Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
can someone help with a Cable problem?
I don't know if anyone can help me with this but it doesn't hurt to
ask. I've tried other newsgroups and forums but I really didn't have too much luck. For the past several years my analog cable reception has been pretty crappy. It was fine for several years after it was installed (which was about 13 years ago) but then it started going downhill. The cable company claims that it's because they are adding more channels and their system isn't fully setup for that yet but I know that's not the truth. I think it has something to do with the wiring and/or old cables used. Ever since they came out and repaired/replaced a cut cable line I've been picking up the audio from a local radio station on one or two channels. Most of them are too snowy to watch and have a bit of static on them. This doesn't occur on all the TVs just the last one or two connected. There are four outlets with 3 splits and the two TVs with the problem are on the last split. I know that one of the cables goes from the basement to outside on the roof, then up into the attic then back down into the two rooms on the second floor. I'm thinking that part of the problem is the cable on the roof and the cables in the attic. Perhaps the one on the roof can't withstand the extreme temperatures. It gets baked in the summer and frozen in the winter. And the ones in the attic perhaps get too hot in the summer. It really does get hot up there in the summer. Perhaps they just need to be replaced? It has been 13 years. Does anyone have any ideas at all on what the problems could be? Or perhaps what I can do (without spending any money) to see where the problem is coming from? The cable company won't fix the problem and I am sick of this crap. I'd like to report them to someone but I don't know who. I can't find a number or address for the local franchise authority and Comcast won't give me any info about them. They have a bogus address for them on the cable bill. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
can someone help with a Cable problem?
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
can someone help with a Cable problem?
The cable company is obliged to give you proper signal level, and
performance. If they cannot, you should tell them that you want to quit their service. In this case, get a satellite dish, if they cannot fix it. When you quit them, tell them your reason for dropping their service, and that you are going to get a dish. You may even find the dish service much better. Infact, I am in an area where I cannot get the satellite services. The cable company would have been out of here a few years ago! -- Greetings, Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG ========================================= WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm ========================================= "Mike" wrote in message om... I don't know if anyone can help me with this but it doesn't hurt to ask. I've tried other newsgroups and forums but I really didn't have too much luck. For the past several years my analog cable reception has been pretty crappy. It was fine for several years after it was installed (which was about 13 years ago) but then it started going downhill. The cable company claims that it's because they are adding more channels and their system isn't fully setup for that yet but I know that's not the truth. I think it has something to do with the wiring and/or old cables used. Ever since they came out and repaired/replaced a cut cable line I've been picking up the audio from a local radio station on one or two channels. Most of them are too snowy to watch and have a bit of static on them. This doesn't occur on all the TVs just the last one or two connected. There are four outlets with 3 splits and the two TVs with the problem are on the last split. I know that one of the cables goes from the basement to outside on the roof, then up into the attic then back down into the two rooms on the second floor. I'm thinking that part of the problem is the cable on the roof and the cables in the attic. Perhaps the one on the roof can't withstand the extreme temperatures. It gets baked in the summer and frozen in the winter. And the ones in the attic perhaps get too hot in the summer. It really does get hot up there in the summer. Perhaps they just need to be replaced? It has been 13 years. Does anyone have any ideas at all on what the problems could be? Or perhaps what I can do (without spending any money) to see where the problem is coming from? The cable company won't fix the problem and I am sick of this crap. I'd like to report them to someone but I don't know who. I can't find a number or address for the local franchise authority and Comcast won't give me any info about them. They have a bogus address for them on the cable bill. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
can someone help with a Cable problem?
Mike wrote: deleted cable problem stuff Does anyone have any ideas at all on what the problems could be? Or perhaps what I can do (without spending any money) to see where the problem is coming from? The cable company won't fix the problem and I am sick of this crap. I'd like to report them to someone but I don't know who. I can't find a number or address for the local franchise authority and Comcast won't give me any info about them. They have a bogus address for them on the cable bill. Yea, if you complain about the service and they come and discover that your "in house" lines are bad, you'll also get charged. Here's a few things that you can try that may reveal whether the problem is on thier line or yours. First of all, make sure that the problem isn't in your set--i.e., the snowyness shows up on other sets at that location as well. Then, find or borrow a small portable color set (this assumes that your main set is too big or a nuisance to move). Get an extension cord and take it out to the actual cable service entrance and hook it up directly there. If the picture is much better, you've obviously got some in house line problems that you will have to do something about yourself (Note that a smaller set can look a little better just due to its size though). If it appears that there might be a problem with their service, find or borrow a line amp and hook it up somewhere between the service entrance and your set--ideally, hook it up at the service entrance. If there is any noticable improvement at all, you can pretty well justify calling the serivice provider and tell them that they appear to have an inferior signal at your service entrance. Service levels do change--almost always deteriorating. I've seen a major storm somehow cause service to degrade requiring a reajustment. Also, the channel range is broken up into segments where it goes through the amps so you can have some channels good and others that need to be adjusted. I have 2 channels that were always a bit flakey for 4 years before I discovered that their levels were less than half of what they were supposed to be. There are government tariffs that define what the signal level at your service entrance must be and the service providers must provide that level. If they do not, technically they cannot charge you for the service. One last item, if you call Comcast customer service, their people are paid to "make customers happy". Once you know that the problem is on their service, simply call them up and tell them that the problem is theirs and if they can't fix it you want your service dropped because you are getting satellite (their biggest REAL problem at present). If they are unwilling to take care of this, then you really don't want their service anyway. Oh, and by the way, anytime that you talk to customer service, make sure that you get their NAME. Write it down and mention it on all followup calls. When customer service reps know that you have their name and are willing to remember it, their attention can improve (although I must admit that I have occasionally contacted a get CS person. It's a great experience :-) - Jeff |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
can someone help with a Cable problem?
Solution (A)
EXPRESSVU !!! If you can't solve it locally, go higher up, about 22,000 miles up! Still won't solve the problem of 100's of channels of crap though, even with access to digital or HD programming, Cost of service is comparable. Installation cost ~$100 for small dish and receiver including sign-up discounts Only real problem would be loss of CABLE INTERNET access but then maybe they don't supply internet cable access in which case you won't lose much! Oh well, can't win them all ! SOLUTION (B) Throw more money at it ! Buy a Line Amp/Splitter box and re-cable all of your feedlines from this Amp. so as not to intoduce signal loss from a daisychain of splitter boxes, you should be able to pull new cable using the old cables, to pull in the new cable! Yukio "Mike" wrote in message om... I don't know if anyone can help me with this but it doesn't hurt to ask. I've tried other newsgroups and forums but I really didn't have too much luck. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
can someone help with a Cable problem?
You could have plenty of signal and still have a snowy picture.
Cable amps are built non-identical. Since no ckt has a flat response, if they were the same you would have some channels with lots of signal and some with little. They make them different so that it balances out. If you put an amp in line and channels are still snowy or you get overload, this may be the problem. - they don't have them random enough. Go direct to the source first. If it is good on ALL channels, then your wiring is the problem. Cable has a tendency to "shrink" the center conductor, and you have to redo the cable ends. Check to make sure the center conductor is protruding far enough. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Chasing cable for wall mounted plasma | UK diy | |||
Car aerial cable | UK diy | |||
Pulling cable through with existing one / Clipping cable in loft | UK diy | |||
CABLE TV | UK diy |