Is This Possible???

[Devil505]

We suffer frequent (but short) power outages so I bought a few UPS's (uninterruptible power supplies), mainly for lights, but I figured I could run our 13" kitchen TV for a while off of one too. When I test it, I plug the TV into the ups & then unplug the ups from the wall, the TV still worked fine. (I even turned the TV off & back on just on the ups's battery) I leave the TV plugged into the ups which is fully charged. Now for the kicker: When we have had an actual power failure the TV will not work off the ups's battery????........I get an intermittent picture & then blue screen which seems to cycle about every second!! How is this possible?

[Paul Franklin]

(uninterruptible power supplies), mainly for lights, but I figured I could run our 13" kitchen TV for a while off of one too. When I test it, I plug the TV into the ups & then unplug the ups from the wall, the TV still worked fine. (I even turned the TV off & back on just on the ups's battery) I leave the TV plugged into the ups which is fully charged.

battery????........I get an intermittent picture & then blue screen which seems to cycle about every second!!

Are you using the tv's antenna, or is there a cable box or antenna amp that is losing power?

Is the TV plugged into the same UPS you did the test on? (you said you have several)

Paul

[Mark]

(uninterruptible power supplies), mainly for lights, but I figured I could run our 13" kitchen TV for a while off of one too. When I test it, I plug the TV into the ups & then unplug the ups from the wall, the TV still worked fine. (I even turned the TV off & back on just on the ups's battery) I leave the TV plugged into the ups which is fully charged.

battery????........I get an intermittent picture & then blue screen which seems to cycle about every second!!

Blue screen indicates you're losing your signal source.

[Devil505]

(uninterruptible power supplies), mainly for lights, but I figured I could run our 13" kitchen TV for a while off of one too. When I test it, I plug the TV into the ups & then unplug the ups from the wall, the TV still worked fine. (I even turned the TV off & back on just on the ups's battery) I leave the TV plugged into the ups which is fully charged.

ups's battery????........I get an intermittent picture & then blue screen which seems to cycle about every second!!

[HA HA Budys Here]

Well, since the TV works when you unplug the UPS, but not during an actual outage... then it's the loss of power to something else that's causing the problem.

Keep in mind, if your CATV system is fiber-optic based (includes broadband capability,) it too will be rendered useless if the fiber node (probably mounted to a pole somewhere in the neighborhood, or pad-mounted if electrical utilities are underground) loses power. Generally these nodes are not backed-up.

Nodes convert the fiber optic signal for use with a coaxial distribution system, and require power. (Something to keep in mind before you switch your telephone service to CATV based telephone modem.)

[Devil505]

[HA HA Budys Here]

I'm not Mark.

At your house, yes. They all are. But most systems are now offering broadband capabilities, Digital signals, Addressable cable boxes and the like, and those systems are dependent on power to the fiber nodes. You don't actually get the fiber at your home, the fiber is used for mass distribution of the signals only.

Nodes typically handle up to 10,000 homes, less though depending on how much bandwidth each customer is subscribing to. I.E. - the more cable modems, telephone modems on the circuit, the fewer customers on the node.

[Steve Smith]

It could even be the cable co's amps out on the street, they usually get fed power from somewhere nearby.

-- Steve

[Chip C]

The blue screen is a sure sign that it's the antenna or cable signal that's gone; the tv is being powered fine. Either there is a powered amp somewhere in the house, or the power failure is taking the cable company's signal out with it.

Chip C Toronto

[Tony Hwang]