kenjamin
join:2005-02-23
Norwalk, IA
|  [Cable TV] Signa; Question
I went over to a wife's friends house last night because she said that she could not get any channels lower than a certain range. I checked her cables and they were not worn out/chewed through by animals and the copper did not look damaged.
When I turned her TV on to see what the issue was, she could not get any channels below channel 48. To me it seems like they have a filter on the line not allowing a range of channels.
She had a tech come out back in July and the said, after checking the signal on the line that it was at about 20 decibles, i believe. This is second hand from a non-tech person. She also said that the tech said it should be around 70 decibles for a good signal.
What would the device be that they used to check this and is it possible to get this from Lowe's/Home Depot?
So there are a few options/scenarios that I can think just from my little knowledge.
1) A tech put a filter on the line to not allow certain channels
2) The line from the box is bad and needs to be replaced.
3) Any other ideas?
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Out the 100Base-T, through the router, down the T1's, over the leased line, off the bridge, past the firewall... nothing but Net. |
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Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-01
IA
| 20 dBs at the tap is just fine.
In this area traps are used to trap out either channels 24-78 or all of them.
Is there a trap on her line? If it's aerial you can see it on the pole or if the ped is not locked you can see it if you take the cover off. |
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kenjamin
join:2005-02-23
Norwalk, IA
| Well, she has channels 48-78, nothing below that. I would have to check the ped, maybe. She is in a townhome complex so it might be a bit more difficult.
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Out the 100Base-T, through the router, down the T1's, over the leased line, off the bridge, past the firewall... nothing but Net. |
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Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-01
IA | How many TVs does she have hooked up to cable? If more than one, is she having issues with other TVs too? |
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burner50
Pinlifter
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
On the lead | reply to kenjamin
70 decibles for a good signal
Wow thats smoking.....
Modems can run until -10 and a TV will still have a good picture at around 0 |
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kenjamin
join:2005-02-23
Norwalk, IA | reply to kenjamin
She only has one TV hooked up, and I am not sure if the tech was talking about -20 or + 20 decibles. |
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basenji
join:2006-11-02
Waconia, MN
| Right out of an amp isn't 70db. If you have anything above 30db at a tap, it is in overdrive and pretty much all channels will look like crap, internet will be horrible, and everything just overall crappy.
I know of no trap that we use that blocks below 48 and not above. I would look at possibly the tv tuner going bad, unlikely but more likely then a trap being on the line. A service call is in order though. It probably is barrel froze open, the ground block, or a suck out somewhere. |
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oncall32
join:2006-09-17
Huntsville, AL
| Need to try hooking up another TV set and seeing if your having the same issue. If the same thing is happen then see needs to get with a local center there and have them come out and fix the issue, they need to run on it asap because that is out of service. |
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mzacharko
join:2005-12-08
Murray, KY
 ·Mediacom
| Seeing how its been but ass cold in that area you probably have a -20 signal in decibels per millivolt, (dBmV).
When the cable gets extremely cold the main line will tend to "suck out" while the higher channels will jumper across the gap between the coaxial cable and the coaxial main line pin connector. This would be the case if the channels get worse as they channels get lower. Some TVs will just display a blue screen when the signal level gets to low so that might also be the case, still same problem. A SLM (signal levels meter) can be purchased cheap for approx $900 brand new from Trilithic. SLM's range in price from $1000-$15,000 depending on what you want to do with it. I'm sure you could find a half working P.O.S SLM online for less but your talking some $$$$ regardless. Try 1-800-444-5353 , customer service #  Good luck. |
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kenjamin
join:2005-02-23
Norwalk, IA
| reply to kenjamin
Thanks for everyone's help, I am going to head over sometime soon with another TV and see if that could be the problem.
Otherwise have her contact Mediacom.
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Out the 100Base-T, through the router, down the T1's, over the leased line, off the bridge, past the firewall... nothing but Net. |
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kenjamin
join:2005-02-23
Norwalk, IA
| reply to kenjamin
Well I took another TV over to the friends house and sure enough it was the old TV that was the problem.
Plugged the other TV in and the other channels were there.
Thanks again everyone.
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Out the 100Base-T, through the router, down the T1's, over the leased line, off the bridge, past the firewall... nothing but Net. |
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