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OT: Anybody here work on cable / satellite TV?

  • I have some questions about coaxial cable quality, troubleshooting, etc. that maybe someone who works for one of the providers like Time Warner, WOW, etc. might be able to help with.

    Razorback

  • Razorback said...

    I have some questions about coaxial cable quality, troubleshooting, etc. that maybe someone who works for one of the providers like Time Warner, WOW, etc. might be able to help with.

    Ironic. I was just thinking..................What the HELL happended to Cableguy?!?!?!?!?

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    “Look down at me and you see a fool; look up at me and you see a god; look straight at me and you see yourself” Sig pics by jrgdds.

    Chad L

  • Maybe he'll chime in. :)

    Razorback

  • What do you need, been in the business for over 20 years- Comcast,Charter & at&t.

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    WWW.WTSAC.ORG Woody & Tony's Strokes Against Cancer.

    ItalianBuck

  • IB lives! Welcome back, brother! Ate ypu back for good or just visiting?

    iowabuckeyes

  • ItalianBuck said...

    What do you need, been in the business for over 20 years- Comcast,Charter & at&t.

    First, glad you're back --

    Second, having a few random glitches here and there with my cable TV -- real brief, and truly random glitches where you'll see some pixels, sound might go crappy for a second or two and then it'll go back to being clear. I've had WOW out and they've cleaned up my connectors and replaced them as apparently they were not done well originally by the last cable company I had (Time Warner).

    I've currently got RG-6 cable run to this box, but it's a good 100-150ft from where the line comes in from the street. I shouldn't need to upgrade to RG-11 cable, should I? I currently do not have a booster/amp installed at any point in the line. Have never needed one -- the cable folks have told me that a booster can do as much damage on certain channels as it can help on others, so while the glitches by no means ruin any shows, just wondering if there might be a quick and simple fix that someone more experienced might know of?

    Razorback

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    mcastleberry

  • Razorback said...

    First, glad you're back --

    Second, having a few random glitches here and there with my cable TV -- real brief, and truly random glitches where you'll see some pixels, sound might go crappy for a second or two and then it'll go back to being clear. I've had WOW out and they've cleaned up my connectors and replaced them as apparently they were not done well originally by the last cable company I had (Time Warner).

    I've currently got RG-6 cable run to this box, but it's a good 100-150ft from where the line comes in from the street. I shouldn't need to upgrade to RG-11 cable, should I? I currently do not have a booster/amp installed at any point in the line. Have never needed one -- the cable folks have told me that a booster can do as much damage on certain channels as it can help on others, so while the glitches by no means ruin any shows, just wondering if there might be a quick and simple fix that someone more experienced might know of?

    I'm only here for a visit but I do read the pages regularly as you can see here, I just got tired of the constant bullshit.

    Did they replace the drop, the flooding agent that's in coax is made of a peanut oil derivative, squirrels love to chew it and it sounds like you have signal loss. As mccastle berry suggested if it's on a splitter the leg your T.V's on could be going bad, also make sure it's on the 3.5Db leg of the splitter if it's a 3 way splitter. Make sure your cables properly grounded, if not you may be picking up interference from something in the house. It's clear you having ingress-egress problem from something, if I had to guess I would say your drop is going bad. I don't normally use an RG11 drop unless it's 200 ft or more but if they are willing to put it up, I would put it in, tap levels go up and down with the weather so an 11 drop would help keep the signal strong. Without looking at it myself, that's all I can suggest, hope it helped!

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    WWW.WTSAC.ORG Woody & Tony's Strokes Against Cancer.

    ItalianBuck

  • ItalianBuck said...

    I'm only here for a visit but I do read the pages regularly as you can see here, I just got tired of the constant bullshit.

    Did they replace the drop, the flooding agent that's in coax is made of a peanut oil derivative, squirrels love to chew it and it sounds like you have signal loss. As mccastle berry suggested if it's on a splitter the leg your T.V's on could be going bad, also make sure it's on the 3.5Db leg of the splitter if it's a 3 way splitter. Make sure your cables properly grounded, if not you may be picking up interference from something in the house. It's clear you having ingress-egress problem from something, if I had to guess I would say your drop is going bad. I don't normally use an RG11 drop unless it's 200 ft or more but if they are willing to put it up, I would put it in, tap levels go up and down with the weather so an 11 drop would help keep the signal strong. Without looking at it myself, that's all I can suggest, hope it helped!

    Thanks IB, I will check these out -- the RG-6 cable is actually pretty new, but the splitter may not be.

    Razorback

  • Razorback said...

    Thanks IB, I will check these out -- the RG-6 cable is actually pretty new, but the splitter may not be.

    If you keep on having the problem I would ask them to put in the RG11 drop. How many things do you have hooked up to cable in the house??

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    WWW.WTSAC.ORG Woody & Tony's Strokes Against Cancer.

    ItalianBuck

  • ItalianBuck said...

    If you keep on having the problem I would ask them to put in the RG11 drop. How many things do you have hooked up to cable in the house??

    I did this for about 18 months in 03/04, after I retired from the service. At that distance, he could probably use a drop amp. That is provided he doesn't have drop issues from those pesky squirrels. Get a real cable amp, not one of those Home Depot types. "Electroline" makes a decent one. You can find them on ebay at various prices. I use one. My drop is about 80 feet long. I also have 7 TVs wired in, so I've got to have one. Good luck Razor!

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    BIGBUCK20

  • ItalianBuck said...

    If you keep on having the problem I would ask them to put in the RG11 drop. How many things do you have hooked up to cable in the house??

    Before I left for work today I went into the garage to check out the splitter you mentioned -- it appears to be a newer 4-way splitter. The 4 output ports are all marked 7dB -- is that good or bad that it's 7 instead of 3.5 like you mentioned?

    All 4 ports on the splitter are used -- we have two houses on my property, my parents live in one, and my wife and I live in the other -- 2 of the ports go into their house, and 2 go into mine. Those are the only 4 that are for TV -- we have one internet line that comes in and goes into my cable modem and then into my router which takes care of the split for all the PCs.

    I did ask my Dad last night if they were seeing any glitching in their TV and he said yes, occasionally, so maybe it's a problem between the house and the street?

    Razorback

  • BIGBUCK20 said...

    I did this for about 18 months in 03/04, after I retired from the service. At that distance, he could probably use a drop amp. That is provided he doesn't have drop issues from those pesky squirrels. Get a real cable amp, not one of those Home Depot types. "Electroline" makes a decent one. You can find them on ebay at various prices. I use one. My drop is about 80 feet long. I also have 7 TVs wired in, so I've got to have one. Good luck Razor!

    Question -- where do you have your amp installed? Is it in your garage where the line comes in from the street, or somewhere between? If I bought an amp, should it be installed before the splitter in order to amp all the outputs or after the splitter so as to just amplify my one output?

    Thanks for the feedback!

    Razorback

  • Razorback said...

    Question -- where do you have your amp installed? Is it in your garage where the line comes in from the street, or somewhere between? If I bought an amp, should it be installed before the splitter in order to amp all the outputs or after the splitter so as to just amplify my one output?

    Thanks for the feedback!

    If you get an amp, you shouldn't need a splitter. Just get an amp with as many outlets as you need. I think they make them with up to 8.

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    GO BUCKEYES

    BIGBUCK20

  • BIGBUCK20 said...

    If you get an amp, you shouldn't need a splitter. Just get an amp with as many outlets as you need. I think they make them with up to 8.

    If you buy an amp, don't get the 8 way, they put a lot of noise in the line and you'll screw up your modem for the Internet. I would go with the RG11 drop first, I work for Charter right now and I been doing this for over 20 years. House amps are great but notorious for putting to much signal-noise in the line, you need a well balanced line to get the best results. The only time I put in amps in is if the signals week at the ground block and they have 6 T.V's or more.

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    WWW.WTSAC.ORG Woody & Tony's Strokes Against Cancer.

    ItalianBuck

  • ItalianBuck said...

    If you buy an amp, don't get the 8 way, they put a lot of noise in the line and you'll screw up your modem for the Internet. I would go with the RG11 drop first, I work for Charter right now and I been doing this for over 20 years. House amps are great but notorious for putting to much signal-noise in the line, you need a well balanced line to get the best results. The only time I put in amps in is if the signals week at the ground block and they have 6 T.V's or more.

    That's why I have an amp...7 TVs! Gee, I guess I should think about what I want to do when I grow up, eh? LOL!

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    GO BUCKEYES

    BIGBUCK20

  • Razorback said...

    First, glad you're back --

    Second, having a few random glitches here and there with my cable TV -- real brief, and truly random glitches where you'll see some pixels, sound might go crappy for a second or two and then it'll go back to being clear. I've had WOW out and they've cleaned up my connectors and replaced them as apparently they were not done well originally by the last cable company I had (Time Warner).

    I've currently got RG-6 cable run to this box, but it's a good 100-150ft from where the line comes in from the street. I shouldn't need to upgrade to RG-11 cable, should I? I currently do not have a booster/amp installed at any point in the line. Have never needed one -- the cable folks have told me that a booster can do as much damage on certain channels as it can help on others, so while the glitches by no means ruin any shows, just wondering if there might be a quick and simple fix that someone more experienced might know of?

    I assume you have an aerial drop coming into your house since you said it's coming from the street. As a former installer, aerials are a pain in the ass and most guys would do anything to get out of running a new "drop". Changing the "connectors" can help but I'm willing to bet that your drop needs replaced. Like IB said, squirrels love to chew on that shit and can ruin your signal in a heartbeat, also if the drop is old.....I've seen water drip out of the line after cutting it to replace, water can ruin your signal as well. It could also just be as simple as having a splitter go bad, just needs replaced.

    It's hard to tell what the problem is without seeing the setup, condition of drop, how many splitters, what type/brand of splitters, etc.

    Formerly "Buckeye47Fan". Couldn't carry over my handle, why 247 ?

    Cable_Guy

  • How many TV's are hooked up between the two houses ? Also, the TV's that are experiencing the glitching, where are they located in the homes, do you live in ranch style homes or 2 story ? If you share the lines with your parents, how far apart are the houses ? Even though you may only be 100-150 feet from the street, you lose signal in the lines throughout the houses so you have to consider that into the equation........if that makes sense.

    In terms of dB's..... 3.5 is better but it all depends on how many times the lines are split. If you split one line two times and use 3.5 splitters than you still end up at 7dB's in the end.

    Formerly "Buckeye47Fan". Couldn't carry over my handle, why 247 ?

    Cable_Guy

  • ItalianBuck said...

    If you buy an amp, don't get the 8 way, they put a lot of noise in the line and you'll screw up your modem for the Internet. I would go with the RG11 drop first, I work for Charter right now and I been doing this for over 20 years. House amps are great but notorious for putting to much signal-noise in the line, you need a well balanced line to get the best results. The only time I put in amps in is if the signals week at the ground block and they have 6 T.V's or more.

    When working for WOW, we were not allowed to install amps on a modem line.......we would get fired if we got caught.

    Razor, only use an amp as a last resort. Like IB said, definitely try the RG11 drop first as it should correct the problem. If you're only getting a little interruption once in a while than that tells me your signal isn't low enough to need an amp. Either have the drop replaced with some fresh RG6 or request them to install the RG11.

    Formerly "Buckeye47Fan". Couldn't carry over my handle, why 247 ?

    Cable_Guy

  • Chad L said...

    Ironic. I was just thinking..................What the HELL happended to Cableguy?!?!?!?!?

    I was abducted by Aliens !

    Formerly "Buckeye47Fan". Couldn't carry over my handle, why 247 ?

    Cable_Guy

  • CableGuy said...

    How many TV's are hooked up between the two houses ? Also, the TV's that are experiencing the glitching, where are they located in the homes, do you live in ranch style homes or 2 story ? If you share the lines with your parents, how far apart are the houses ? Even though you may only be 100-150 feet from the street, you lose signal in the lines throughout the houses so you have to consider that into the equation........if that makes sense.

    In terms of dB's..... 3.5 is better but it all depends on how many times the lines are split. If you split one line two times and use 3.5 splitters than you still end up at 7dB's in the end.

    There are 4 TVs total, 2 in each house, only 2 (one in each house) use HD set-top boxes -- the other 2 use the little $3 digital adapters and I haven't noticed any problems with the non HD set-top boxed TVs -- we rarely watch cable tv with those, usually just blu rays.

    The TV in my house that's glitching is in my living room (the distance of cable from the splitter is between 100-150 ft total -- that's cable length). The TV in my parents' house that's glitching is in their bedroom and the cable length is less for them, probably 75-125 ft from splitter -- both are the TVs with HD set-top boxes.

    Razorback

  • CableGuy said...

    When working for WOW, we were not allowed to install amps on a modem line.......we would get fired if we got caught.

    Razor, only use an amp as a last resort. Like IB said, definitely try the RG11 drop first as it should correct the problem. If you're only getting a little interruption once in a while than that tells me your signal isn't low enough to need an amp. Either have the drop replaced with some fresh RG6 or request them to install the RG11.

    Thanks -- that's who I'm with now (WOW) -- I noticed that last night WOW must've pushed out a firmware update to the boxes as both boxes were rebooted this morning and there was no power outage. Gonna see if that affects anything today and if not, will call out a WOW tech to take a look.

    Cable -- do you know if they will try to charge me if I ask them to replace the drop going from the street to my garage? I do have that plan they offer for $3 per month that eliminates a general service charge for a call, but just want to check so I know what to expect. :)

    Thanks!

    Razorback

  • Razorback said...

    Thanks -- that's who I'm with now (WOW) -- I noticed that last night WOW must've pushed out a firmware update to the boxes as both boxes were rebooted this morning and there was no power outage. Gonna see if that affects anything today and if not, will call out a WOW tech to take a look.

    Cable -- do you know if they will try to charge me if I ask them to replace the drop going from the street to my garage? I do have that plan they offer for $3 per month that eliminates a general service charge for a call, but just want to check so I know what to expect. :)

    Thanks!

    Honestly I don't know if they'll charge you or not, I don't know much about the billing side of things........ I was just a grunt technician, lol.

    When you do call them, make sure you tell the customer rep that this is an ongoing issue and that WOW has been out to the house before and the problem is still present. If they try and charge you than bitch about it.......if you complain enough they should agree to no charge, request a supervisor if you have too.

    Heck, if I lived close to you and had a signal meter I'd come over and fix it for you. :)

    Formerly "Buckeye47Fan". Couldn't carry over my handle, why 247 ?

    Cable_Guy

  • Thanks for the advice -- ya, wish you were my neighbor or something, hah. :)

    Razorback

  • CableGuy said...

    When working for WOW, we were not allowed to install amps on a modem line.......we would get fired if we got caught.

    Razor, only use an amp as a last resort. Like IB said, definitely try the RG11 drop first as it should correct the problem. If you're only getting a little interruption once in a while than that tells me your signal isn't low enough to need an amp. Either have the drop replaced with some fresh RG6 or request them to install the RG11.

    I have the amp connected to the TVs only. I know it shouldn't go into the modem. My modem is split off from where the drop enters the house in the basement. The 7 TVs are connected to the amp. Without it, there wasn't enough signal left to power most of the boxes. I put it in myself and it's worked great for 4 years now. I haven't done this line of work since 03/04. I know when I was doing this, Comcast would have charged handsomely (LOL!) to have an RG11 drop installed. Agreed that the tech will do just about anything to keep from replacing the drop. I remember that Comcast has us replace all drops when installing a modem unless the drop was already pretty new. You had to put a Sedelco meter on the line to see what the dB's coming in were.
    I really enjoyed that line of work while I did it. Too many hours for not enough $ though. Add to that, I was 42 when I started doing that job. Lugging around that 89 lb ladder all day after a 20+ year career in the military got kind of old! Perhaps if I'd started doing that job in my 20s it would have been something I would have stuck with.

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    BIGBUCK20

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