The Solid Signal Blog

To say that software development is fast-paced has become a bit cliche at this point, but sometimes expressions become cliche because they’re true. Software developers rely on efficiency to beat their competitors to market with similar ideas, and many others depend on it to appease an ever-changing consumer base. Either way, getting the most out of a development team is a main component of a software developer’s success. Assuming that all the important factors are even between two competing software companies–skill set, versatility, expediency, and accuracy–the edge may occur elsewhere. Here we present the part of software development that often goes undervalued; that is, the environment in which your engineers operate. To that end...

Here’s another question that comes from our support lines. You see, of all the cables we have at Solid Signal, most are not rated for burial. In fact only a few are. So what if you want a cable for burial, and we have that type of cable but not in a burial rated version? What is burial rated cable anyway? Well, it’s cable that is supposed to perform well when you bury it. But there’s a little more than that. Typically, burial rated cable will have three characteristics that non-burial-rated cable might not have. Visibility It’s not always true, but often times you will find burial rated cable in a bright color that stands out. You’ll see burial rated cables in yellow, orange, blue, and other colors like that. The reason is obvious...

There’s nothing better than coming home from a long day’s work, turning the car off, and going inside. The little things during the day actually get us through the storm. Sometimes, closing your garage door without any trouble is just that. Think about it: who wants to waste another ten minutes struggling with their garage door? That’s the reality for people who still need to move on to newer methods and technologies. Manual labor days and traditional garage doors are a thing of the past. This article focuses on smart garage door openers, exploring the science behind them and shining light on the benefits they bring. In addition, we will cover the importance of working with professionals and the value that they bring. What’s Behind...

That’s right, longtime readers, I’m back to writing about Star Trek. Maybe it’s been on my mind since the long-awaited last season of Discovery finally made it to screens. Or maybe the idea of Trek never left. This time around, I want to point to to The Roddenberry Archive. For the last year or so, this web site has been showing you virtual reality visions of pretty much every Star Trek location they can. These are really well-done 3D models. The Archive was originally only available to those with VR headsets, but it’s been rendered so that anyone with a screen can use it. There’s also an incredibly well-rendered series of videos which show you little snippets of stories using 3D renders of original actors. No word if the families of...

If you look at Solid Signal, you will see hundreds of parts designed for waveguides. You can shape a waveguide, connect a waveguide, cut a waveguide… all of this sounds great unless you’re asking yourself: What is a waveguide, anyway? You can think of a waveguide as a hose for radio signals. Signals that come in are kept inside and directed, in an orderly way, down the waveguide to somewhere else where they can be received and put on a cable. The shape of the waveguide makes this possible. Depending on what sort of signals you are trying to receive, the waveguide could be shaped like a hot dog or a box or a mostly round tube. Different frequencies respond to different shapes of waveguides. Waveguide theory goes back to the very end...

Here at the Solid Signal Blog we have staff members who remember 1984 like it was yesterday, and others who hadn’t even been born yet. It helps us keep a fresh perspective. So, the other day, we were spitballing about the way things were thirty years ago. Everyone agrees that 100 years ago the world was a very different place, but even the oldsters among us were surprised by how much things had changed since 1984. Sure, computers were coming and some old tech was on its way out, but just walking around homes or offices back then would reveal a different world. Here are 20 ways that things were done back then: If you needed to know some obscure fact, you went the library for about an hour. If you needed to make a phone call while you...

First of all, dear reader, thanks for coming to The Solid Signal Blog. I know you could get a lot of information from a site like Wikipedia. I like to think that people find this site because we offer not only information, but context. And when it comes to GMRS, context is really everything. A quick definition of GMRS GMRS is the General Mobile Radio Service, a set of frequencies in the 460MHz range which are designated for point-to-point mobile use. The FCC’s web site tells you a bit more about that, if you’re curious. It’s not the only service designed for this kind of use. There are several others, including FRS (the Family Radio Service) which operates on the same frequencies. The difference between FRS and GMRS is that you need a...

A while back I was talking to our Signal Pro Rob Young about the way that digital broadcasting works. Rob’s a smart guy and I’ve learned a lot from him. We were talking about some of the common terms that people use to describe the way that this kind of signal drops off at a certain point. I even wrote an article about this, and I called it “the shelf effect.” But Rob calls it “the cliff effect,” and so does Wikipedia. So it’s time to revisit that whole idea, talk some more about it, and you can call it whatever makes the most sense to you. Before I start… I guarantee there is some retired engineer out there who will point out that there is no such thing as “digital broadcasting” or a “digital signal.” I will say to a degree that is...

I was recently contacted by a customer with an interesting question. He showed me a picture of his Slimline dish and said it had only two lines coming from it. He wanted to hook up more equipment, but didn’t know the best way to do it. In order to answer him (and you) I need to explain a little bit. How a Slimline dish used to work DIRECTV’s HD dishes have been around since about 2003. They were redesigned in about 2008 into the Slimline version we know today. Before that there were a variety of different designs. One thing they all had in common was a set of four outputs. You can see them at the bottom of the picture above. This is the way that a lot of satellite dish LNBs looked for a long time. There’s a good reason to have four...

If you’re updating your DIRECTV system, you might need an external multiswitch. Today’s DIRECTV dishes can support up to 13 tuners (meaning 13 receivers, a Genie and 6 receivers, or some other mix) but that may not be enough for you. For commercial customers or home theater fans, you may need more. It’s easy to upgrade to a more powerful system if you know how to hook it up, but DIRECTV systems are designed for installers who already know what they’re doing. Luckily we’re here to help. Traditional “Legacy” dishes You’ll know that you have a legacy LNB if you look at it and it has four connections at the bottom. The more common “SWM” version only has one line but it’s not upgradeable. These four-line versions are in short supply...

If you’re thinking of cutting the cord, you’re probably thinking about an antenna. If you aren’t, you really should be. All of the top rated programs are available live, for free, using an antenna. 90% of Americans can get free television signals in their homes, and chances are right now you could be looking at a couple of dozen free channels that come in without affecting your data caps and without straining your home’s bandwidth. If you’re coming from satellite though, you’re probably worrying about aiming. Don’t be. Aiming a satellite is hard When you’re talking about satellite TV, you’re talking about getting a signal from 22,000 miles away. If your dish is off by as little as 1/32″, you’re pointing at an area 30 miles off course...

Quick. Think of your most prized possession. Is it your wedding ring? Your kid’s first blanket? A letter from a departed relative? You probably think it is. I’m here to tell you you’re wrong. It’s your phone. Now, maybe you’re not so attached to “this” particular phone. But the “idea” of your phone is critical to you. Think about how you felt the last time you left it at home. Think about what would happen if someone stole it. Now, try to imagine any other thing so valuable that you protect it with a password, your fingerprint, and your face. Your phone is the way you connect to nearly everything in your consciousness. And it doesn’t actually work that well. If you’re like most people you have bad cell service at least part of every...

March 9, 2024 Ken moderates a reunion of Growing Pains cast members Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller and Julie McCullough at the Spring NorthEast Comic Con in Boxboro, MA. I’m Ken Reid, a stand up comedian from Boston, MA and a life long television fan. I’ve been twice nominated as the Best Stand up in Boston and I have been featured on Comedy Central, NPR, Nerdist, and MSN. I own every issue of TV Guide. Each week a guest chooses an issue at random, picks their viewing choices from that week and the show is our discussion of the tough viewing choices of our past. We get into stories about growing up, people’s relationship with television, some cultural/media studies dissection and I spit out a lot of trivia. Note: The Ken Reid TV...

Look at a luxury yacht and you’ll find one or two large white gumdrop shapes on the top. Those are satellite domes, and they’re a status symbol for a lot of people. “Look at me,” they say. “I have satellite TV on my boat.” I think that’s cool so I can understand why people brag. These domes look like they’re pretty large and you would think with modern technology they could be smaller. Let’s dive in. Are they really that big? Your average home satellite dish is 39 inches wide. That’s no coincidence… there’s an FCC rule that says dishes smaller than one meter (39.37″) in any direction are ok on homes. Larger dishes could be excluded by an HOA. Because we’re talking about marine satellite, let’s talk in metric. That dish is actually...

It’s pretty much universal. Love the service, hate the service provider. But does it have to be that way? Listen to this week’s podcast to find out more. Then shop at Solid Signal - Signal Solutions including HDTV Antennas, DIRECTV and DISH Network satellite equipment and home entertainment supplies and accessories and call 888-233-7563 for the best in customer service! Listen to the podcast your way! Just choose one of the following: Option 1: Click on the image above to stream the podcast in your browser. If you use the YouTube player above, be sure to subscribe to get future videos delivered to you! Option 2: The Solid Signal Podcast is available on several podcast aggregators. Search for us, or tap on the links below on your...