Max cable length?

[kedsy]

My parents have been having trouble with the interactive services on their receiver since the day it was installed. They have never bothered complaining since there wasnt much on there untill recently. I have always put the fault down to the crappy Pace 1400 boxes they have had installed and replaced a few times.

They have just had the receiver replaced with a new Sammy and the fault is still there, no return path, signal ramping etc.

One other thing I have always suspected is the cable run to the house, it is extremely long, approx 150 to 200 meters. The cable that is pulled through is the highest spec that the installers use (back 6 years ago when pulled through) as they had trouble with the thinner cables when they first installed it. Does anyone know what the max length would be for the return path to work? I understand that other factors would dictate the max cable length but does this cable length sound ok?

When I was living there I had the broadband service which worked fine but I suspect the Motorola modem I was using had a better receiver/transmitter that the STB's.


Thanks

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

We sometimes have a similar issue in that the STB return path fails. I got so fed up with it i insisted NTL (at the time) install a cable modem. We never have issues with the cable modem failing like we do with the STB return path.

Highest spec cable that the installers use? what a load of rubbish, its all the same stuff. Im supprised with a replacement STB being install that the eng left without the return path working. Phone them up and get them to resolve it, if you dont keep pestering them they will assume your happy.

[hairy_mick]

RG11 for that distance m8 plus a HDU if you have more than one catv service.

[papa smurf]

We sometimes have a similar issue in that the STB return path fails. I got so fed up with it i insisted NTL (at the time) install a cable modem. We never have issues with the cable modem failing like we do with the STB return path.

Highest spec cable that the installers use? what a load of rubbish, its all the same stuff. Im supprised with a replacement STB being install that the eng left without the return path working. Phone them up and get them to resolve it, if you dont keep pestering them they will assume your happy.

rg 6 rg 7 rg11 =3 types of coax not all the same

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

rg 6 rg 7 rg11 =3 types of coax not all the same

You dont use coax from the cab to the grey box outside though do you? The bare wires in my garden dont look like coax

[papa smurf]

You dont use coax from the cab to the grey box outside though do you? The bare wires in my garden dont look like coax

tv and modem are on coax, phone is on copper twisted pair

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

tv and modem are on coax, phone is on copper twisted pair

hence why it looks like a two core cable. thanks

is there much of a price difference between the types?

[kedsy]

Cable that is pulled through is RG11, obviously not the best cable available but not sure if the installers use higher spec stuff.

Engineer is returning later in week to resume the job, I suspect that next option will be to repull a new cable.Will have to wait and see what the result is.

Wicked and crazy, the cables have diffrent specs, RG11 has a lower insertion loss than RG6,7. Which basicaly means that less of the signal is lost along the length of the cable than that of a Rg6 of the same length.

[sprattgraham]

I have 1 V+ and Two V BOX and Broadband on RG-6 from the CAB and the tech was surprised it was working. I do have a second RG-6 cable from the CAB but they don’t use it for some reason.