Interference on TV

jabulon · #1 2010-06-07, 02:48 PM

Hi folks

Recently they placed a new radio tower near by and now I experience some interference on a couple of my TV channels sometimes. Most of these channels I don't care about (like the baby-, wedding- etc channels), but there are 1 or 2 I watch or tape on a regular base. I got a letter from the cable company saying that they were very sorry about it, but that they can't do anything about it. They say that the signal can enter through the wall plug or the cables used. These are the cable and type of connectors I'm using:

KOKA 799 digital Coaxial cable (cell-PE, nitrogen injected) with closed high-frequency (85 dB) coaxial IEC connectors both from Hirschmann, no splitters or amplifiers are being used. The cable length is around 5 meters (16 feet?) This is the minimum length I require.

Anybody any ideas about resolving this problem?
(and no...moving is not an option)

AAR.oner · #2 2010-06-07, 03:06 PM

switch to satellite [although that could be affected as well i'm guessing]...based on what you've described, sounds like yer using well-shielded cables and the like, so i can't really think of anything off the top to prevent this...not for a reasonable cost at least

Thulani · #3 2010-06-07, 03:21 PM

IPTV?

daddyray · #4 2010-06-07, 03:28 PM

fell the tower it is the only hope

jabulon · #5 2010-06-07, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AAR.oner

switch to satellite [although that could be affected as well i'm guessing]...

thought about that. Another pro of switching to satellite would be that could stream directly to my PC. The DVB unit I have now doesn't support USB (it has a connector, but it isn't working, damn cable company!) A big con would be that I'll miss some channels I really like (and share here).

Quote:

Originally Posted by kill_them_all1000

IPTV?

I think that shows captured from IPTV aren't allowed here (due to the compression used).

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddyrayoll

fell the tower it is the only hope

I think you are right, but probably they will raise two new and bigger towers.

rspencer · #6 2010-06-07, 03:59 PM

I live a couple miles from a TV tower with enough power to interfere with other channels. Regular broadcast TV. Satellite may or may not solve the problem.

You're using quality connections, so the interference is quite likely beyond your control (actually in the lines outside your home).

co9ol · #7 2010-06-12, 09:31 AM

ask your neighbor if they get it too. If they do then there is nothing you can do. But if they don't then it's definitely something to do with your specific setup

bluzman · #8 2010-06-12, 11:23 AM

Where I used to work there was a tower that did that to our phones and we fixed it this way. Find out what frequency the tower operates at and attenuate (cut) that frequency (and/or the harmonics of that frequency) with a filter. Radio Shack and other places sell them. Get flexible aluminum conduit run your co-ax through it and bond the conduit to earth ground. Our local Radio Shack had the filters for the local tower in stock. It's worth a try.

bluzman · #9 2010-06-12, 11:41 AM

Before you do what I wrote above, Radio Shack has "Ferrite Cores". You can install these on each piece of coax and also on the AC wire going into the boxes...

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103222

Sometimes putting a couple on works but one on each piece of Coax and on the AC wires to the boxes. This is a cheaper fix that may work.

#10 2010-06-13, 01:36 AM

use this:

the groundbreaker (Sheath current filter for 75Ω antenna cable) can help you

jabulon · #11 2010-06-13, 04:20 AM

Thanks for all your advices!

Quote:

Originally Posted by co9ol

ask your neighbor if they get it too. If they do then there is nothing you can do. But if they don't then it's definitely something to do with your specific setup

yes they got it too, same channels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluzman

Before you do what I wrote above, Radio Shack has "Ferrite Cores". You can install these on each piece of coax and also on the AC wire going into the boxes...
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103222
Sometimes putting a couple on works but one on each piece of Coax and on the AC wires to the boxes. This is a cheaper fix that may work.

think I'll try this option. We don't have a radioshack here (Amsterdam) but there is something similar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxymoron

use this: the groundbreaker (Sheath current filter for 75Ω antenna cable) can help you

This looks like a 'prefab' ferrite core to me, am I right?

I'm no expert so this may sound silly. But if I look at the AC cable of an external HD of mine it has one core (near the plug) but the USB cable has two (one on each end of the cable) just like the monitor cable of my PC.