Help installing coax (cable tv) upstairs

[PetunZ]

Moved from General Hardware -- seems more fitting

I just rearranged my room around, and I saw a cable outlet (dual-attached coax cable) near the new spot for my tv. My room is pretty large, and there are 2 coax cable outlets on opposite sides of the room-- 1 currently being used by Adelphia High Speed Internet. However, the other cables were "unused" -- ie I had to cut away the wire shielding and I plucked on a coax screw end thing. I've tried not using the screw end, and just using the copper wire straight into the tv, into the vcr, and the only thing that happens is that the image gets clearer (than without the wire at all).

My tv only gets the simple 2-13 reception channels, and won't give me my full 70 channel cable... Am I missing something? Or is the 2nd set of wires not connected to Adelphia? If anyone can help, please let me know!

Thanks,

Peter

 

[brentkiosk]

It's possible your cable is acting as an antenna and in fact there is no connection on the other end. But, it sounds as if you got the coax connector on wrong. You said you cut away the shield. You shouldn't do that. The shield needs to be electrically connected to the threaded part of the connector to get the maximum cable signal. Give that a try.

I'll bet a call to Adelphia would tell you if that cable is (legitimately) active.

 

[Firetower]

The screw end acts as a ground. that is needed for best picture quality

 

[jwilliams]

Good idea...

 

[PetunZ]

When I said that I "cut away the shield", I meant that I first stripped the outer rubber layer along with the bits of wire surrounding the copper to make it look like a sample piece of coax that I have laying around. Secondly, there is an inner layer of material that looks like tinfoil surrounding the actual copper cable, that was only stripped halfway, again mimicking my sample coax wire. Let me post a picture of my setup, and hopefully it will shed some light on it.

Also, I'll call adelphia to see if the wire is active. Much appreciation for your help guys, please let me know if my setup is right.

Coax Cable w/out the screw end (reference cable is black, one from wall is white)

Coax cable w/out screw (no flash)

Completed Coax Cable (Finished)

Front View Coax Cable (finished) the copper is there, you just can't see it (flash)

Also, if I plug in the copper without the screw end, the picture is fine, just channels 2-13 still.

Thanks for looking

Peter

 

[Dennis Travis]

What is could be is that the coax is in the wall but has not been hooked into the cable by a splitter in one of the outlets somewhere in the house and probably just goes to one of the boxes and sits there. Usually in some of the newer houses I have worked with put the splitter behind one of the outlet plates to hook up the cables going elsewhere in the house. Check the jack at the other side of your room where the cable works for the internet and see if there is another end behind the cover. If so you would need to get a splitter and hook it up with the existing connection. Not sure how your place is wired but I have seen that many times. I often set up cable systems for friends.

Good luck.


Your end and cable looks ok from what I can see in the Pics. Does your TV cover more than just channels 2-13? If not you would need a Cable Box to get all 70 Channels.

 

[PetunZ]

thanks for your insight, yeah.. my tv goes to chan 125

I was hoping that i wouldn't have to use a splitter and run cable to the other side of the room, but if that's the case.. then i'll do it...

is there any way to get the wire that i have next to the tv to be connected to adelphia's network?
or am i gonna have to use the one way over there...?

 

[Dennis Travis]

The Splitter would go in the wall behind one of the other jack plates where the other end of that cable probably is hanging unconnected.