Install help... Tough one

[aec4]

Ok, the install is simple. New construction, wired for digitial cable with all "home run" loops, as far as I was told. Digitial cable works.

I hooked up the dish, and ran the RG6 to the garage, where the panel is to go to each room of the house. I put a reciever out there and a small TV. Got my 96% signal, and watched TV for a minute.

Now, I went into the switch where the digitial cable comes into the house, and found the "out" line for the family room. Took it off the switch, and connected it directly to the RG6 from the satellite dish using a connector to join the lines. Came into the family room, and hooked up a 2nd receiver. No signal, completely dead. I then reconfirmed the signal was strong, and it was in the garage (when I rehooked it).

To eliminate the line going to the family room, I tried it to the line going to another room. Same thing, completely dead.

Now, instead of using a connector to join the 2 lines, I used a diplexer instead (using older 3 LNB dish). Again, no luck.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[Teronzhul]

There is a good chance that the wires aren't properly terminated. If they're the crummy screw on type that many electricians use, make sure that the aluminum shield of the cable is in fact in contact with the connector. I've seen quite a few that put the connector on the rubber outer coating without bending the shielding back first.

Remember that satellite systems need a full electrical circuit to transmit electricty to power the dish. A cable system however is just transmitting rf down the center conductor.

 

[aec4]

There is a good chance that the wires aren't properly terminated. If they're the crummy screw on type that many electricians use, make sure that the aluminum shield of the cable is in fact in contact with the connector. I've seen quite a few that put the connector on the rubber outer coating without bending the shielding back first.

Remember that satellite systems need a full electrical circuit to transmit electricty to power the dish. A cable system however is just transmitting rf down the center conductor.

Very true. The ends were put on by the cable company yesterday. The electrician simply wired the place, leaving the RG6, uncapped, in the panel box in my garage. The cable tech came put in a splitter, put the "in" into the in portion, and the 6 outs into the 6 position after capping them.

Do they need to be recapped? They do not look like the screw on types, but what do I know? They are different than I've seen before.

 

[harshness]

It is possible that your barrel (what you call a connector) isn't up to the task.

If you have a multimeter, hook the receiver up in the family room and measure the voltage between the center conductor and the shield in the garage. You should get a reading between 13 and 20 volts. If you don't, there are some issues with continuity. There may be a DC voltage blocker in there somewhere or some other gizmo that doesn't pass DC.

For completeness, you should inspect the back side of any outlets to make sure that they are connected.

 

[aec4]

It is possible that your barrel (what you call a connector) isn't up to the task.

If you have a multimeter, hook the receiver up in the family room and measure the voltage between the center conductor and the shield in the garage. You should get a reading between 13 and 20 volts. If you don't, there are some issues with continuity. There may be a DC voltage blocker in there somewhere or some other gizmo that doesn't pass DC.

For completeness, you should inspect the back side of any outlets to make sure that they are connected.

Thanks.. I do not have a multimeter unfortunately. I'm an amateur installer, hence my incorrect terms (sorry about that). I know the backside of the outlet is OK because when I hook up the digitial cable, all is cool.

 

[harshness]

I do not have a multimeter unfortunately.

You don't have to be a professional satellite installer to need or use a volt/ohm meter. Harbor Freight sells them for $5.

 

[FishTape]

I would connect all the recievers at their respective rooms, and then tongue test the lines at the can, or smart box or wherever it is the lines are coming through. If you can't get current, I would replace the connectors, and failing that, I would check up in the attic to make sure the lines are actually dropped into the rooms. Check behind the wall plates and make sure the connectors are tight on the barrels. If all else fails, run the lines from the dish into the attic, through the birdblock, and barrel directly into the lines that drop into the rooms. Also, depending on the number of recievers, you'll want to put your multiswitch up into the attic near the hatch, for easy access.

 

[aec4]

I would connect all the recievers at their respective rooms, and then tongue test the lines at the can, or smart box or wherever it is the lines are coming through. If you can't get current, I would replace the connectors, and failing that, I would check up in the attic to make sure the lines are actually dropped into the rooms. Check behind the wall plates and make sure the connectors are tight on the barrels. If all else fails, run the lines from the dish into the attic, through the birdblock, and barrel directly into the lines that drop into the rooms. Also, depending on the number of recievers, you'll want to put your multiswitch up into the attic near the hatch, for easy access.

We want 1 receiver.. nothing more.. it's our vacation home. We're running directly from the dish to a "connector" (female to female) or Diplexer (tried both), then using the wiring that already existed, and at the panel in the family room, running the wire directly to the receiver (when using the connecter) or to the diplexer and then to the receiver.

When we take the inside wiring out of the equation, all seems good out in the garage.. 96% signal on all transponders, etc etc...

I'll do what you suggest tonight, but I'm unsure what a tongue test is... I suspect it means connect the receiver then use my tongue on the wire at the panel in the garage to see if it's tried to get a signal?

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Or you can just run a new wire all together.

 

[ShadowEKU]

it is very very possible that the person who wired the house used splitters in the walls, I ran into an install recently where i was trying to get a signal in a living room, went to the attic, no wire down, went to the basement, no wire up... hmmm, traced a wire from teh demark in the garage and found that it went to 1 outlet, then to another, then to the live outlet, upon inspection those outlets had 2 way splitters in the boxes, annoying as hell.


You could have RG-59 in the walls as well, if long enough it would lose signal by the time it made it to the dish or back to the tv, Ide go but a 10 or 15 dollar multimeter at wal mart and go from there.

 

[aec4]

it is very very possible that the person who wired the house used splitters in the walls, I ran into an install recently where i was trying to get a signal in a living room, went to the attic, no wire down, went to the basement, no wire up... hmmm, traced a wire from teh demark in the garage and found that it went to 1 outlet, then to another, then to the live outlet, upon inspection those outlets had 2 way splitters in the boxes, annoying as hell.


You could have RG-59 in the walls as well, if long enough it would lose signal by the time it made it to the dish or back to the tv, Ide go but a 10 or 15 dollar multimeter at wal mart and go from there.

Definitely not RG59. Brand new construction and it runs HD Digitial Cable, and it says RG6 on the wire. Also, definitely no splitters as the CABLE GUY who came here to hook up the internet/cable told me everything was a "home run pull"

I guess he could have been wrong, who knows, but that's just what he told us.

 

[ShadowEKU]

Definitely not RG59. Brand new construction and it runs HD Digitial Cable, and it says RG6 on the wire. Also, definitely no splitters as the CABLE GUY who came here to hook up the internet/cable told me everything was a "home run pull"

I guess he could have been wrong, who knows, but that's just what he told us.

WEll, I would guess a sloppy crimp, cable doesnt care a whole lot if the outer conductors touch the center ones... But I would still go get a 15 dollar multimeter, trust me you will find uses...lol

Also...

Definitely not RG59. Brand new construction and it runs HD Digitial Cable

That means nothing, digital cable runs on a different frequency range.

Since it says RG6 on the wire though thats a pretty sure sign, lol




So here is what I would check out....

Conductivity of the inside runs (are any of the conductors touching, bad crimps, etc)

Check the barrel connector for conductivity as well.

my concern is this, the cable tech came out to put the ends on the cable, had his stripper set for RG59 and cut all of the outer conductors off, this would still allow those cheap crimp on connections to work with cable but would not allow any conductivity at all for satellite.

 

[aec4]

So here is what I would check out....

Conductivity of the inside runs (are any of the conductors touching, bad crimps, etc)

Check the barrel connector for conductivity as well.

my concern is this, the cable tech came out to put the ends on the cable, had his stripper set for RG59 and cut all of the outer conductors off, this would still allow those cheap crimp on connections to work with cable but would not allow any conductivity at all for satellite.

I will get a multimeter tomorrow. I should hook the receiver up, and see if the reading is 13-20 right?

I will check the ends of the cable. If they did what you said they may do (we have a fiber setup here, so I just assumed they were using the better setup), can I recut the wire and put connectors on? Is there a way with the naked eye I can tell if the connectors are not on right and the outer conductors are off? In other words, can I look down inside the connector and tell easily?

 

[aec4]

Fixed the problem. Still needs more work, but found out the electrician who wired the house used screw on connectors behind the barrel. I tightened them up and bam, I was in business.

 

[ShadowEKU]

Fixed the problem. Still needs more work, but found out the electrician who wired the house used screw on connectors behind the barrel. I tightened them up and bam, I was in business.

yeah those are made for temporary situations, ide recommend some crimp on or compression ends (I use compression only)

sounds like the outer conductor was not making contact...

 

[aec4]

yeah those are made for temporary situations, ide recommend some crimp on or compression ends (I use compression only)

sounds like the outer conductor was not making contact...

Found some crimp on ones and a crimper at Lowes... will be redoing them over the next couple days... Even my cable picture in a couple rooms are suspect at best.

 

[Joe Diamond]

ace4,
The guys are steering you in the right direction. Here is another one; "summer home" means many periods when there is no occupancy. Some critter may have gotten into your wall and bitten your cable.

Try your test install to the next nearest wall box.......can you run a cable from there to where you want your TV? Again check how the cable is "terminated" (fitting & wallplate). Verify that your "home runs" are really that. If there is a splitter in there it has to go.

Good luck,

Joe

 

[aec4]

ace4,
The guys are steering you in the right direction. Here is another one; "summer home" means many periods when there is no occupancy. Some critter may have gotten into your wall and bitten your cable.

Try your test install to the next nearest wall box.......can you run a cable from there to where you want your TV? Again check how the cable is "terminated" (fitting & wallplate). Verify that your "home runs" are really that. If there is a splitter in there it has to go.

Good luck,

Joe

It was a newly built house.. I already fixed the problem, look above.