CATV - Cable Signal Leak

Cable provider stopped by in my absence yesterday and slapped me with a "Call for Service" tag indicating I have a Cable Signal Leak. I've scheduled a service call for tomorrow (mid-day PST). But wanted to get schooled on exactly what a Cable Signal Leak is. I've googled both this NG and alt.cable-tv and followed up on various suggestions posted in the past...

A little background info -

A year ago as we begun a remodel, the h2o line that the cable ground was terminated at was relocated and the ground never re-connected. All this time cable service was not affected.

The cabling setup / schematic has the feed cable that enters a three-way splitter that feeds to outlets and another three-way splitter which then feed three more outlets. I'd try a ASCII diagram, but I'd prolly screw that up also..

As of this posting, only the two feeds coming from the first splitter provide a clear picture....

I've replaced both splitters to no avail. I've replaced the cable from the first splitter to the other to no avail.

I've reconnected the ground, to no avail...

So I'm stuck until the service tech arrives tomorrow...

Any advice? I haven't eliminated the chance that any of the replacement parts are defective. I do have a multi-tester but no idea on how this might be used...

TIA

Rick

Reply to
pray4surf
Loading thread data ...

Hi, Do you use all the output connectors on splitters? If any one is unused, is it terminated with terminator plug? They sell them at the RS. Tony

Reply to
Tony Hwang

: Hi, : Do you use all the output connectors on splitters? If any one is unused, : is it terminated with terminator plug? They sell them at the RS. : Tony

No, but that's never 'seemed' to matter in the past...

Would a terminator plug be needed on 'unused' wall outlets?

On a side note, would the individual splitters require their own ground?

Thanks!!!

Now my suspicious side speaking... Could the cable co have 'done' anything from the outside of my house?

Rick

Reply to
pray4surf

it means that somewhere in your house' cable wires, you are" leaking" the cable signal out into the atmosphere where it can and does interfere w/ other communicatin equipment. Like airplanes , or your next door neighbor who still uses an antenna. Anyways, the fcc can fine cable co.s for any signal leaks they find. Now. . ." your leak" will be 1 of 2 things. . i'd bet it's the 1st. If you have any splitters in your house that have an open/unused port / guess what ? ? ? that is a leak. any unused outlets that are active must be "terminated" little attatchments that block any signal from escaping. You can get cheap ones at radio shack. But your cable tech will have them for no $. The 2nd poss cause is a damaged line somewhere on your property, but if tha is the cause, you would have some channels that are real crappy. hope that helped you out

Reply to
Playintennis5274

With Tony also chiming in indicating terminators, I'll bet your guess will be correct.

I did have add'l questions in my reply to Tony... ;-)

Hope you two have a great holiday! And many thanks for the advice....

Rick

Reply to
pray4surf

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 06:14:31 GMT "pray4surf" used 19 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair

no. see below , you halfwit

no. geeezus-- scroll down.....

The cable should be grounded at the "ground block" at the service entrance. Since you're obviously stealing service ---- you missed that.....

Here's my suspicious side. You made your own shitty fittings, with the pussy hair hanging out of them and stingers 2" long. They look like they're made up by a retard, right? Next time, make sure you know what the f*ck you're doing. Use real fittings instead of Crap-Shack ones, and learn how to make them up, you nincompoop.

And don't install cheap-ass splitters all over... You only install the exact amount of splitter outputs you'll use. Then, you won't need 75 ohm terminators the other fuckwits told you to get.

Reply to
G. Morgan

Thanks! Graham

???

Rick

Reply to
pray4surf

Went through this a couple of years ago.

Not having a terminator on won't leak enough signal to bring the cable police down on you, you need a pretty big leak before they sweat it, at least around here.

Mine turned out to be a place where those pesky mice chewed through the outer jacket, shield, and inner insulation on a 2" section of cable inside a wall, leaving the center conductor bare for 2". When the cable guy brought his directional signal sniffer in, he was able to isolate the particular length by disconnecting feeds from the splitter while monitoring the leak. He left it disconnected, told me to fix it, and left. No biggie. I assume they did a double check at some later time to make sure I hadn't just reconnected it.

We live in the woods, and there's no way to keep the mice out when it turns cold; best I can do is trap them when they get in, but sometimes it takes a while to get them all.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Franklin

"pray4surf" wrote in news:64Pwd.559$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com:

Common sources of leaks or EMI sources are improperly tightened F connectors,corroded connectors,open ports on splitters,cuts in the coax shield.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Sounds like a partial DIY JOB. Did you use the PROPER HF coax? RG-58 won't cut it. Proper RG-6 or better will. Did you have a proper crimp tool when you made the connections? Or did you use screw on ones? Did you have cheap splitters?

Your cable company will painfully point out these items if there not the way they should be. Don't surprised if they swap out your splitters and put new ends on your cables. Or disconnect any improper cable buried in the walls.

Bob.

-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------

formatting link
The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!

-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----

Reply to
BOB URZ

: Cable provider stopped by in my absence yesterday and slapped me with a : "Call for Service" tag indicating I have a Cable Signal Leak.

thanks all...

Cable co was out. Replaced the primary 'feed/service' cable and problem solved. Did recommend that I replace the 'old' cable with new. Looks like I have my p.m. project ahead of me, chasing new cable down the walls...

Rick

Reply to
pray4surf

"pray4surf" wrote in news:qf0xd.733$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com:

So the problem was in their drop?

Reply to
Jim Yanik

: : So the problem was in their drop? : : Yes...

Reply to
pray4surf

Dam squirrels stealing CATV signals. They should be shot......

Bob

-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------

formatting link
The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!

-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----

Reply to
Bob Urz

Was my problem at one time, Squirrels chewed into the drop cable where enters the house! They also like christmas lights, the colored ones, At leaset until Im left them plugged in all the time for a while

==----------

Reply to
MC

"MC" wrote in news:CSXxd.28885$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews1.bellsouth.net:

According to cable industry magazines,number one EMI problem is bad connectors;either improperly installed,corroded,or loose.

(I used to work for companies that made and serviced cable test equipment.)

Reply to
Jim Yanik

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.