Re: Best brand coax and F connector for HD cable?

["Rogue Petunia" <FakeAddress@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Eric,
Thanks!  Excellent idea.  I hadn't thought of trying to get a long run of
cable with connectors from the cable company or from an installer.

I picked up the HD box myself 3 months ago.  That's when the problems
started, when I got HD.  I exchanged that box for another, but the problems
continued.

Previous boxes were not HD boxes and never had signal loss.

The previous boxes were not HD but they were digital.  In fact since being
in this house, 5 years, the cable company has always claimed we have digital
service.  At least that is what they have billed us for.

<egrumling1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1140881611.372193.198150@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Did the cable guy install this, or did you pick it up? If you picked up
> the box and installed it yourself, how were the pictures before you got
> the cable box? Generally, if you have good analog pictures (I know
> that's a highly subjective statement), digital signals should work just
> fine. However, if you notice a big difference between analog and
> digital picture quality (look for noise in the picture, kinda like VHS
> versus DVD), or the analog pictures get worse as you flip to the higher
> channels, it is likely you have signal problems, possibly due to bad
> connectors, old/*mart splitters, or other junk in the house. If a cable
> guy came out and installed the box, did he check the signal with his
> meter? Was he a cable company employee or a contractor (if it was a
> contractor, I'll guess the answer to the meter question was no).
>
> If the cable company won't wall fish, you can get cable, with
> connectors, from them. The best way is to flag down a cable guy in the
> area and ask him. Most* of them should be happy to provide you with
> some cable, but look for an installer, not a line tech (most line techs
> are older, and may have a bucket truck and have a surly attitude from
> years of not dealing with the public). The other option is to stop by
> the local office, so long as there are technicians dispatched from
> there. Try to go there in the morning or close to 5:00, as the girls at
> the counter won't know what to do and will hopefully be able to get a
> tech to make up a cable for you. There may be a charge, but I doubt it
> will be more than what RS charges, and will be much better cable**.
> Have a good idea of how long a pice you'll need, and add a few feet
> just to make sure. Get a splitter if you need it as well. Get a
> splitter with only the number of ports you need to minimize signal loss
> (IE if you have 2 outlets, don't get an 4-way splitter. the extra 3 dB
> loss can make all the difference).
>
> Eric (a cable guy who lurks a lot)
>
> *Make sure they are a cable company employee and not a contractor.
> ** Gave this advice to my dad, who was charged $7 for a 3 way splitter
> and about 40 feet of coax, with digicon/equivalent ends.
>