[kaze0]

Hi guys,


I'm having quite a few issues with a run of coax cable that I started messing around with in order to move a TV. Normally, I'd just tough it out and try to figure it out on my own around but unfortunately it's my girlfrien'ds condo and she'll kill me if she goes without HGTV for a few days.


The original working perfectly situation

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There's 1 cable outlet in the condo, and cable was needed in the bedroom, so Comcast came and routed the cable from the living room all along the walls then through the wall into the bedroom. I'd guess it might be a 30-40 ft run. That worked fine and the final wiring setup for that was a short cable coming out of the living room outlet into a comcast supplied splitter, split to a short cable to the cable box, and the long run to the cable box in the bedroom.



The new situation

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Then we decided to move the TV on the opposite wall. I thought it would be a simple job, cut the long run where we wanted to put the TV and then stick on some connectors and use the splitter from before. I did that and also coupled the original short cable coming out of the wall to the long cable then turned the bedroom TV on and it worked fine. No problem whatsoever.


The 3 issues

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1) The turned the living room TV on at it's new location and the circuit breaker tripped. I determined that the circuit breaker trips only when I put the connector on the length of wire coming out of the original cable outlet. If I just shove that into the TV without a connector it works fine, same with shoving it into the splitter.


So I determined thats fine for now.


2) Later on in the night, I start getting this message on all the cable boxes 'channel should be available shortly' and no picture. Pulling the plug on the cable boxes and then pluggin them back in seems to work fine for a while, sometimes hours, sometimes minutes. But eventually after turning the cable box back on, I'll get that message again.


3) Then the next morning, the cable box in the bedroom no longer turns on. It is completely dead.





The parts I purchased from Radio Shack:

Part Number: 278-304
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tId=2103648&cp


Part Number: 278-227
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tId=2103395&cp


Do you guys see any issues with what I did or the parts? The connector specifically says "Only for use on standard antennae systems. Do not use on cable TV...", maybe my mistake was listening to the Radio Shack guy? I dont understand why the connector would make a difference. Couldn't I basically use tape if I wanted?

 

[egnlsn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kaze0 /forum/post/12892908


Do you guys see any issues with what I did or the parts? The connector specifically says "Only for use on standard antennae systems. Do not use on cable TV...", maybe my mistake was listening to the Radio Shack guy? I dont understand why the connector would make a difference. Couldn't I basically use tape if I wanted?

I can't address the breaker tripping issue, but as for the rest of it...


No, you can't just use tape. A cable TV system is a closed environment and must remain so all the way from the headend (beginning of the system) all the way to the cable box. A closed environment simply means that nothing (signals) is allowed to enter the system from the outside world, nor is anything allowed to leave the system. Cable TV uses the entire 5-750MHz (some go to 860 or even 1000MHz) bandwidth, many of the same frequencies that, in the outside world, are used for two-way communications, such as police, fire, taxi, aircraft, amateur radio, etc. One-way communications systems, such as broadcast TV, FM radio, and paging systems also use frequencies found within that 5-750MHz bandwidth.


When signals from the outside world "leak" into a cable system, it is called ingress. Ingress interrupts the desired signals as they head to where they need to go.


Think of it as this: You and several other people are in a large room, many paired off into small groups having conversations. Although there is some background noise from all of the conversations, most groups are able to communicate with each other. Then, someone blasts (pick your least favorite song/music) over the house sound system. No one can hear anything else, so it effectively disrupts many (or all) of the conversations.


Those connectors are among the worst offenders when it comes to sources of ingress.

 

[Jim Shaffer]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kaze0 /forum/post/12892908


The turned the living room TV on at it's new location and the circuit breaker tripped. I determined that the circuit breaker trips only when I put the connector on the length of wire coming out of the original cable outlet. If I just shove that into the TV without a connector it works fine, same with shoving it into the splitter.


So I determined thats fine for now.

That's the opposite of fine! Aside from the RF leakage issue, it sounds like something, I don't know what, has an electrical wiring fault. It could be a bad TV, it could be a wiring problem in your building, but whatever it is, professional help is the way to go! The only interaction between your electrical supply and your cable line should be that the ground of each one is at the same potential. Obviously that's not the case. Since it worked before, if I had to guess, I'd say the outlet at the TV's new location isn't wired properly. But that's just a guess. Get help. Now.

 

[kaze0]

Thanks guys. Will take your advice and report back ASAP.

 

[whoaru99]

I'd agree with Jim. The tripping breaker sounds like there is some type of issue with grounding and reversed hot/neutral or maybe chassis leakage.


Is it the AC power circuit breaker tripping, or is it a ground fault interrupter that's tripping?


If it's actually tripping in the breaker panel, is the breaker a ground fault breaker by chance?


Do all the items have power cords with one wide prong and one narrow prong, or do any have both prongs the same width?


How about with 3-prong grounding plugs?


Are you using any "cheater" plugs (3-prong to 2-prong adapters)?

 

[GoDucksinAZ]

Great advice guys,


In addition, if you have a VOM meter, check the center conductor of the cable for voltage. You should have nothing but if it is tripping the breaker, I suspect its carrying voltage - which is bad and needs to be diagnosed asap.