If the answer you gave below "very good" refers to your incoming signal before your splitters, then your RF distribution system needs to be reworked.
Remember that every time a signal is split, you lose 3.5 db. That number may seem small and insignificant, BUT 3DB LOSS = 50% OF YOUR POWER! This number refers to a simple 2-way splitter. If you have a 4-way splitter, that number turns to 7.5db of loss. So you see with every split you make in your system, the signal degradation is logarithmically worse (similar to the way earthquakes are rated). Every splice in a cable, every cable connector adds to the loss, not to mention the possibility of a poor shield connection with every connector that is installed. The proper way to run a distribution system is to place an amplifier and a single splitter unit with as many ports as you need right at the point of entry at your house, then running each line to that location. If the number of splits exceeds 8, you should go with line taps instead of splitters. The insertion loss is much lower as is the signal loss. I would recommend the Blonder Tongue ACA35-1000 amplifier. It will out-live you if properly installed. At 180 bucks, it may seem high, considering a Radio Shack amplifier is about 40 bucks, but it will be done right and work properly the first time with zero aggravation. That being said, if you are getting your internet through the system, you would need a model like the BIDA 100A-30. It is a bi-directional amplifier so your internet will continue to work properly. The pricing is also pretty steep for this unit at about 550 bucks. But take it from a guy who has tried to cut every corner in every way...do it right with the right equipment the first time, and you won't have to do it again. I have personally designed CATV headends, apartment distribution systems, and I even have one government CCTV system under my belt, and this equipment is still in operation as old as 20 years. I will conclude this by saying that it is easy to blame the cable company for not providing a strong enough signal to suit every need of every subscriber. But, they have to play by FCC rules and regulations, and those include leakage standards. The advent of digital television brought on a lot of issues, further complicated by wireless data and phone services, and plagued the industry with a new set of interference standards primarily designed to protect OTA viewers. In my humble opinion, these interference issues, such as third harmonics beating all over the place, will get worse before they get better, thus standards for broadcasters, CATV systems, and wireless systems will get even more regulated before the end of OTA television in the next decade. I am actually happy to be out of the business. I didn't think I would ever say that, but my abrupt career change has been a blessing for me. I have zero stress (I work, I go home, and the phone doesn't call me in at all hours of the day and night, including weekends and vacations), I sleep better than I have in years, and I can now enjoy life beyond work, that includes my children, my partner, my family, and my friendships more than ever possible. For those that care, I am still in engineering, but my focus is on factory automation and electro-mechanical work...a very labor-intensive position that has the added bonus of weight loss, as I don't sit on my fat ass behind a desk all day! My boss has already allowed me to build a small electronics work station to keep automation controls repair done in-house instead of sending every little component out. The ultimate goal is to create a corporate-wide electronics repair and system development operation to bring costs down as plants automate more and more of their operations. And my little entry-level position already pays better, with cheaper insurance, than any job I have ever had in broadcasting. With that, I must depart my computer and get busy on my home remodel project...finishing approximately 800 square feet of basement adding a bathroom, moving a laundry room, and remodeling the kitchen <I'm tired just thinking about it>. If you need any further assistance, email me your requirements, and I can draw up a schematic for you to run off of, and your cable distribution system will leave you headache free. Best regards, Jeff On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 9:00 PM, Bob in Jersey <[email protected]> wrote: > > Jeff, in part: >> How many times is the line split? What does the signal look like >> before it hits the splitter? Is there an OTA channel 3 in your market? If >> so, how close? Any FM stations around your neighborhood? > > At least 3, and probably many more, I need to check; very good; I'm in > the Philly DMA, so, yes, KYW, which is 50 - 60 miles away; there is an > FM on a nearby hill, at 99.9, and it's at least 20kw. > > > > -- > BOB > > -- > TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "TV or Not TV" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
