Dear Mag,
Each converter has an individual FCC ID number to it just like a network
card in your computer. They cannot charge you a rental fee of a converter
you own per the Cable act of 1996. They can charge you for programming that
converter and if it not one of their usual units, they will screw it up,
throw their hands in the air, and refer you back to the mfg, in Taiwan. So
much for customer service.
If you have 3 lines each coming to the house on an individual tap port (from
the green thing on your lawn) signal loss is not an issue until you split
one of those lines. Each one has the same amount of signal (unless there is
a defect in the line or tap port), that amount, being dependent on how far
you are from the next system amplifier/ line extender, carefully configured
to get the proper amount of signal down stream to your neighbors down the
block.
So tossing a 2 way split (make sure it goes as high as 1 ghz in frequency or
you will chop off the higher band widths) will make little apparent
difference, unless you are a vidiophile and even then, I have seen them not
notice losses as high as negative 10 db on their 60 inch screens.
It would be worth testing each of those lines coming in for best signal, as
even the best underground cable gets water logged (usually from poor
installation habits) and aerial cable will oxidize over a period of years.
So you may have 3 lines (service drops) to the house, but their condition
can vary widely. I can dig up the math for doing signal strength through a
normal volt meter, but it will give you a migraine and the eye is a much
more reliable tool for pix quality than some formula will ever be.
Best of luck with your project--og
--
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On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:33:31 -0400, RobertVA
Post by RobertVAPost by mag3Is it possible for more than one such top set box to co-exist with the other on
a split line? I have three separate cable lines coming into my house,
and three separate
digital top set boxes. I was planning to put one top set box on each
line, but I now have
a different priority wherein I may need to split one of the lines and put two of the
1) Signal Strength;
2) The two boxes interfering with each other as the company programs
them;
3) The "legality" of having multiple boxes on one line or the company
detecting
more than one box on a given line...
Be aware that digital cable service may be using higher frequencies than
analog cable. Those higher frequencies may be incompatible with ordinary
splitters. Look for splitters in packages that are labeled for digital
service or high frequencies (at least 1 GHz).
Thanks much. I have 2-way splitters and I will make sure they can handle
1GHz. I intend only to put two on this line.
Post by RobertVAWhen cable companies signal a particular rental converter to change it's
configuration (active or not - which channels to receive) the signal
goes out over much, if not all, of the local cable system. It's likely
to work like other computer networks where the messages are repeated
after a delay of random length IF the data packet is not acknowledged by
the unit the signal is being sent to. Analog rental converters might be
receive only though, and may occasionally need a request for a repeat of
the configuration change signal.
These are digital boxes and are 2-way. I was concenred that if two boxes
were on the same line they would interfere with each other or be recognized
as being on the same line. From what you're saying above, it doesn't matter.
The signals are addressing one particular box on the entire network and are
broadcast as such. I gather that when the box transmits back it transmits its
address so it doesn't get confused with any other boxes on the network.
Post by RobertVASince the cable company would be charging rent for any converters they
provide, I seriously doubt they would object to you connecting them to
the feeds in your residence. Any "additional outlet" charges that their
policy provides for would be added to your billing when the converters
are signed for. The only circumstances I can see them objecting to would
be viewing unscrambled analog channels (intended for analog cable ready
televisions and VCRs) you aren't subscribed to or unencrypted digital
channels that your household wasn't subscribed to. Sometimes cable
companies will make hardware changes where a household's main feed
connects to the neighborhood trunk line to restrict which signals are
available on that household's feed.
At present, there are only a limited supply of very basic analog chanels left
unscrambled. I think it is only what's left "over the air." The rest is all on
the digital side. That's fine. I don't need anything else on the line where
there is no box. But if I do split the line I'm thinking of, i will have to
shut down that last line or rent another box to put on it because I think that
come 02/2009, even those last basic channels will convert to digital as well
and the whole line will be scrambled. That's OK.
Thanks.
____________________________________________
Regards,
Arnold