Thread: new tv/set top box woes.

The other thing that will increase signal quality is to use good quality cable eg BELDIN QUAD SHEILD RG6 or RG11 for very poor signal strenght or long cable runs as they have very low cable loss and good quality connectors use F type on every fitting also if you are using a splitter you are cutting your signal by at least 3.5db for a 2 way spitter and 7.5db for each leg on a 3way spitter.Also make sure you have a good quality balun,that is the thing that connects the cable to the antenna make sure itis not corroded if it is swap it out for an F type balun. If you have to change your cable or fit a mast head amplifier make sure you put a drip loop at every component to make sure rain doesn't enter any devices by tracking along the cable.One last thing if you have to high a signal level it will also give you a crap picture so you can fit an attenuator to pad it down.

We've pretty much given up on digital TV owing to pixelation and interference.

When it works it's terrific and far bewtter quality and the old system. I looked at costs for buying a new antenna and all new quad shielded cable and tools for crimping new F-connectors, etc. and decided cable TV was cheaper and easier (even with me doing all the work) - especially as I already had Optus cable into the house for the internet and the phone.

I might evenually recable the house with new quad sheileded cable but the pressure is now off.

Another annoying problem with our set-top boxes (different brands) is the need to regulary reboot and/or rescan them. They regularly lose sound and need rebooting.

I feel sorry for old people when analogue TV finally goes in a few years. They'll be paying a fortune to have someone come out to reboot the set-top box.

Ron

I bought a cheapo set-top box a couple of years ago but it could really only pick up the ABC with the original antenna. Now I have put up a 'Digital' antenna and used the u-beut quad-shield cable and it picks up about fourteen channels (about three of each 7,9,10 two ABCs, ABC2, SBS1 and 2). Most of them look great, it does have hiccups when the fridge turns on (I'll try that noise suppressor thing) and the picture is flakey when it rains heavily, which hasn't been a problem till recently.

P38arover If you decide to upgrade give me a yell as I have the crimps etc except the RG6 and it is not that hard to do.

Only real problem I've had is the on board power supply toasting itself, pulled it apart and replaced all the capacitors and it's been fine ever since. My father has the same model - dick smith, and had the same thing happen. I've picked up half a dozen of them off the street with the same problem, so I suspect that it's a common problem.

One more plug for the ferrite thingo's, with the dishwasher on and mucking things up, channel 9 would drop from almost 100% to 50% - enough to make it unwatchable. No problems since the ferrite thing, but it's only been a few days.

Cheers
Simon

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

One more plug for the ferrite thingo's, with the dishwasher on and mucking things up, channel 9 would drop from almost 100% to 50% - enough to make it unwatchable. No problems since the ferrite thing, but it's only been a few days.

For us, Ch 9 is the only channel that is virtually useless on digital. All the others are good (most of the time).

Ch 9 is useless nearly all the time - it constantly locks up or breaks up the pix. It happens on both standard and HDTV.

Ron

Originally Posted by pete

P38arover If you decide to upgrade give me a yell as I have the crimps etc except the RG6 and it is not that hard to do.

Thanks for the offer, Pete. I can't see me doing it for quite a while. I need an assistant to drop the antennae from the roof - they (I also have a UHF antenna pointing south) are on a 6 metre guyed pole.

Ron

Easy all you do is 1 of the turn buckles and lay the antenna down.