Testing coaxial cable and adding multiswitches

MartyM

Two questions:

1. Is it possible to test a W102 CCS (RG6 I think?) coaxial cable end-to-end for a cable fault?

I've read that something as simple as a kink can affect specific frequencies without affecting others. I'm seeing intermittent loss of signal on my 1TB Sky+HD box. It could be a coincidence but it's only occuring on HD channels, such as Sky1 HD, Sky Living HD, Sky Atlantic HD, Sky Sports News HD and Sky News HD.

Originally I thought it was my new HD box but after checking a few different cable combinations, I'm 99% certain it's a cable fault external to my apartment and between a common multiswitch used by other residents. This is the connection I'd like to get tested, if possible.


2. Can I add a second multiswitch internal to my apartment?

If 1 of the 2 cables I use for Sky+ is faulty can I use a second multiswitch to split the good cable? The 1st multiswitch is used by myself and other residents to connect to a communal dish.

The reason for asking is because the apartment was pre-wired so it would be impossible to replace any faulty cable.

Cheers!

12 element

It is possible but not without a proper satellite meter/analyser.
You will not be able install your own multiswitch without 4 working cables entering your apartment.

May I ask do you have a wireless phone or wireless internet in your apartment as these can cause problems on groups of channels like you describe.

If you have any more problems why not contact your apartments management company? Who are supplying you with sky or are you getting it direct from sky?

MartyM

12 element wrote: »

It is possible but not without a proper satellite meter/analyser.
You will not be able install your own multiswitch without 4 working cables entering your apartment.

May I ask do you have a wireless phone or wireless internet in your apartment as these can cause problems on groups of channels like you describe.

If you have any more problems why not contact your apartments management company? Who are supplying you with sky or are you getting it direct from sky?

I have only have 3 working cables into the apartment!

Have wireless phone and wireless internet. On my old Sky+ box the phone definitely interfered with CH4, E4, etc.

On the new Sky HD box only one input loses signal, it can be input 1 or input 2 depending on what cable combinations I use. For all combinations, there is only one common point of failure and thats the wall socket connected to the multiswitch.

I guess my phone could be causing problems external to the apartment!

Sky Conway are supplying the communal dish but I guess they will only accept responsibility for the connections from the LNB to the multiswitch....not the pre-wiring from the multiswitch to the apartment??

I'm assuming the connection from LNB to multiswitch is ok, otherwise all cables from the multiswitch would have problems.

MartyM

12 element wrote: »

It is possible but not without a proper satellite meter/analyser.

Would most satellite engineers have these satellite meters/analysers?

Also, will it just buzz and confirm connectivity or can it identify the problem I'm having? i.e. intermittent signal loss on certain frequencies only.

watty

Proper Professional ones with non-Sky experience, yes.

MartyM

watty wrote: »

Proper Professional ones with non-Sky experience, yes.

Hard to know who's a proper professional and who's not!

Had a look at the ISAA site to see if they had a list of approved engineers. They do have a list of approved installers.

Would each of these also come out and troubleshoot problems OR do they simply install equipment they sell?

Anyone on boards know someone?

watty

You would need to talk to them and get a quote.

Cable problems are hard to track down exactly, though if a cable is damaged, any of them should be able to confirm this, but then you need a new cable as they are unlikely to know where it's damaged.

MartyM

watty wrote: »

You would need to talk to them and get a quote.

Cable problems are hard to track down exactly, though if a cable is damaged, any of them should be able to confirm this, but then you need a new cable as they are unlikely to know where it's damaged.

Thanks Watty, yeah if it is damaged I'm in trouble will be virtually impossible I'd imagine to replace a pre-installed apartment cable....at least impossible to do it neatly!