I have to assemble a 64 channel DirecTV headend for a hotel. I've assembled about a dozen comparable headends, but nearly all of them were sold in 1999-2001. It looks like I can get the best prices on PDI and CableTronix minimods. Does anyone have a track record with either of these products?
I've built one headend with Holland minimods and noticed that some of the modulator's video levels were low even when new, and a high percentage developed audio buzzing that forced me to dim the video within a few months of their installation.
I have had terrible luck with the two-slot width Blonder Tongue mini-demods. The video became ugly within a year on a large percentage. Last time I sent some out of warranty BT mini demods to BT for repair, I think they charged me about $40 each to repair them.
The worst minimods I ever had were the JVIs. I'd estimate that about 15 to 20% failed within two years. They develop some kind of intermodulation that locks them up until they are depowered and repowered.
Again, all of these reported failures were with hardware produced from 1999-2001.
Both Blonder Tongue BAVM and CableTronix single rack height mods I bought in large quantities in 2003-2004 were junk. They both developed unacceptable adjacent channel interference on upper superband channels even new out of the box. Both products were discontinued, with my wholesaler offering them for $30 to $40 new in the box.
I need this headend to be reliable because it will be installed about 500 miles away, but I don't want to pay $50 more per modulator for Blonder Tongues if I can avoid it. I will probably leave them a 3-input Spectradyne agile FAM and three spare receivers so that I can coach their building engineer to temporarily substitute up to three channels before I have to fly out for a service call.
I've built one headend with Holland minimods and noticed that some of the modulator's video levels were low even when new, and a high percentage developed audio buzzing that forced me to dim the video within a few months of their installation.
I have had terrible luck with the two-slot width Blonder Tongue mini-demods. The video became ugly within a year on a large percentage. Last time I sent some out of warranty BT mini demods to BT for repair, I think they charged me about $40 each to repair them.
The worst minimods I ever had were the JVIs. I'd estimate that about 15 to 20% failed within two years. They develop some kind of intermodulation that locks them up until they are depowered and repowered.
Again, all of these reported failures were with hardware produced from 1999-2001.
Both Blonder Tongue BAVM and CableTronix single rack height mods I bought in large quantities in 2003-2004 were junk. They both developed unacceptable adjacent channel interference on upper superband channels even new out of the box. Both products were discontinued, with my wholesaler offering them for $30 to $40 new in the box.
I need this headend to be reliable because it will be installed about 500 miles away, but I don't want to pay $50 more per modulator for Blonder Tongues if I can avoid it. I will probably leave them a 3-input Spectradyne agile FAM and three spare receivers so that I can coach their building engineer to temporarily substitute up to three channels before I have to fly out for a service call.
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