I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC

miamicuse wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC


Cable systems are notorious for carrying ground loop currents. But it
could also be a leaking bypass capacitor in one of the devices to which
you connected (and which could comprise a hazard). I'd probably run the
incoming cable connection through a ground block and see if that changes
what you see/feel.

You might find a Google search of

cable "ground loop"

interesting.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC


Although Coax Cables are routinely configured to carry DC for
satellite dish LNA's and LNB's, your problem sounds like a ground
fault (one or more of your devices) is not grounded properly. It
could be the device itself or it could be that the electrical outlet
the device is plugged into has a poor or non-existent ground. If your
source is Cable TV, the ground fault could be coming into your house
from the cable company.

Get a voltmeter and check for potential difference between the outer
conductors shield before you connect. This is more accurate than
getting "shocked".

Beachcomber

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 05:25:45 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC


Although Coax Cables are routinely configured to carry DC for
satellite dish LNA's and LNB's, your problem sounds like a ground
fault (one or more of your devices) is not grounded properly. It
could be the device itself or it could be that the electrical outlet
the device is plugged into has a poor or non-existent ground. If your
source is Cable TV, the ground fault could be coming into your house
from the cable company.

Get a voltmeter and check for potential difference between the outer
conductors shield before you connect. This is more accurate than
getting "shocked".

Beachcomber



VCR's are never grounded. Test that first. If it has a standard
plug, reverse the plug and test again. If its polarized (one prong
wider), your outlet might be reverse wired.

Mark

Use a voltmeter to find where its from. Dont use the bad unit or call
the cable co if its from their end. Let us know what you find.

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 05:25:45 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to
the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you
know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I
don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of
the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was
at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and
they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the
attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that
TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC


Although Coax Cables are routinely configured to carry DC for
satellite dish LNA's and LNB's, your problem sounds like a ground
fault (one or more of your devices) is not grounded properly. It
could be the device itself or it could be that the electrical outlet
the device is plugged into has a poor or non-existent ground. If your
source is Cable TV, the ground fault could be coming into your house
from the cable company.

Get a voltmeter and check for potential difference between the outer
conductors shield before you connect. This is more accurate than
getting "shocked".

Beachcomber



VCR's are never grounded. Test that first. If it has a standard
plug, reverse the plug and test again. If its polarized (one prong
wider), your outlet might be reverse wired.

Mark

I tend to agree with the above post that your problem might be a reversed
neutral / hot connection. Since the VCR probably has a polarity plug just
maybe your outlet has the hot and neutral switched. Carefully pop the plate
and pull the outlet from the box. Take a meter and insert the probe into the
large prong socket and place the other probe on the bare or green ground
wire. If you see more than a couple of volts like maybe 110 or more than you
need to switch the wires.
Good luck, Ross

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC


In the past I have felt voltage when connecting my cable. There would
be a noticeable voltage between the cable shields (you'd feel it if
holding a splitter while screwing the cable on). This problem seems to
have gone away since the cable company (Cox now) replaced the coax and
added a ground block.
--
31 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

Ross Mac wrote:

wrote in message
...

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 05:25:45 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:


On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:


I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to
the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you
know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I
don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of
the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was
at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and
they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the
attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that
TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC



Although Coax Cables are routinely configured to carry DC for
satellite dish LNA's and LNB's, your problem sounds like a ground
fault (one or more of your devices) is not grounded properly. It
could be the device itself or it could be that the electrical outlet
the device is plugged into has a poor or non-existent ground. If your
source is Cable TV, the ground fault could be coming into your house

from the cable company.

Get a voltmeter and check for potential difference between the outer
conductors shield before you connect. This is more accurate than
getting "shocked".

Beachcomber



VCR's are never grounded. Test that first. If it has a standard
plug, reverse the plug and test again. If its polarized (one prong
wider), your outlet might be reverse wired.

Mark


I tend to agree with the above post that your problem might be a reversed
neutral / hot connection. Since the VCR probably has a polarity plug just
maybe your outlet has the hot and neutral switched. Carefully pop the plate
and pull the outlet from the box. Take a meter and insert the probe into the
large prong socket and place the other probe on the bare or green ground
wire. If you see more than a couple of volts like maybe 110 or more than you
need to switch the wires.
Good luck, Ross


Better still, go to HD/Lowes and get one of the $10 neon testers that
will quickly tell you whether all the wires in your outlets are properly
connected.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

"Mark Lloyd" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to
the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you
know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I
don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of
the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was
at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and
they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the
attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that
TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC


In the past I have felt voltage when connecting my cable. There would
be a noticeable voltage between the cable shields (you'd feel it if
holding a splitter while screwing the cable on). This problem seems to
have gone away since the cable company (Cox now) replaced the coax and
added a ground block.
--
31 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

If the problem is with the cable company end, wouldn't I have the same
problem when I am connecting the splitter with the other three TV cables? I
only experienced this problem when I tried to screw on the very last cable
connector.

MC

Better still, go to HD/Lowes and get one of the $10 neon testers that
will quickly tell you whether all the wires in your outlets are properly
connected.

--

What is that called? I might do that and if reversed I can reverse it.

Thanks,

MC

miamicuse wrote:

Better still, go to HD/Lowes and get one of the $10 neon testers that
will quickly tell you whether all the wires in your outlets are properly
connected.

--


What is that called? I might do that and if reversed I can reverse it.

Thanks,

MC


http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...D=9876&pos=n01

If that link doesn't work, it's described as a

"Gardner Bender
3-Wire Circuit Analyzer

Model GRT-500A
Price: $4.95/ea"


--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

CJT wrote:

miamicuse wrote:

Better still, go to HD/Lowes and get one of the $10 neon testers that
will quickly tell you whether all the wires in your outlets are properly
connected.

--



What is that called? I might do that and if reversed I can reverse it.

Thanks,

MC


http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...D=9876&pos=n01


If that link doesn't work, it's described as a

"Gardner Bender
3-Wire Circuit Analyzer

Model GRT-500A
Price: $4.95/ea"


While you're there, you might consider also getting one of these and
installing it:

http://www.cablesnmor.com/f-ground-block.html

I couldn't find it on the HD/Lowes sites, but I'm pretty sure they have
them in the stores.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

In this case, it was low voltage, but you'd better damn well get out
of the habit of using two hands to test voltage. If you want to do
this again use only one hand, and probably the most you'll get is a
burn.

If you use two hands and it's a substantial voltage AC or DC, you're
running the current right though your heart. That's one way people
get killed by electicity.

if there wasn't supposed to be any voltage there and there is, there'
little reason to assume it will be low voltage, since it's not
supposed to be there in the first place.

You actually specifiy that you used your left and for one and your
right hand for the other. You would have felt it with just one hand.
Why risk your life?

Better yet, get a meter.



I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Thanks,

MC



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

mm wrote:
On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?



You are probably feeling the normal small amount of leakage current
from the VCR flowing to the grounded CATV line.

If it was a small tingle and didn't knock you on your butt, its normal.

Mark

most likely you have AC voltage from your appliance trying to get thru
you to the grounded side [the outside] of your cable.
to eliminate worry try plugging your appliance into a portable GFI and
then connect the cable. if the appliance continues to operate without
tripping the GFI, half your worries are over.

On 24 Nov 2005 20:41:13 -0800, "Mark" wrote:


mm wrote:
On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
wrote:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?



You are probably feeling the normal small amount of leakage current
from the VCR flowing to the grounded CATV line.

If it was a small tingle and didn't knock you on your butt, its normal.


But don't hold unknown coax in your mouth.

Mark
--
30 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

Actually, it's not unusual to find small currents in coax. Most
signal amplifiers in fact, use the coax to power the amplifier so
the amp can be placed close to the antenna and the power supply
at the equipment.
It's also subject to fantom voltages, just as power wiring is.
Try putting any light bulb (a nightlight is easy to use) across
the voltage: If the voltage goes away, it's phantom power. If
the voltage doesn't completely go away, then it bears looking
into a little more. My bet is it'll go away completely.

"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...
:
: mm wrote:
: On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:51:52 -0500, "miamicuse"
: wrote:
:
: I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I
got up to the
: attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.
:
: Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect
the cable OUT.
: When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my
finger, you know
: when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go
touch a metal
: railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it
static? I don't
: know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the
one IN cable
: and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then
I let go of the
: splitter and touch the last coax cable connector -
nothing...so I touched
: the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable
connector with my
: right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?
:
:
:
: You are probably feeling the normal small amount of leakage
current
: from the VCR flowing to the grounded CATV line.
:
: If it was a small tingle and didn't knock you on your butt, its
normal.
:
: Mark
:

On 25-Nov-2005, "buffalobill" wrote:

to eliminate worry try plugging your appliance into a portable GFI and
then connect the cable. if the appliance continues to operate without
tripping the GFI, half your worries are over.

If you have a non-polarized two-prong plug on the power cable, first
try reversing it. That may provide proper grounding. I've seen this
kind of grounding problem with older audio equipment. I've never
found out why, but know that unless all the related audio gear is
plugged in with the same plug orientation, you get current leakage.

Mike

Good catch, Mike; I'd forgotten about that one. I'll bet that's
the source.

Pop

"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...
:
: On 25-Nov-2005, "buffalobill" wrote:
:
: to eliminate worry try plugging your appliance into a
portable GFI and
: then connect the cable. if the appliance continues to operate
without
: tripping the GFI, half your worries are over.
:
: If you have a non-polarized two-prong plug on the power cable,
first
: try reversing it. That may provide proper grounding. I've
seen this
: kind of grounding problem with older audio equipment. I've
never
: found out why, but know that unless all the related audio gear
is
: plugged in with the same plug orientation, you get current
leakage.
:
: Mike

"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...

On 25-Nov-2005, "buffalobill" wrote:

to eliminate worry try plugging your appliance into a portable GFI and
then connect the cable. if the appliance continues to operate without
tripping the GFI, half your worries are over.

If you have a non-polarized two-prong plug on the power cable, first
try reversing it. That may provide proper grounding. I've seen this
kind of grounding problem with older audio equipment. I've never
found out why, but know that unless all the related audio gear is
plugged in with the same plug orientation, you get current leakage.

Mike

I have a TV, a DVD player and a VHS player hooked up at that location. All
the plugs have a "wide" leg and a "skinny" leg. They are all plugged into a
six port surge protector which is plugged into a single outlet. The coax
cable from the attic feeds into the VHS player, and another coax goes from
the VHS player to the TV.

If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV directly,
there is no current.

I bought a $5.00 three wire circult analyzer and plugged it into the surge
protector outlet and the two yellow light lit up but not the red light. So
if I am reading the instructions right it means it's wired correctly.

Where should I go look next?

Thanks,

MC

On 28-Nov-2005, "miamicuse" wrote:

If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV directly,
there is no current.

No current where? - at the TV or out of the short coax coming out of the
VCR? If the latter, it might be the current is coming in the cable from
outside. Otherwise, you might have a problem inside your VCR.

Try grounding the cable at the splitter - the case of the splitter should
be grounded so you just have to connect a line to a good ground. See if
that draws off the current you feel. It could be that the outside cable
is not at the same ground potential as your house. If you have wiring in
the attic that is grounded at a junction box or box for a switch, you could
attach to that - I don't know if that is acceptable as far as electrical
codes go, but would be suitable for a test. The power in the cable should
be pretty low, so codes might not be a problem - someone who knows will
probably chime in.

BTW - the other stuff you mentioned suggests it isn't a problem with
your electrical system and VCR/DVD/TV hardware having different polarities
or that your electrical outlets are wired backwards.

Mike

"Michael Daly" wrote in message ...

On 28-Nov-2005, "miamicuse" wrote:

If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV directly,
there is no current.

No current where? - at the TV or out of the short coax coming out of the
VCR? If the latter, it might be the current is coming in the cable from
outside.

That's almost certainly the problem.

Try grounding the cable at the splitter

And the solution.

I don't have the original post, but one glaring fact is
repeated in all responses read. First inspected is coax cable
where it enter the building. As even required by National
Electrical Code (NEC), that cable must connect to same earth
ground used by telephone and AC electric breaker box. This
hardwire connects cable ground block where cable enters the
building. Even connection via a faucet or water pipe is not
acceptable nor sufficient. It must be a dedicated and
conductive ground connection - less than 20 feet per NEC.

All incoming utilities must make direct connections to a
common ground. That means no utility will float to a different
voltage. This grounding required so that humans don't get
electrical shocks (human safety) AND so that household
transistors are not damaged (transistor safety).

Every cable appliance should be galvanically isolated from
cable. That means, even if power plug is reversed (what that
three light tester tests), still, no significant current
should exist on coax. Notice redundant layers of protection.
AC power plug properly polarized. Coax cable connection
galvanically isolated. Cable earthed before entering house.
To be shocked, multiple problems may exist. This sentence is
very important to your analysis. Multiple problems may exist
to create shocks.

Curious that current does not occur when one appliance is
connected through another. That suggests one appliance has an
internal fault. A fault made irrelevant by galvanic isolation
in the second (electrically closer) appliance.

Most of your previous responses are shotgunning - try this
and try that. Nonsense. Start that the most important part
and proceed in an organized manner. Does AC electric,
telephone, and coax cable all connect to same earth ground
before entering the building? This may or may not be a
solution. But you cannot test for it. Visually inspect this
requirement; correct as necessary. Then move on to other
possible reasons for failure. Remember, to have a problem,
you would have multiple failures. Find at least two. Maybe
unfix the first located solution so that you can find the
other failure.

Meanwhile, what does that six outlet protector do? Makes
the typically destructive surge easier to damage transistors.
It does protect from a type of surge that typically does not
damage transistors. That being sufficient to claim it is a
surge protector - and for you to 'assume' it protects from all
kinds of surges. The best power strip is about $3+ dollars
from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protection); and has UL
approval.

Review what some power strip protectors have done
previously. Where is your's located - behind the furniture in
a dust pile?
http://www.westwhitelandfire.com/Art...Protectors.pdf
http://www.nmsu.edu/~safety/programs...tectorfire.htm
http://www.ehs.washington.edu/LabSaf/surge.htm
http://www.hanford.gov/rl/?page=556&parent=554

Internal protection already inside electronics can be
overwhelmed if destructive transients are not earth before
entering the building. Effective protection makes a 'less
than 10 foot' connection to that common earth ground inspected
above. Effective 'whole house' protectors have responsible
manufacturer names such as Square D, Leviton, Polyphaser,
Intermatic (in Home Depot), Siemens, and GE and Cutler Hammer
(Lowes). They also cost tens of times less money per
protected appliance compared to the ineffective and highly
touted plug-in protector names.

Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists. For that failure - one
possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.

miamicuse wrote:
I have a TV, a DVD player and a VHS player hooked up at that location.
All the plugs have a "wide" leg and a "skinny" leg. They are all
plugged into a six port surge protector which is plugged into a single
outlet. The coax cable from the attic feeds into the VHS player, and
another coax goes from the VHS player to the TV.

If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV
directly, there is no current.

I bought a $5.00 three wire circult analyzer and plugged it into the
surge protector outlet and the two yellow light lit up but not the
red light. So if I am reading the instructions right it means it's
wired correctly.

Where should I go look next?

w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars
from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip
.... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).

Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

.... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one
possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.

snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...

On 28-Nov-2005, "miamicuse" wrote:

If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV
directly,
there is no current.

No current where? - at the TV or out of the short coax coming out of the
VCR? If the latter, it might be the current is coming in the cable from
outside. Otherwise, you might have a problem inside your VCR.


Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

Try grounding the cable at the splitter - the case of the splitter should
be grounded so you just have to connect a line to a good ground. See if
that draws off the current you feel. It could be that the outside cable
is not at the same ground potential as your house. If you have wiring in
the attic that is grounded at a junction box or box for a switch, you
could
attach to that - I don't know if that is acceptable as far as electrical
codes go, but would be suitable for a test. The power in the cable should
be pretty low, so codes might not be a problem - someone who knows will
probably chime in.

BTW - the other stuff you mentioned suggests it isn't a problem with
your electrical system and VCR/DVD/TV hardware having different polarities
or that your electrical outlets are wired backwards.

Mike

"CJT" wrote in message
...
w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars
from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip
... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).

Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one
possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.

snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

Hmm...sorry but I understood about 20% of the above post - got a bit too
technical for me... I am the OP here is the original post:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Here are some additional tests I did afterwards:

Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

MC


MC

Good god man, just find a source of ground in your attic. Hold
the splitter -- with the input connected and no outputs, touch the
ground source and see if you feel anything. If so, your incoming
cable isn't grounded properly (common problem). Simply attach
the splitter to the source of ground and you're done.

"miamicuse" wrote in message ...

"CJT" wrote in message
...
w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars
from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip
... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).

Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one
possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.

snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

Hmm...sorry but I understood about 20% of the above post - got a bit too
technical for me... I am the OP here is the original post:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Here are some additional tests I did afterwards:

Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

MC


MC

miamicuse wrote:
"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...

On 28-Nov-2005, "miamicuse" wrote:


If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV

directly,

there is no current.

No current where? - at the TV or out of the short coax coming out of the
VCR? If the latter, it might be the current is coming in the cable from
outside. Otherwise, you might have a problem inside your VCR.



Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

Sure sounds like it. Disconnect the VCR from everything else and
measure the voltage between its chassis and ground (e.g. the safety
ground of one of the receptacles you've tested).

But first STOP USING YOUR BODY AS A TESTER. You're gonna electrocute
yourself. Harbor Freight has meters for 4 bucks +/-. That's pretty
cheap if it saves your life.


Try grounding the cable at the splitter - the case of the splitter should
be grounded so you just have to connect a line to a good ground. See if
that draws off the current you feel. It could be that the outside cable
is not at the same ground potential as your house. If you have wiring in
the attic that is grounded at a junction box or box for a switch, you

could

attach to that - I don't know if that is acceptable as far as electrical
codes go, but would be suitable for a test. The power in the cable should
be pretty low, so codes might not be a problem - someone who knows will
probably chime in.

BTW - the other stuff you mentioned suggests it isn't a problem with
your electrical system and VCR/DVD/TV hardware having different polarities
or that your electrical outlets are wired backwards.

Mike





--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

miamicuse wrote:

"CJT" wrote in message
...

w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars

from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip

... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).


Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one

possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.


snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .


Hmm...sorry but I understood about 20% of the above post - got a bit too
technical for me... I am the OP here is the original post:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static?

No, it's not static. It's (hopefully current limited) leakage from
your house electricity. STOP USING YOUR BODY AS A TESTER. Especially
if you have a pacemaker.

I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Here are some additional tests I did afterwards:

Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

MC


MC





--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

On 29-Nov-2005, "miamicuse" wrote:

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

The only way that you'll feel something is if your body is grounded. Since
A, B and C don't have the problem, they might not be grounded - are they
connected to something that is plugged in for power?


Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing.

If D is connected to the VCR and it's plugged in, then D is grounded and you
feel something.

Then I went back down and connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the
VCR player, then back to the attic and try again, nothing.

Is the TV plugged in?

It sounds to me like your cable isn't grounded properly as it enters your
house. As w_tom suggested - do a visual inspection of the cable entry
point and check the ground is in place. Around here, the cable companies
are required to run their line from the telephone pole/underground feed/
etc to a single box outside the house. This box is grounded. The line
in the box is then split (optionally) and that (those) cable(s) are run
into the house. If you have such a box, that's the point to start with.

If nothing else, ground the splitter in the attic.

Mike

It may be induced voltage from outside power lines or a powerful am
antenna transmitter. Anything like that close to you?

miamicuse wrote:
"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...

On 28-Nov-2005, "miamicuse" wrote:


If I unplug the cable to the VHS player but plug it into the TV

directly,

there is no current.

No current where? - at the TV or out of the short coax coming out of the
VCR? If the latter, it might be the current is coming in the cable from
outside. Otherwise, you might have a problem inside your VCR.



Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

It concludes that the VCR is either the source of the problem, or is
actually tying the cable to ground and the tv is not. Have you
disconnected all other cables leaving the VCR and still experience this?

BTW, using yourself as a test device is a deathwish. Consider what
voltages run 10-20 feet above the cable line on the poles. If one of
those has been cut a few miles away and fallen on the cable line, you
could be in serious danger.

--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door() into
the sheepfold{}, but climbeth up some other *way, the same is a thief
and a robber."

GnuPG Key Fingerprint:
82A6 8893 C2A1 F64E A9AD 19AE 55B2 4CD7 80D2 0A2D

miamicuse wrote:
"CJT" wrote in message
...

w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars

from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip

... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).


Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one

possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.


snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .


Hmm...sorry but I understood about 20% of the above post - got a bit too
technical for me... I am the OP here is the original post:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that TV
or VCR?

Here are some additional tests I did afterwards:

Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR, repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

MC

Well typically the 'outside' cable is the only one tied to ground. That
being the case, it does suggest some voltage created by the VCR could be
going to the outside ground through you. If you feel it, its pretty
high voltage. Try the same experiment but unplug the VCR from the
120VAC. And try using a circuit tester so as not to kill yourself.

--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door() into
the sheepfold{}, but climbeth up some other *way, the same is a thief
and a robber."

GnuPG Key Fingerprint:
82A6 8893 C2A1 F64E A9AD 19AE 55B2 4CD7 80D2 0A2D

How do I find a source of ground? Do I just attach a bare wire to any
metallic conduits? Most of the piping in my attic are metal rigid conduits
can I use them as ground?

Thanks,

MC

"Glen" wrote in message
nk.net...
Good god man, just find a source of ground in your attic. Hold
the splitter -- with the input connected and no outputs, touch the
ground source and see if you feel anything. If so, your incoming
cable isn't grounded properly (common problem). Simply attach
the splitter to the source of ground and you're done.

"miamicuse" wrote in message
...

"CJT" wrote in message
...
w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars
from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip
... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).

Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one
possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.

snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

Hmm...sorry but I understood about 20% of the above post - got a bit too
technical for me... I am the OP here is the original post:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to
the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable
OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you
know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I
don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN
cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of
the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I
touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was
at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and
they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the
attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that
TV
or VCR?

Here are some additional tests I did afterwards:

Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming
in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside
cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have
cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat
for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have
outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable
D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing
either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable
A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down
and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back
to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR,
repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

MC


MC

"CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert" wrote in message
...
miamicuse wrote:
"CJT" wrote in message
...

w_tom wrote:

a few points ... (there may be others)

snipThe best power strip is about $3+ dollars

from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot; has the all so critical 15
amp circuit breaker (for human protectionsnip

... from fires, but which does nothing about electrocution).


Don't make assumptions about that three light tester. It
can detect failures BUT it cannot fully prove a receptacle is
wired correctly. It can detect a wiring problem but cannot
prove wiring as correct. What tester does report suggests
receptacle polarity reversal is not a problem. It does not
say, for example, that necessary safety ground from breaker
box to earth is installed or exists.

... but it does indicate that the neutral and ground are at
(approximately) the same potential, and that said potential is
greater than about 65V away from the "hot." Unless the ground
and neutral are connected together at the receptacle or upstream
(but before the breaker box, where they _should_ be), that _does_
say something about the presence of a ground.

For that failure - one

possible reason for the problem - you must visually inspect
then entire connection from breaker box to earth ground.


snip

One would, of course, hope that an inspector had already done that
before the circuit was energized, but humans are admittedly frail.

IMHO, your best point was that multiple protective measures should
be in place (the inspector being one I think you missed).

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .


Hmm...sorry but I understood about 20% of the above post - got a bit too
technical for me... I am the OP here is the original post:

I got a good quality one to four video splitter so tonight I got up to
the
attic and disconnected the old splitter. Nothing unusual.

Then I connect the new cable IN, then one by one I connect the cable
OUT.
When I get to the last one I felt a strong tinkling on my finger, you
know
when you rub your shoe on the carpet a few times and go touch a metal
railing? Yes that feeling...I dropped the splitter. Is it static? I
don't
know. So I touched the splitter, which at that time has the one IN
cable
and three OUT cables connected, and nothing, it's OK. Then I let go of
the
splitter and touch the last coax cable connector - nothing...so I
touched
the splitter with my left hand and the remaining cable connector with my
right hand, yes I feel it again. What is going on?

I then left the attic and when to the other end of that cable, which was
at
the time plugged into a VCR, which in turn was connected to the TV and
they
were running. I unplugged the connector on this end, went back to the
attic
and no more problem. So I hooked the last connector up.

Then I came back down and put the cable connector back to the VCR.

What caused this? Does this mean I have an electrical problem with that
TV
or VCR?

Here are some additional tests I did afterwards:

Well that does not compute either. Because I have the cable feed coming
in
from the outside and into the splitter. If I hold onto the outside
cable
and splitter, I do not feel this mild voltage spike. Now this splitter
splits into four cables which connects to four TVs. Let's say we have
cable
A, B, C, D.

I take cable A, and connect to splitter. Nothing, no voltage. Repeat
for
cable B, nothing. Repeat for cable C, nothing. Now I go grab the last
cable, cable D, and I feel the voltage. I only feel it when I have
outside
cable + splitter in one hand and cable D in another. I let go of cable
D,
nothing. I let go of the splitter and only hold cable D, nothing
either.

Does this mean it might not be the outside cable grounding since cable
A, B,
C do not have this problem?

Now I go to the other end of cable D which is connected to the VCR which
then feeds to the TV. I disconnected that end. Go back to the attic.
Touch both the splitter and cable D. Nothing. Then I went back down
and
connect cable D directly to the TV bypassing the VCR player, then back
to
the attic and try again, nothing. Then I wired it back to the VCR,
repeat -
yes I feel the voltage.

Does this experiment conclude the problem is VCR player?

MC

Well typically the 'outside' cable is the only one tied to ground. That
being the case, it does suggest some voltage created by the VCR could be
going to the outside ground through you. If you feel it, its pretty
high voltage. Try the same experiment but unplug the VCR from the
120VAC. And try using a circuit tester so as not to kill yourself.

--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door() into
the sheepfold{}, but climbeth up some other *way, the same is a thief
and a robber."

GnuPG Key Fingerprint:
82A6 8893 C2A1 F64E A9AD 19AE 55B2 4CD7 80D2 0A2D

I have one of the pen style tester - when you jam it into an outlet it will
beep? When I hold it to within 4 inches of the coax cable it beeps. I
don't have any other circult tester.

MC