Phil,

A couple questions first.

1. Is the basement finished, sheet rock walls, tile ceiling, etc?

2. Or, are the walls bare concrete block, concrete floor, open ceiling?

Most of the electronic components are available at the local Radio Shack store. They have a wide assortment of plugs, connectors, utility boxes, and loads of cable. Their cable prices, however, are outrageous and you can do a lot better by shopping online for heavy-duty instrument cable in 100-foot rolls. I suggest using shielded instrument cables of 18 gauge or heavier if the cable length exceeds 15 feet. If the cable length exceeds 30 feet, I would go to 16 gauge shielded cable. Additionaly, all connections should be soldered--NOT CRIMPED. Crimped connections frequently fail, especially in a damp basement.

Good luck on setting everything up, and feel free to post any questions you may have in the future.

Gary