Wanted:Rack mount CATV amp + splitter.

Requirements:

1. MUST be bi-directional
2. MUST be rated up to 1000 MHz
3. Be a good solution for 8, 16, 24+ port systems.
4. Ideally occupy 1U (2U max)
5. Be a quality product.

Amp and splitter may be separate or all-in-one.
If amp is separate, it MAY be non-rackable if required.

I've looked at Blonder Tongue:

Their dist amp solutions, aren't bi-directional.... expect for one model (ARP) which isn't able to pass 1000MHz.
They have a rack mount splitter, which is very nice, but only available with 24+ ports.

Obviously, several mfgs make rackmount-type products for their low-voltage enclosures, but they aren't 19"

We are moving away from enclosures. Obviously, we could cram any old CATV solution into a MA rack, but we want it to look great and be serviceable. The racks we want to use are the EWR and/or DWR wall mount racks.
They aren't as nice looking as your standard, white, in-wall enclosure. So in order for us to convince builders to let us put these in...we want them to be awesome.

It sounds like you're asking for standard old analog cable head-end gear, except the old stuff didn't go much above 750 mHz (I think). You know, three racks of individual channel modulators, each at least $300, with signal mixing equipment and amplifiers that can take the resulting RF signal an amplify it to the point where you use a light bulb as a test load. Maybe I exaggerate, but that's the kind of stuff it sounds like you want.

Maybe Pico-Macom and Qintar still carry that. If not, try Pace Electronics, who are not, I think, the makers of the dreaded Pace cable boxes. If they are, well, their other stuff is good.

Try good old ebay! None of it is made by any of the companies we want to protect, so you won't be attacked if we find out you did it.

The last antenna system I did worth talking about here had more than four hundred TVs and 60 FM locations. Once I mixed the channels together for the same level on each channel, I used 53 dB amplifiers, then went to directional line taps; those outputs went to a separate level of directional line taps, which went out to final runs where four to six TVs were daisy-chained, again with directional line taps. This worked quite well, but it wasn't bi-directional.

And none of it was rack-mount. It just wasn't available for distribution systems.

I'm talking about normal residential cable TV distribution here Ernie. Just looking for a rack mount option.

That's why I pointed you to where rack mount stuff is. It seemed logical that if you want rack mount stuff you should look where rack mount stuff. You can use headend stuff for residential, but it won't be made with eight outputs because it's not made for residential.

We can provide rack mounted routers, switches, patch panels....
We can provide rack mounted CD players, DVD players, Amps and receivers,
We can provide rack mounted computers
We can provide rack mounted ipod docks, TVs, and security DVRs.
All of this product is "residential".

I'm not trying to fight you on this... but come on....
larger network switches and most patch panels require a 19" rack. They won't go in a "normal" residential "can".
Companies like Mid Atlantic make racks which lend them selves very well to data and communications equipment.
I don't think there is a decent reason for there NOT to be a rack mounted CATV distribution amp.

But I've been wrong before....

[Link: blondertongue.com]

You can make "rackmount splitters" by using the higher quality splitters and taking a 3RU or 4RU blank and drilling holes or you can use the premade 1RU strips with F barrels and run patch cables from the back to the splitter.

Unfortunately, the amp you listed is up to 860Mhz. They make a 1000 MHz model....but its not bi-directional. They make ONE bi-directional rack-mount amp...but its 860 again.

In our area, the cable provided use freqs beyond 860Mhz, and bi-direction for VOD etc.

[Link: channelvision.com]

However, having worked with the compatible "Channel Vision Central" modules before, with less than stellar results, I am a little leary. Cool idea though. Maybe there are other companies doing similar things? Channel Plus has one too, I think, but I don't have any experience with their products, and the rack unit is something like 10u high, which is absurd.

Anyway, I agree this is a product that could be very useful. Really sick of working in those cramped structured wiring panels. ESPECIALLY with CATV and Sat.

Tim

[Link: picomacom.com]

None of their passives (i.e. splitters) that I happened to notice are rack mount. Perhaps that's because, as I said. bla bla bla.

The very fact that another guy makes his own rackmount splitters reinforces your impression that this stuff is not available. I don't think ErikS (Post 8) would be making his own if he had found them out there.

By the way, you don't have to quote an entire post to make a two-line comment on it. In fact, Daniel asks you to quote only what's relevant. If you want to comment on the whole thing, try:
As to your post (Post #12), etc etc etc

[Link: channelplus.com]

[Link: channelplus.com]

just a few of the pieces.

if you want the best possible cable distribution system look at the crestron media manifold. it is very nice

[Link: crestron.com]

I don't think the rack mount stuff is made for home use.

flu-dru, all the computer network stuff you mentioned was probably developed for professional use, then expanded into racks as we started to use them. Who knows? Keep asking for rack mount RF distribution and it might come along.

[Link: security.honeywell.com]

FutureSmart HBC416B.

FutureSmart (now owned by Honeywell) makes this module for their structured wiring cabinet but I bet you could easily figure out a way to rack mount it - maybe with a "...couple a thumb tacks and a stick of double sided tape..." :-)

It meets your requirements 1 - 3, could be modified for requirement 4, and I can't vouch for requirement 5 as I've never used this product.