New Cables Won't Work

thewolfs

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Original poster
Aug 22, 2010
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Houston
I'm at my wits end on this one. I am simply replacing a current cable run to my VIP722. It starts in my central box and runs directly to a wall jack and then to the 722. I am simply unhooking the current run (wall jack in the wrong place) and hooking up the new cable to a new jack. I have tried two different 50' runs of RG-6, Quad Shield cable and neither will work. Yet, I can take the new cable and connect it to the old wall jack using the old run and all works fine, so I can eliminate any breaks in my new cables. A direct connect with the new cables, however, does not work. I notice that as I reconnect the current run, I get sparks. With the new cables I get no sparks. I have tested with the current jack, thinking my new jack might be the problem. Same result - nothing works with the new cables. This seems like such a simple installation, but what am I missing?
 
I did my house with RG6 Quad. Make sure that you are getting the first shield peeled back really well before you do your end. I wasn't being careful (was trying to finish) and I had one tiny almost invisible shield wire shorting the whole cable.

Also, make sure you've got quad ends and not regular ones terminating the cables.
 
Cditty:
Thanks for the hint. I should have mentioned that my cables came with the ends already on them. You think maybe I should cut them off and put my own ends on the new cables? But then I can't figure out why they work when used as a patch cable between the old cable and the 722. If the ends were bad or mismatched, would they still work when connected to the old cable.

I thought maybe a solution would be to pull the old cable out of the wall and connect it to the new cable with a connector of some sort and run it that way. But once I pull the old cable out of the wall box, I won't be able to get it back it in, and there goes TV until I get a professional out here to hook it all up again.

Gosh, this seemed like such a simple thing to do.
 
Okay, what is your 'Central Box'?

Which Dish are you using and are you using an external multiswitch?

No, I wouldn't cut the ends off. I was thinking you had put the ends on yourself.
 
my guess is there is a break somewhere in the 'new' cable. do you have a meter or some way to check it? I'm assuming that when you tested the cable from the old jack to the receiver, it was coiled/balled up in a small area, whereas when it is being used to go from the central unit to the receiver it's streched out.
 
Yet, I can take the new cable and connect it to the old wall jack using the old run and all works fine, so I can eliminate any breaks in my new cables. A direct connect with the new cables, however, does not work.
This is not making sense to me. There are two wall jacks, and (two?) factory cables going from 722 to wall jack, and two cables (fished through the walls?) from the back side of the wall jack to a central patch panel or switch. If your new cable, temporarily draped over the floor, between central patch panel and 722 does not work, then that cable has to be bad.

Are there any diplexers in the mix?
 
Don't know if I quite got what you're trying to do. But here goes. You want to connect from a different wall jack to the 722. Does that wall jack have a hot cable inside the wall? When was the cable fished? It's possible that cable does not meet dish's specs. Or even connected. A long time ago before VIP receivers, I installed a box in a spare bedroom. In the attic I found the end, and extended with additional cable to the dish. No signal. Finally discovered the cable inside the wall was RG 59. When I replaced everything was good to go.
Good luck.
 
the OP mentioned the missing blue spark. that would be the DC going to the LNBs. if the new cable isn't getting the spark then there must be a.......

break or short in the cable somewhere???
 
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I'm thinking that the answer must lie in the way the cables are being connected to the LNB/satellite switch. You're not trying to use splitters or some sort of AB switch, are you?

Make sure the center conductor of your RG6 sticks out far enough to penetrate the mating connectors (especially at the LNB/satellite switch). There's an open circuit in there somewhere.
 
Thanks to all for your help.

To clarify: I'm using a satellite dish provided by Dish Network.

This is a simple case of trying to replace the old cable with a new one. I am going to a new jack but all the other connections are the same.

My "central box" is just a box in my bedroom closet where the cable connects to a splitter looking thing, which was installed by the cable guys. One out is for HD and the other is UHF.

I'm not using any splitters, A/B switches or anything else. It is a straight run to a new wall jack and then to the 722.

I did test with the new cable coiled, so I'll stretch it out and test again. I also noticed the center copper wire on my new cables do not extend beyond the end of the connector as they do with the old cable.

I agree the lack of a spark indicates an incomplete circuit, short or something. I think I'll try to put a new end on my cable at least where the cable plugs into to the splitter looking thing.

Thanks again to everyone. Back to the attic!
 
Well, just stretched out and tested one of my new cables by using it as patch cable between the old run and the 722. It works great, so I know there is no break in my cable. I'm thinking it has to be the connection at that splitter or whatever that's called. I think I'll terminate that end myself making sure the copper wire sticks out farther than it does now.
 
To clarify: I'm using a satellite dish provided by Dish Network.
I think we're all on the same page in that respect.
I am going to a new jack but all the other connections are the same.
Is this "new jack" something you installed or was it installed by the "cable guys"? Do you know if the jack itself is rated for 3GHz frequencies?
My "central box" is just a box in my bedroom closet where the cable connects to a splitter looking thing, which was installed by the cable guys. One out is for HD and the other is UHF.

I'm not using any splitters, A/B switches or anything else. It is a straight run to a new wall jack and then to the 722.
Here's where I fell off the merry-go-round. You say you're connecting to a "splitter looking thing" and turn around and attest that you're not using a splitter. You MUST NOT use a splitter on the satellite cable. There are a number of devices that look like splitters that aren't splitters. Acceptable ones are labeled as "displexer" or "separator".

Does this "splitter looking thing" have any identifying text or markings on it? If so, specifically what does it say?

What can you tell us about the "central box" that you refer to?

When you say "cable guys" do you mean the person(s) who pre-wired the house, the local cable television provider or DISH Network installers? This distinction is important.
 
It's blue. type F connector. Other than that, I don't see any rating information. In addition, I eliminated that as the problem because I used the old wall plate (housing the old jack including the old connector) to test the new run. It still didn't work.

I just checked my cable, and it is rated at 2300 MHz. That is within the range, I thought, but should it be 3GHz?

So, to recap. No break in the cable; can't be the jack (i.e. the barrel connector); the new cable works great as a patch cable from the old run to the 722 even though it creates a total run of over 80'.

The only thing left to do, I think, is to replace my ends or at least the one at the
 
The "cable guy" was from Dish. He installed the "splitter looking thing" in the box. That device is a Holland Electronics DPD-2. I looked it up, and it is a satellite/TV diplexer rated up to 2150 MHz. It's here: Holland Electronics - Satellite / TV Diplexer - Model DPD2 Holland Electronics, LLC | Online Catalog | RF Products | CATV | Satellite | Wireless | OEM

That's the diplexer. Just make sure you're connecting to the SAT side on both diplexers.

it is rated at 2300 MHz

That should be fine. Satellite signals go up to 2200 Mhz for Dish Network.
 

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