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Topic:
Measuring Cable TV Signal Strength
This thread has 60 replies. Displaying posts 46 through 60.
Post 46 made on Monday November 26, 2012 at 01:26
Tom Ciaramitaro
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Somehow I just can't see spending a grand for a piece of test equipment to solve the cable company's problem. Friend of mine had the solution and it must've been close to 30 years ago. Cable company came out several times and just blamed his televisions. Finally, he got up on a ladder and grabbed the RG6 at his roofline and just yanked it until it came off of the pole out at the street. Threw the whole cotton picking pile away. Short time later, he called the cable company and said, "I got no picture. Can you send someone to check it? " Cable technician scratched his head a bit. But once the new cable was in place, problem was solved. Voilà.
There is no truth anymore. Only assertions. The internet world has no interest in truth, only vindication for preconceived assumptions.
Post 47 made on Monday November 26, 2012 at 01:46
Mario
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On November 26, 2012 at 01:26, Tom Ciaramitaro said...
Somehow I just can't see spending a grand for a piece of test equipment to solve the cable company's problem. Friend of mine had the solution and it must've been close to 30 years ago. Cable company came out several times and just blamed his televisions. Finally, he got up on a ladder and grabbed the RG6 at his roofline and just yanked it until it came off of the pole out at the street. Threw the whole cotton picking pile away. Short time later, he called the cable company and said, "I got no picture. Can you send someone to check it? " Cable technician scratched his head a bit. But once the new cable was in place, problem was solved. Voilà.

Dude, that is brilliant.
Post 48 made on Tuesday November 27, 2012 at 20:48
Gon9za3lez
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Everything is homerun with a spool of their own cable that accidently fell off his truck.
Post 49 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 19:45
ZandarKoad
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I think it's about time to necro post this sucker back to life! And by a new user, ME!

I came across this thread the same way as the other necroposters - Google. I was looking for a notoriously difficult little piece of information to find. That being, what the acceptable input RF dB levels are for most TVs. I'm dealing with analog at the moment, and I remember hearing long ago and far away that 0 + or - 10dB was acceptable. For whatever reason, the keywords for this tidbit of info bring up everything EXCEPT that answer. Well this thread had one guy who said it should be 0 + or - ONE dB (uh, totally impractical), and another who said you should shoot for 0 to 10 dB.

Anyone have any TV spec sheets or other, slightly more authoritative, sources of information that random forum posts?

Thanks!
Post 50 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 19:58
highfigh
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On July 20, 2006 at 01:46, BigWood said...
Please no laughing in the isles, no rolling on the floor. I have searched this fourm and have come up empty handed. I was always taught that if I had a question, ask it and move on, do not be afraid.

What do you good people use to measure cable tv signal strength, and is it affordable?

I have a signal problem in my home and i am tired of hearing that it is "my wiring".
My wiring is fine, hook directly to feed from street, same probblem.

I want to have my own measurments when "Larry the butt crack cable guy" shows up to try to condem my many hours of sweatin in the attic. Everything is homerun with a spool of their own cable that accidently fell off his truck.

Problem is on some channels on my boxes i am getting no picture or severley pixilated one. On the analog channles hooked direct to tv (no box) the picture comes in fuzzy on the same channels, my deduction, poor signal. My neighbor is bitching also of the same thing.

I love information, love obtaining it, and like to have my facts before I run my hole.

There is all kinds of stuff for reading and finding satalites, but not much out there labled for cable strength.

Am I thinking about this to hard, cause its hurting. I just want some factual peice of mind before I waste a day waiting for cable guy to show up.

Am I also possibly missing something stupid that maybe i did that should be pointed out to me before I make that call? I don't think so, but maybe.

I know this is way basic for you guys & gals and appreciate any help I can get.

Mike

Be Good Humans

First of all, top calling us 'good people'.

If you're using a Scientific Atlanta and some others from Time Warner, channel 1900 (IIRC) is the diagnostic channel.

Also, if you have unterminated cables, it will cause all kinds of signal problems, so cap the ones that aren't being used and/or replace a splitter that has far more jacks than you will ever use.
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 51 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 20:10
24/7
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Maybe this has been mentioned.

The cable box at the TV location will reveal the signal strength in the setup menu. Why spend 1K to 4K on a meter when the box itself will tell you the signal strength?

Getting the detail will reveal if you have a problem per room, or at the demarc. Move the box (boxes) around to find the problem. Get the cable company involved to solve it. They will tell you if you need to run new wires after the demarc.

Hope this is helpful.

OP | Post 52 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 20:11
Hi-FiGuy
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On August 31, 2014 at 19:58, highfigh said...
First of all, top calling us 'good people'.

If you're using a Scientific Atlanta and some others from Time Warner, channel 1900 (IIRC) is the diagnostic channel.

Also, if you have unterminated cables, it will cause all kinds of signal problems, so cap the ones that aren't being used and/or replace a splitter that has far more jacks than you will ever use.

Got it figured out back in 2006, there is a follow up solution post back in 2006 to state the solution! ; p

I was Big Wood in a previous identity.
Post 53 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 20:49
thecapnredfish
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Some of the biggest problems cable companies face is hand tight connections, crimped cables causing reflections, bad drops to the building, damaged feeder cables some where on your node. All symptoms of bad channels. Loss is also different for low/ high frequencies.
Post 54 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 21:34
Ernie Gilman
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Zankarkoad,
Sure enough, It's Your First Day! Here!

it seems the biggest sin someone can commit on this website is to google something, and then, maybe because the owner of the site has BRILLIANT presence on the internet, a thread discussing your topic, that was started eight years ago, comes to the top of the list of google responses.

Then the newbie, not realizing he's adding to something eight years old, posts. Old members chime in, wanting to help. Sooner or later one of the older members realizes that the thread is THIS OLD and starts to object. That happens despite the fact that the site owner CLEARLY marks antique threads with their start date in the list of threads in the forum.

And then, the old member, who was not paying attention, gets pissed off because he's been wasting his time giving free advice to someone who used to do high end A/V but now, through the good will of the sharks, is selling cloth-covered children's castles over the internet (satisfaction guaranteed). Or has retired after winning the lottery (this happened)(but it was more like "went into hiding from everybody).

So the old member gets pissy and complains. See [Link: remotecentral.com]

At least that's how it seems to me, and its been this way since this thread was just a piece of lint.

And now, know that if you can post a post, you can start a thread. Go do it.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 55 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 22:06
highfigh
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On August 31, 2014 at 20:11, Hi-FiGuy said...
Got it figured out back in 2006, there is a follow up solution post back in 2006 to state the solution! ; p

I was Big Wood in a previous identity.

If it was figured out in '06, why do I see posts from 2012 immediately before the new guy posted, huh, smart guy?

You could put "Formerly known as 'Big Wood' ' in your tag line- who would remember after this long?
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 56 made on Sunday August 31, 2014 at 22:08
highfigh
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please delete
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 57 made on Saturday January 16, 2016 at 10:40
PulTab
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Don't know if this will help anyone at all but... I have a Motorola cable modem and if I browse to 192.168.100.1 and go to the signal tab, it tells me the quam signal level for all 4 channels. Mine run about 37 db signal to noise and about 0 bdmv power level on all 4 channels. Good luck.
Post 58 made on Saturday January 16, 2016 at 20:01
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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On August 31, 2014 at 20:10, 24/7 said...
Maybe this has been mentioned.

The cable box at the TV location will reveal the signal strength in the setup menu. Why spend 1K to 4K on a meter when the box itself will tell you the signal strength?

I would love to know how to get into those menus on all cable boxes. I have run into many cable boxes where I could not figure out which combination of button pushes would reveal the setup menu.

On January 16, 2016 at 10:40, PulTab said...
Don't know if this will help anyone at all but... I have a Motorola cable modem and if I browse to 192.168.100.1 and go to the signal tab, it tells me the quam signal level for all 4 channels. Mine run about 37 db signal to noise and about 0 bdmv power level on all 4 channels. Good luck.

"all 4 channels"?  Hmmm. Cable channels, only four? Don't think so. But cable modem... so, internet? All four... signal level of four wifi channels? I'm reaching here, because that doesn't make sense, either.

0 dbmv is what we've been talking about here, so that makes sense. It's amazing that this signal would actually be right there. The way cable guys throw splitters around, I'd think signal would come in about 10 dB hot because they know someone will split it later. Yes, even when all boxes are digital.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 59 made on Saturday January 16, 2016 at 21:02
King of typos
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Every cable modem works off multiple channels. Each channel is able to download at 38 Mbps. Thus a 4channel modem is able to do 152Mbps max, 8ch 304Mbps 16ch at 608 Mbps and so on.

This is actually how Comcast is able to separate the private WiFi and the "xfinitywifi" from one another with out interrupting the other. Remember those threads where Comcast turned on the XfinityWifi signal with out the owner's knowledge. And we all talked about security, and bandwidth being an issue and what not. Well the gateways that Comcast rents out are using the first 8 channels for the consumers private wifi, then the next 8 for the public xfinitywifi. Technically the gateway has the ability to do 24 channels, but it's on the Comcast end it's only putting out 16 channels... for now at least. In some markets they are at 24 and testing Gb speeds.

[Link: en.wikipedia.org]

KOT
OP | Post 60 made on Sunday January 17, 2016 at 03:08
Hi-FiGuy
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:)
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