Rick, A properly constructed TV picks up signals only through its antenna jack. This is usually in a modern set, on a coax cable. (If you have any of the flat 300 ohm twin lead (flat two wire cable) stuff anywhere, it has no shielding, and you should take steps to get rid of it!) People often sometimes involve things like TV game switches in the mix, or hook up various splitters and switches that are not properly shielded. Or there may be a cable jumper plugged into a cable jack but just coiled up and unused!
If the coax coming to the TV has a properly installed F connector, and the TV is properly shielded, everything "should" be fine. If you are using a TV antenna either outside or inside (rabbit ears), then you will be picking up trains, electric shavers, car ingnitions, etc... If any of your neighbors has left a cable jack uncovered, ie a cable outlet that is not in use and is unconvered, you have a "leak" in the cable pipe. Signals inside the cable, many of which are not licensed at their frequency for over the air transmission, will leak out. In a similar way, other signals can leak in. Also, TV set manufactures leave out filtering and shielding that would protect their TV sets and other home entertainment devices from interference. They save a few cents per TV, which translates into huge savings on millions of units. When a consumer reports a problem, they have the electronic field service guy install a kit that contains the parts that where left out in the first place. It happens seldom, so most of the time they are ahead of the game! It affects more than TVs. You can receive signals on your home stereo, boom box, CD player and even the PA system at your church. I was in a movie theatre here in Orlando one time and there were CB calls coming over the movie's sound. Some guy out in the parking lot with a CB set, probably totally legal, but the theatre's sound system had a problem somewhere.... Here is a test. Lets say that your local broadcaster for CBS transmits on channel 6. Channel 6 is where you would set your TV if you had an antenna connected to the TV. But, you are on cable! You receive channel 6 on channel 5 on you TV. (it could also be another nearby channel, say 4 or 7). With your TV still connected to the cable, put your TV on channel 6, not the channel that the cable company tells you use, but the actual channel 6. More than likely they have put another signal their. Lets say that it is the shopping network. Watch the picture for a while. It is common for you to see the shopping channel you are tuned to, but in the background may be a ghost, a 2nd channel. This ghost will be the real channel 6 that the cable company deliberately moved off of channel 6 to prevent ghosting if they had any leakage. If you see double images on any of your channels 2 through 13 on your TV connected to cable, then there is a leak somewhere! It could be open jacks, loose fittings at connections which degrade the cable shielding, damaged cable, poor quality cable, or something that your neighbor has incorrectly hooked up. Maybe a cable jumper that someone plugged in to a cable jack, and at some point had a TV hooked up, but then disconnected the TV, but left the cable jumper still connected to the jack, maybe coiled up behind a piece of furniture. At the end, where its F connector is, the center conductor will have 1/4 inch or so sticking out. The shield is broken! Finding and getting this fixed can be a nightmare! It often will involve your cable provider that will feel that fixing such problems is not profitable. I have been on been on Directv (satellite) for years. The quality of the pictures we got on the cable on channels 2 to 13 was poor. Many other channels had low signal level, seen as somewhat snowy pictures. I never get interference from passing cars, electric shavers or electric trains. I also have my TV and other entertainment stuff on computer type UPS systems. We live in Florida, the lightning capitol of the world, so after I lost my first $500 laser disk player, I decided to protect all my stuff. A side benefit is that the power line also gets filtered for noise. Rick Evans wrote: >Hey Chuck! Can you enlighten me further on the 'right' and 'wrong' way to install a >TV???? :^) > > > -- Web Site - http://myflyertrains.org email - [EMAIL PROTECTED] 25+ Years of high resolution scans of Gilbert catalogs online! Kris Model Trains & The All Aboard Sets Club! S-Trains list sponsor: http://www.americanflyertrains.com All the Flyer you desire...books and accessories too! To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list send a note to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
