TV tuner/Coax problems

[Mullen07]

Well, I just moved my computer, and i have an ATI TV Tuner in it, and my problem is that when I hook up the coax to the card, I dont get all the channels, cause the coax signal doesnt go that far. I've heard it only goes 60 ft. or something. Anyways, I was wondering how I could fix this, so I wouldn't have to get up off my ass to go watch TV anymore. I figured (using the basic laws of electrical cords) that if i got larger diameter coax, it would carry more signal, but I don't know what I should get, and I dont want to go get it, then find ou t it doesn't work. Anyone want to help me out with this one??

Mullen

[eGoCeNTRoNiX]

Maybe you could get a signal booster and put it at the halfway point?? eGo

[FlyingPenguin]

The length of the coax will not affect the number of channels you get - the length will affect the strength of the signal. Some channels at the high and low end will generally come in poorer.

If your reception is weak, it's probably not the length. 60 feet is nothing - not enough to drop the signal very much. In commercial CATV setups I've run coax 500 feet before getting significant loss.

Is the picture grainy on most of the channels, or you just missing some channels above 13?

If you're not getting any channels over 13 then you probably don't have the tuner setup for cable tv - you have it setup for antenna (channels above 13 on an antenna are not the same as cable cahnnels 13 and up). There should be a setting in the tuner setup to choose between TV and Cable (or might be called CATV).

If you're getting cable channels above 13 but the image is grainy then you probably have a bad fitting or cable. If the cable becomes crimped you will damage it.

Did you put the fittings on the end of the cable yourself? If so chances are you didn't do it right. It's easy to do them wrong if you don't know how.

If it's a pre-made cable with factory connectors and the image is grainy then there's a good chance you bent the center wire in one of the fittings. Unscrew both ends and take a look at them.

Hope this helps...

[Mullen07]

okay, well,

1. I know the tv tuner works, and is set up right or whatever because i had it working before, but then just moved the computer.

2. The channels are there, theyre just grainy as shit; all of them.

3. The cables should be fine, though they are just "radioshack brand" or something like that, i dunno if thats the problem why the signal isnt carrying well. The connectors are also as they came, and there are no major bend/breaks in the cable.

4. It is split a few times, and i didnt have a piece long enough to get from the last splitter to the computer, so i joined a few pieces together with splitters and just plain "connectors" or something, like basically a splitter with just one in and one out.

Any ideas? i guess i could replace the cables with one large one, and maybe try a different company that makes it. I dunno.

[eGoCeNTRoNiX]

I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I know when I've used those before I've had bad signal degradation because the connectors don't have a good "contact" with the pins on the inside of the connections on the cables.. But I could be wrong.. eGo

[FlyingPenguin]

Okay, first of all since all channels are grainy you basically have a bad connection somewhere.

Keep in mind that every time you go through a 2 way spliterr it HALVES the signal level. Each time you go through a 3-way you reduce it by a third, etc.

Using a barrel connector (a female to female adapter) to extend a cable induces no loss. Never use a splitter if all you need is a barrel.

I can almost guarantee you, from the sound of it, that you have a broken connection somewhere. Undo all your connections and you will probably find that the center wire in one of the connectors is bent and not making contact. Very common problem. Carefully straighten the bent wire with a needle nose plier and CAREFULLY screw the connection together.