Question Coaxial cable problem? Losing freeview signal

Milliner

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I use Freeview through an aerial. I only moved in last year so am not sure of the exact set up but there seems to be some sort of device in loft splitting (boosting?) the signal to multiple rooms (late 80's house, aerial faceplates and phone sockets everywhere!)

Anyway, after a new aerial it worked just fine, until I recently moved the TV across the room, meaning I went from a 1m to a 10m coax cable.

Since then, I seem to get up to two days of use before the signal degrades and becomes unusable. If I unplug the coax cable from the TV and re-insert it, all is restored - for a couple of days - and repeat...like some sort of interference slowly builds up.

Any ideas what might be going on? I didn't spend much on the coax cable (Amazon, <£10). Could that be the issue?

Cheers.
 
You'd better going into an old fashioned electrical shop or maybe a TV repair shop and asking them to make you up a length of good quality 75 Ohms TV cable. You'll be finding that the signal will have decreased with the thinner cable which is why you are having problems. Usually you'll find the larger diameter cable will over that distance be either the same price or cheaper to. The cable is cheap enough, if you get something like this, you could even do a DIY job yourself
 
Thanks for that. I generally subscribe to 'you get what you pay for', but assumed being digital, it wouldn't make too much difference (a bit like HDMI).

I seem to recall making a cable wasn't too difficult - I might have a go myself as I can't say I'm sure any old electrical stores are left round my way.
 
The box in the loft is most likely a remote powered amplifier. The power supply for it could be plugged in at the remote end of any of the cables to other rooms. You may have disconnected or turned it off when you extended the cable. Also note the room out;lets have to be the non isolating types. Isolating types have capacitor which stops the power getting to the amplifier.

Amazon product ASIN B0048LYQKC
 
There is no such thing as digital coax, it's meaningless sales hype (probably to sell the unwary el cheapo junk). The signal received at the aerial and thus at the TV's aerial socket is an analogue signal. It is the modulation that is put on it that is digital.

I am assuming that you have just used a longer extension cable from the original TV wall outlet to the TV? If you bought the cable, I would bin it and make up your own using good quality coax such as WF 100 with F type connectors at both ends and F type to Belling Lee adaptors where required. There is a jolly good reason for doing it this way (for the amateur), but I'm not going into it.
 
Cable loss is not that much:
UHF TV frequency WF100 is 15dB per 100m (so 1.5 dB for 10m) WF65 is 25 dB/100m so 2.5 dB.
Even the cheapest coax won't be that much worse.

3dB loss is half out cf in (power) but if that then all signals in the home would be at the digital cliff edge anyway!

Amazon product ASIN B000Q8KTQQ has poor reviews.

I'd suspect it to be faulty or just poorly made see an example on Cable connectors and leads - A.T.V. Poles, Brackets, Clamps & Aerials


NB DO NOT buy the stuff linked to in post #2
IT is copper clad steel RG59PE - 1. cos it's not all copper core; 2. cos it's as lossy as WF65 but 6mm diameter!, 3. cos it's only single screened).

Get all copper cable (core, braid, and foil) WF100, PF100, CT100, NX100 "satellite grade" triple screened cable. It's a bit more money but worth it.
RG59U is copper but still single screened.

The three main types of CoAx cable - A.T.V. Poles, Brackets, Clamps & Aerials explains why from a professional aerial installer.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Seems I’ve probably just bought a poor quality lead.

if I were to get another off-the-shelf cable, instead of the DIY route, are there any key specs I need to look out for? Anyone know of a better quality supplier?
 
It’s not that difficult to make your own cables. You can make them to exactly the length that you need. It can be a bit fiddly putting the connectors on the cable ends (but then I am cack-handed) but I never buy pre-made cables. I use CT100 cable and plugs that have the locking screw for the central cable core. Purists might not like them but I’ve found them to be 100% reliable. Besides, if you do it yourself, you’ll learn something too.
 
I bought a 100m reel of it many years ago, and only recently used it up. I used it to make flyleads and so forth, and it’s white-skinned, rather than black, which is more wife friendly. I have no idea what the equivalent is nowadays, but I’m sure, as posted above, that there’s cables with uprated specs. now. Doesn’t time fly?
 
You know that Toolstation sell stuff that is labelled CT100 from alternative makers. Do keep up. You can remember things if you try.

Toolstation are lying. CT100 was only manufactured by Radex. Any other cable labelled CT100is a forgery.
 
Well, whatever CT100 cable that I'm using -- I bought it from Maplins, remember them? -- it works a treat.
 
CT100 was only manufactured by Radex.
Think you mean RaYdex? You can't even get that right :rotfl:
Possibly was part of one of the now dormant Volex companies? Companies House

but I seriously doubt anyone is chasing the copyrights / trade mark infringements of the CT100 designation otherwise Toolstation would withdraw it?

CAI don't have the Doncaster Cables CT100 listed as approved, so I guess should be avoided even though it is all-copper construction.
CAI list does include a few brands/makers I've never heard of. Nexans NX100 is listed so must be all copper.
 

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