, contact us to make sure you get it right the first time around. 

Cheers 
Geoff 

Last week we had the pleasure of helping these Customers get their Media Room set up in their new home.  We loved this job, helping these guys make the most of their space and give them all the entertainment they need in the comfort of their new home.

The media room installation included:

• 65" TV wall mounted
• Installed 5.1 Surround Sound (inc wall mounted rear speakers)
• Connected Amp and optimised home theatre sound
• Connected all devices including Foxtel, Blu Ray, PlayStation, Xbox, Record Player
• Full system check and Customer education

As the cold approaches, there is no better time to stay in bed under the covers and watch your fave shows.

If you don't have a TV in your bedroom - get it sorted now. 

​We can install a TV point and even wall mount your TV so that you can keep the style you want in your room without taking valuable space for bulking TV cabinets. We can even install your apple TV or connect your Smart TV  to the internet to have you watching your favourite Netflix shows from the comfort of your warm bed. 

Don't face the cold today.  Stay in, stay warm and watch T V.

That's our advice for dealing with the weather today.

​Enjoy.

We are a family business located on the Redcliffe Peninsula, north of Brisbane and our local area has been heavily impacted by theft and crime, like so many other areas are.  Our customers are telling us more and more about break'n'enters and stolen property. In particular being close to a suburb with canals we are seeing an increase in goods stolen from backyards and pontoons by thieves in boats.  

If you are anything like us, we work really hard (maybe too hard) for the things that we have, and want to do everything we can to protect our property.  More importantly, we want our family to be safe and feel secure in our home.  For this reason we believe in the importance of added security measures for your home.  Security Cameras (CCTV) and Alarm Systems can not only help to deter a "would-be" thief, but also prove useful in both preventing crime and providing vital evidence to police in the event of a crime.

Last week we finished installing security cameras, including a live monitoring station at an apartment block in Redcliffe with over 40 residents.  Now the residents can rest easy that they have an added deterrent for thieves and have footage to hand to police in the event that it's required. 

Rest easy people - install some security in your homes today.  

Systems and prices vary, but you might be surprised to find it doesn't have to be an expensive exercise to install a basic CCTV system in your home.  

​Give us a call to talk about security and book a FREE quote. 

P.S. If you are getting security devices installed, make sure your technician is a licensed security provider. 

Obviously when you get an Antenna professional out to your home to install or replace a TV antenna, you expect them to install good quality equipment and make sure you have good TV reception at all outlets. This just seems like a given.

However... We've noticed that the quality of antenna installations is sometimes just downright terrible.  It's almost like the installers have completely forgotten about safety, endurance and aesthetics. We are often fixing up antennas that are suffering from nothing more than poor installation.  

Some things to look for and EXPECT as standard from your antenna installer are:
​

• Neatly arranged cable (cable tied in place to the mast)
• Extra length of cable neatly looped on mast (this allows for enough cable in the event that your antenna needs replacing or new connectors need fitting)
• Good quality parts (connectors, mast, screws)
• Quality silicone used to seal mounting plates or other areas that may result in water seepage

​
Making sure your antenna installer covers these points along with quality antenna, RG6 cable and confirmation that your signal levels meet Australian standards (using a signal meter), you should have no problems with your antenna.

If you've had a dodgy antenna installation - give us a call, we'll help you get it sorted. 

WOW!  Last week we did some work for a Customer in Redcliffe.  He was having all kinds of TV reception issues and called us to help him get it sorted.  We did the job and then got this amazing review back via our feedback form on our website.  It was such a lovely review, we just HAD to share it. 

We want all of our Customers to feel this delighted after working with us. 

​Good Job Geoff -

Let's face it... Moving is the ABSOLUTE PITS!

Let us take the hassle out of your move.  We offer a move house service where we come and pack up all your Audio Visual gear (TV's, DVD's, Amplifiers, Speakers, Foxtel boxes, playstations, apple TV's, all your cables and any other AV gear you have).  We'll box it up safe in waterproof plastic containers and move it all to your new home.  Then, we'll set it all back up for you, connect it all and have you relaxing on the couch after a hard days moving, watching your favourite shows. 

This customer was moving from Scarborough to Narangba, so we dismantled, moved and set up all their AV gear for the lounge room and master bedroom.  

Certainly made life easier for our customer, and they didn't have to worry about there expensive gear going in the back of a moving truck with the rest of their furniture.  

Winning Solution!

Give us a call if you're moving and we'll help you out with your AV stuff. 

​Geoff 

So today's job in Redcliffe, was installing an LG short-throw laser projector and wall mounting the accompanying 100-inch screen.  We did a few of these when they first hit the market back in around 2013, but this is the first one we've done it quite a while.  It was a reminder of how different this product was compared to all the other home theatre solutions on the market and also how tricky the installation is - requiring 100% professional installation. 

Our customer had moved house and needed to get the equipment installed in the new house.  The product, once installed is really quite good, but it never really took off as a concept.  Mostly, I think because for the price point (and the tricky installation), technology was soon catching up, with bigger screens becoming available on the market in LCD and LED technology. However, at the time, this was the biggest screen that you could get without installing full rear projection technology with roof mounts etc. 

This customer has had the equipment for around 4 years and its still performing as well as it did when they first got it home, which is great.

It's a short-throw projector, meaning it sits close to the screen — just 56cm away, actually. This means you don't have to worry about installing it on the roof or on a back wall, it can sit directly in front of the screen without anything (or anyone) blocking the projection.  It's also designed to work effectively even in rooms with a lot of light which many cheaper projector solutions don't do too well. It does this by using a specially designed black screen that uses reflective anti-glare technology. 

Whilst I'm glad technology has moved on from this product as a home theatre solution, I appreciate it for what it is and the innovation at the time it hit the market.  

Give me a high quality rear projection home theatre solution any day.

​Geoff. 

This school holidays we can highly recommend downloading the Freeview App so your kids have easy access to kids TV on the go. 

Streaming for kids!
With over 150 kids titles all streaming from one place, Freeview FV is the best companion for any kid these school holidays!
Forget any subscription fees... It's all free!

There is quite a lot to consider when you are looking at installing a TV antenna.  If you google it, I’m certain you will find instructions or video’s on how to install an antenna. If you are quite handy, have the right tools at your disposal, have plenty of spare time for research and doing the work – maybe you could give it a go.  HOWEVER, this comes with a huge caution, because it’s not always as simple as it’s made out to be.
 
Here are a few other considerations before you even begin spending time or money on a self-installation:
 
The right tools
Professional TV antenna installers will have particular tools and equipment to ensure excellent digital reception to all TV points.  The most important of these elements is the digital signal meter, which will detail the exact strength of signal for each TV channel at each TV point in the home.  This equipment is worth thousands of dollars and isn’t accessible to the average home installer. As such you may be relying on a simple “point & shoot” method to get good reception, which is not reliable and doesn’t guarantee good quality signal across all channels.
 
Distance between the TV and antenna.
Digital TV signals can deteriorate through coaxial cables over longer distances. We recommend your antenna is placed within about 20 metres of your TV. If the antenna needs to be positioned at a further distance than this, then it’s important that the antenna is powerful enough to mitigate any loss of signal.  Alternatively, you could install an amplifier to boost the signal.
 
Where to mount and point the antenna
You will need to start by finding out where your local TV station transmitters are.  You can usually google this information or contact one of your local TV stations and ask them.  Best signals will be gained when the antenna is directed at your nearest TV transmission station.  This part can be trickier than it may seem at first;

1. You need to know the direction of the station as closely as possible
2. TV signal uses ‘line of sight’, meaning that trees, buildings, hills or other structures that block the physical line of sight between the antenna and the station will impact strength and reliability of signal. 
3. You will need to consider how high to mount the antenna.  Obviously the higher you go, the less likely you are to encounter line of sight issues.  So as a general rule, the higher the better.  However, it is not necessary to go with extra high mounts unless signal strength or line of sight is an issue.
4. You can get multi-directional TV antennas that pull signals from several directions, but it’s worth talking to an antenna supplier prior to purchasing any antenna to ensure it fits the purpose
5. Of course, you will want to consider the aesthetics of the home to ensure that you are happy with the location of the antenna and the look and feel of the home.  It is for this reason that some people choose to install internal antenna’s (which are installed within the roof cavity), rather than external.  We do not recommend this option, particularly in poor signal areas, as they are not usually a reliable option for good consistent signal. 

 
Cable and wall plates
Of course if you are installing a new antenna or new TV points, you will need to factor in the cost and skills required to run the cable from the antenna, through the wall/ceiling cavities, to the TV point/s in the home.  This can be tricky business for the home installer and can take an understanding of the structure of the home and how to safely get cable through the cavities.  Please ensure that you have checked the relevant building and electrical codes prior to running cable, to ensure that you are installing safely.  Be sure that you stay a safe distance from power cables (min distances vary by state depending on building codes).
 
So, whilst it is possible to install your own TV antenna, it is highly recommended to get a professional installer.  The use of professional signal meters alone, will save possible hours in trying to find signal and align the antenna, and get the best possible reception on each TV channel.  Experience also affords professional installers plenty of tips and tricks to antenna placement and installation that might just make the difference between OK TV signals and fantastic TV signals.  Of course the other major factor in considering a professional installation is safety.  Professional installers are trained to work at heights, trained to run cable safely within the cavities of the home and are insured in case anything goes wrong.
 
If you want to save yourself, time, stress and money, get a professional to help you install your TV Antenna.  You won’t regret it.  ​​