Reception and Interference Question

[pulltab]

Here is the scenario:

Customer lives "close" to several high powered "over the air" TV tower-type transmitters (San Diego). No more than a mile away.

I have installed a 942 and 311. All the interior wiring runs from the dish to each receivers are 1/2 RG-6 and 1/2 RG-59. TV-2 from the 942 is about 80 feet away down a couple of hallways and 3 rooms. TV-1 from the 942 and the 311 signal is is good quality.....

TV-2 is showing a "grainy", I would call it a "medium" signal. I am diplexing and splitting the signal (because of the remote) to TV-2.

We ran a "hot drop" between 942 and TV-2 and got adequate signal, even though we can still see some ghosting, magnetic influence, but significantly better.

Customer already knows and scheduled a cable replacement and will run new RG-6 cabling from the 942 and TV-2.

The question: Any suggestions or thoughts on what type of wiring I should try? What will high frequency splitters or diplexors do??? Anything exotic to try?? What about the remote situation??

The customer had Cox cable, but the interference gave a lousy picture. DirecTV worked for them, and we discussed replacing TV-2 with a 311 or 510, even though that means changing the DPP Twin to a Quad, and opens up another can of worms with a re-wire, plus the expense of another box.

Any thoughts and help will be appreciated.

 

[RandallA]

I strongly recommend Quad shielded RG-6 for TV-2 run. I used to have ghosting and grainy signal when I had Comcast, they came and replaced all the wiring with RG-6 Quad shielded and the problem went away. I live near TV towers and we have a bad ingress problem in the area.

The problem is that TV2 uses lower frequency signals and that's why you have problems only on TV2. The 311 and TV1 in the 942 are using the higher frequencies from the satellite feed.

 

[sksatellite]

Looks like the only problem is the TV2 out from the 942, what I think the problem is from the little antenna at back of the 942, this will pick up anything from the towers close by. Since DTV work with them that because all receiver is direct coaxial run to the receiver, try a little trick, use some foil on the little antenna and see what happen. BEWARE, I never try this before on dish receiver.

 

[boba]

Try putting an amplifier on the output2 of the satellite receiver to give a stronger signal. You may just need to overide the ingress signal.

 

[pulltab]

Thanks folks, I forgot about using Quad Shield..

Anyone else have a solution or suggestion????

 

[CJPC]

Umm, what channel are you outputing TV2 on?

Try having them change it to a CATV-ish channel, something in the high ranges (dunno if you can, i have my 625 set on channel 73, no interference probs whatsoever!)

 

[pulltab]

Tried both "off air" and "cable".......the only "decent" I could get was channel 60 on the "air" side.

It sounded wierd to me, but I got really bad interference on every "cable" tv channel on that side....

 

[bweiteka]

I've often had luck running tv2 on air 21 when air 60 or the cable channels where fuzzy because of diplexing over long runs. The lower channel runs at a lower frequency, it might help, might not.

 

[pulltab]

Thanks bw, I will try that before I do that quad rewiring.

I think this is the one really bad thing about Dish using long diplexing runs and having to split the signal for the antenna distance between TV-1 and 2.. I understand the economics (saving $5 for another receiver). but with all the mass producing of diplexors, I have had to change out many bad diplexors, splitters and associated parts. It just slows down the job.

With DTV, you have a home run to each TV, one receiver, one wire, unless TIVO, and light it up.

It is too bad that the Dish equipment and associated parts are not more reliable..... especially when you are crawling around in a 150 degree attic!!!!!

sigh....

 

[RandallA]

"especially when you are crawling around in a 150 degree attic!!!!!"

I hear you. It's a pain in the a$$ but if you want it to do it right and make it work, you are gonna have to run Quad shielded cable in this home for that TV-2. I still believe that's where the problem is.

How long is the run?

 

[pulltab]

HOw long is the run??

Looks like about 100 feet, after all said and done.....

What type of diplexers are everyone using??? I have used Steren, a generic one from RS&I and the JVI.....the generic ones have failed more than others.

I am going to change out the diplexors before I do anything. Just trying to stay out of that attic!!!!!

 

[RandallA]

Yeap, the longer the run the greater the signal loss. By the time it gets to TV2, the signal is already weak and thus the ingress. Believe me I learned the hard way, I spent weeks troubleshooting my ingress problem and didn't want to run a new cable because of the attic. Ran the Quad shielded cable and the problem went away.

But I understand why you want to stay out of the attic!