Hi guys
Went to a customers house today to troubleshoot an annoying sound. She has a niles multiroom system, and a home theater set up. She claims that she is getting a very high pitched squeal evryonce in a while from all of her speakers, including the theater room, from all sources, DVD/cd,SC 3000 cable box, built in niles tuner. The sound only last about three seconds then goes away. I heard it three times, and it was on the theater speakers, she heard it at the same time in another room, the source was the cable box, twice when CBS went to a commercial, and once on the guide channel when the picturre on top changed to another picture. The cable box is split to both the Niles system and the theater, as is everything else. I usually set the cable volume to "fixed" I set it to variable and turned it down to 23 (it goes to 30) I didnt hear it again after this, I'm am totally shooting in the dark. Any suggestions? Her house is metal framed, mentioned that because I had customer with metal studs a couple years ago that when ever you plugged in the sub woofer it would cancel out the FM reception on both of the tuners! I called Veloydne, sent the AMP in, they shielded it and it fixed the problem, weirdest thing I had ever seen. Anyway I thought maybe this could be part of the problem.

Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.

CB1

Was the cable box the selected source on the Niles Multi Room system when she heard the squeal at the same time you did?

Is there any chance she heard it acoustically rather than through the room speakers?

Yes it was the source on the Niles. She first heard it in her bath room, theater room was off. I told her to make a mental note as to what source, what speakers, what channel, if itwas in the transistion from programming to a commercial. I'm tring to pinpoint the problem so I can fix it, if its realeted to my equip.
This area also has a very strong AM station that you can pick up reception while on the phone, using a toner at the electrical outlet, or when all equipment is off can hear "Heard it through the grapevine" through the speakers. (its an oldies station)

My guess is that its a strong audio from the cable box, but I've never heard this kind of sound before, and it doesnt do it long enough to pinpoint where it is coming from.
One of the three times I heard it, I had the theater room on cable,(which is where I was) one room on CD, one room on tuner. She did not hear it in either of the
other two rooms, which is why I think it is only comy from the cable box.

To answer your second question...no

CB1

My guess is that it's coming from the tuner in the cable box. It could be similar to the loud buzz some systems make when there is a text overlay on the screen, especially white, or a large white portion of the video itself.

The fact that reducing the cable volume mad a difference leans me in that direction. I suggest that you try swapping cable boxes, and see if you can duplicate the problem. Maybe the cable engineers can help.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Not sure if this is the same thing but . .

in the UK the actual cable feeding the cable STB carries a small current. When I had NTL installed I had a constant buzz which was eliminated by earthing/grounding my system. Luckily I have an REL 150 sub which has a setting to change the earth.

To eliminate this as a possibility you need to unplug the cable coming into the STB when you hear the sound.

In situations like this, I generally try to convince the client that they are losing their minds. The louder more annoying the noise the beter. When they "Claim" they hear it, you need to get a really scared/concerned look on your face and tilt your head slightly tot he left and say "Huh? I dont hear anything... Have you taken your medication today?"

Works like a charm.

8-)

Imp

Thanks guys, I'll try your suggestions, even yours Impaqt.

CB1

Oh, to be a fly on the wall.