The Solid Signal Blog

Engineers love to make up acronyms. I’ve known that for many years. However, something occurred to me recently. Engineers also like to make up new acronyms when the old ones don’t make sense. What is this thing? Take the example of the photo above. It’s DIRECTV’s H26K Commercial Receiver. You’d be forgiven for confusing it with the previous-generation H25, because it looks so similar. The H26K is the latest DIRECTV box and the first one designed from the ground up for the needs of commercial customers. It features 4K programming, easy networking, and a built-in RF antenna so it’s easy to use. But what is it? Is it an STB? If this device had been around in the 1980s it might have been called an “STB.” That term stands for “set-top...

Folks, I don’t mind telling you that this has been a hard article to write. So hard in fact that I’ve avoided writing it for years. Why? Because electricity is hard to explain, and most of the time the explanations leave you with more confusion than you started with. Is electricity really like water? Here’s the most common explanation of how electricity works, from HowStuffWorks: This is a great way to start a 9th grade term paper but it doesn’t leave you with any real deep understanding of what you need to know. It’s not technically untrue but it’s not going to help you in the field. I’m going to try to give you some information that’s going to actually let you use these terms with some comfort. Volts Generally, volts have to be...

Everyone’s looking to add value, especially when rents are so high. Adding a master antenna system to your apartment building lets residents get dozens of free channels of live TV. Call us at 888-233-7563 to find out more! 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 mobile device. If you want us to add another aggregator leave a comment below. Amazon iTunes Overcast TuneIn Spreaker Player.fm Spotify Option 3...

Do you work in the oil, gas, and natural resources industry? If so, you know how remote these operations can be. In many cases, the nearest cell phone tower can be many miles away. When you and your crew are working these sites, the remote locations often interferes with your cell phone communications. Whether it’s at your headquarters or your vehicles, you and your team need to stay connected to each other and the outside world. Cellular signal boosters are the best way for oil workers to achieve this in the field in low signal areas. How Do Cellular Signal Boosters Work? If you are able to get even the smallest bars on your device, you can benefit from a cell booster. These devices take take the weakest of signals and...

You’ve never heard of Band 14? It’s the biggest thing to come to cell phones since, well, Band 17 I guess. Seriously though folks, Band 14 is a big deal for cellular technology and it’s even a bigger deal for your local first responders. The band plan makes no sense. There I said it and we can move on. If you were imagining that the nation’s cellular frequencies were arranged in a nice little row with Band 1 at the low end and Band 99 at the high end… sorry it just doesn’t work that way. It actually does make a lot of sense when you realize that each “band” is just one part of a larger frequency range though. Let me explain. Here in the US there are several different frequency ranges used for cellular. Take a look: Band 17 700 MHz...

Our offices are closed today so our 100% US-based staff can enjoy some time with their families. Of course, you can still order online, but since none of the major carriers are shipping today, nothing is going to ship until tomorrow. Remember the reason Memorial Day is more than a day at the beach. It’s a time to remember the heroes who fought Fascism, Nazism, and every single other “ism” that threatened our way of life. It’s a reminder that a lot of those people didn’t come home. Today we take a moment from our busy lives to remember them. There’s probably a parade in your town square, and before you light up the grill you might stop and watch it. Memorial Day is one of those days where we can be somber and happy at the same time...

In today’s globalized business landscape, collaboration often extends beyond traditional office walls. Companies increasingly leverage outsourced software development to access a wider talent pool and benefit from cost efficiencies. However, this geographically dispersed approach hinges on reliable communication infrastructure. This is where satellite signal solutions emerge as a game-changer, particularly for businesses operating in remote locations or areas with limited traditional network access. The Rise of Outsourced Software Development The software development landscape has witnessed a significant shift towards outsourcing. Businesses are recognizing the advantages of tapping into a global pool of skilled developers. This model...

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Every so often, I rant about the problems with passwords. (Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof.) Passwords are a real problem because they go against human nature. If they’re complex enough to be unhackable, they’re not simple enough to be memorized. If you have enough complexity and don’t reuse passwords, there’s no hope you’ll ever remember which password goes with which account. The latest solution being floated is the idea of a passkey. This idea isn’t new, but for some reason they stopped calling it “authenticator apps” and started calling it “passkeys.” But, it’s the same idea. You put an app on your phone and instead of you logging in with a password, a web site sends a message to your phone. You can approve or deny the login at...

Life on the water isn’t just about the water. Of course you go out there for the beauty, the privacy, the experience. Is that really all? Truth is that if you have a larger boat you go out there because it’s a luxury. Luxury is all about having what you want, when you want. It’s about not leaving anything on the table. But then you don’t need me to tell you that. You’ve outfitted your yacht with the best of everything. You bring the best food with you. You’ve created as much comfort as you can. You even use the best steering wheel. And, when it comes to marine technology, you want the best as well. This means satellite television, TV antenna, cellular signal boosters, and the kind of marine electronics that make you feel safe in any...

Free TV when you’re out on the open road. That’s basically freedom piled on top of freedom right there, and that’s the American way! No wonder so many people get over-the-air antennas mounted to their RVs. Are you one of them, or are you thinking about mounting your antenna to your RV? It’s a tough question to answer, thanks to the government If you had an RV prior to 2009, you might remember watching live TV while driving. At least hopefully your passengers remember it and you personally remember driving with your eyes on the road, right? Well you survived whatever you were doing, so I’m sure you were safe enough. Before 2009’s digital transition, regular TV signals worked while your RV was moving. Today, they don’t. The digital...

Friends, it’s going to be a pretty dry summer when it comes to streaming releases. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ll be writing a lot more of these types of articles where I talk about an aspect of streaming rather than some show or movie that is streaming. This time around I want to talk about “the algorithm.” The last several weeks I have heard the term “algorithm” more than I may have in my entire life, thanks to the potential that TikTok could be sold. TikTok’s sole asset is its algorithm. People who like TikTok say it almost magically knows what its viewers want to see next. (For my part, that has turned out not to be true, but I’m a little out of their core demographic.) What is an algorithm anyway? Here’s what Google says: And...

If you have a rooftop antenna, it probably has steel, aluminum, and plastic. Your indoor antenna might have all three, too. Why are there so many different materials used in antenna manufacture, and which is the one you just can’t live without? Spoiler alert: aluminum. I could tease you and make you get all the way to the bottom of the article, but I won’t. Aluminum is the key material in most antennas. Why? It’s a great combination of the factors you need for an antenna. I went into deep detail in this article, but here’s the short version It is more conductive than steel, more corrosion-resistant than copper, and cheaper than gold. Look at this list of the most conductive metals: Silver Copper Annealed copper Gold Aluminium...

Fiber optics are a big part of any new commercial installation. They get information from place to place faster and more efficiently than copper wiring. It’s also less expensive and easier to implement than ever before. However, there are some truths about fiber optics that are impossible to ignore. Fiber is still expensive. Fiber costs less than some of the cables it replaces, because one small strand can carry so much information. However, it’s still more expensive than copper because of the extremely high standards that fiber’s built to. Fiber isn’t adaptable. There are two different types of fiber — single mode and multimode — and it’s essentially impossible to convert from one to another. There are many different kinds of...

If you’ve enjoyed life on the water all summer, you’re probably thinking of packing it in about now. It’s about to turn colder, and that means getting that boat packed up for the winter. It’s also the perfect time to talk about upgrading. Still rockin’ that standard def setup? Back in 2004-2007, there was a huge increase in the number of boats with marine satellite dishes. The technology was brand new. For the first time you could watch TV ten miles off shore. A lot of boats got dishes installed, and then, the recession happened. Whether you’re the first owner of the boat or someone who picked up something with satellite built-in, there’s a good chance that marine TV system hasn’t changed much since those days. Marine satellite...