Hotel Distribution System problem

slopoke · #1 (**permalink**) 06-26-2008, 11:57 PM

There must be a simple solution to this problem. I'm trying to solve an issue involving DishNetwork channels combined by a Trunkline Millennium modulator system and sent throughout a multi-story hotel. All channels look good near the headend, but in some outlying rooms, a few channels come over the tv's looking weak or distorted. I don't have a meter , but I'm guessing that this new problem (the system has been in place a while and the problem is new) is possibly due to a bad coax splice or a pinched cable. Any ideas, anyone?

bobkat · #2 (**permalink**) 06-28-2008, 01:09 AM

If the system worked great before and the signal weakened gradually I'm betting on a bad connector somewhere in the line. How far would you guesstimate it is from the headend to the farthest room TV ?

kat

slopoke · #3 (**permalink**) 06-28-2008, 03:29 AM

Somebody else told me the same thing today. Apparently, the lower channels (which is the case here) go out first if the center conductor of the coax is not making a good connection at a splice, which makes sense. That's the case here. They also said that a "field strength meter" or a spectrum analyzer can be used to find the bad connector. To answer your question, this is an eleven story, but narrow, hotel. The headend is halfway up. By the way, I appreciate your getting back to me. The company I work for does all sorts of sound systems and some video, but we have done only two distributed tv systems in hotels. As a service tech, I'm having to learn the basics of this type of system the hard way.

bobkat · #4 (**permalink**) 06-28-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slopoke

As a service tech, I'm having to learn the basics of this type of system the hard way.

That's the only way!! I learned the hard way too doing MDU (multiple dwelling unit) installations for Bell ExpressVu satellite. Compared to residential it's a whole new ball game.

Anyway, see if you can get your hands on a spectrum analyzer before you start ripping things apart. The analyzer will show (among other things) how far along the coax the problem is. Then you have a rough idea of which hotel room to tear apart.

kat