Cabling Headache!

[egg_nog]

First of all, hello to you all - this is my first post, even though I've been "lurking" here for some time I've never actually needed to post before! So a quick thanks to everyone who contributes. I'm just hoping for some advice with cabling and my Eurovox.

I've got a cable modem and EX1000SL running perfectly well in my upstairs bedroom, both connected to a splitter that I installed myself inside the white box on the wall. I can't see an isolator in there at all - looks like the cable just comes straight through the wall.

I want to move the EV to my front room - but if I move the splitter into the drop in box outside the house, run a cable inside the house, and plug the EV into that, I get a buzzing noise and banding on the screen - and no channels. Does anyone what the cause of this might be? It seems a strange phenomenon that everything works fine upstairs, seemingly without an isolator, but if I connect directly to the feed outside everything goes pear shaped. I've tried disconnecting everything except the Eurovox in case there was some kind of loop but get exactly the same thing. Again I've checked the whole cable for an isolator and I'm fairly sure there isn't one - I may of course be wrong though.

Has anyone seen this before? Would an isolator in the outside box do the trick? Or would this affect the feed upstairs if there IS an isolator up there that I may have missed? Is it even an isolator I need?!

Help! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

egg_nog

[nibblitz]

Bit confused with your setup ... "White Box on the wall" is this upstairs then ? Isnt there a white box downstairs ? why do you need to put the splitter outside ?

(and it does sound like a major ground loop or your long length of your coax running parallel to a mains cable)

[egg_nog]

Hmmm yes, sorry if that wasn't clear. I'm a broadband subscriber and the feed comes into the house upstairs. On the inside wall where the cable comes in is a white box, and that's where I installed a splitter for the EX1000SL in my bedroom. Both this and the cable modem work fine with this setup.

The problem is I want to move the EV downstairs - there is no "white box" down there because I don't subscribe to TV. It is close to the brown drop in box on the outside wall, however, so I moved the splitter there and ran a cable through - but I get that annoying buzzing etc.

Will an isolator fix the loop? If so what would be the best way to set it up? The coax doesn't really go close enough to any mains cable so I don't think it's that.

[lee-ds]

Are you using scart or RF?
Are you using the same TV as before?

[AciidSn3ak3r]

It could be that your signal is too strong which is making the buzzing sound. Try putting a forward path attenuator on there. Look for a variable forward path attenuator as you can change how much signal you want going to your box.
It is a bit daft that too much signal can screw your box up. But its possible.

[AciidSn3ak3r]

Originally Posted by egg_nog

Will an isolator fix the loop?

Its best to always have an isolator so that your box wont send an electrical spike back to the virgin equipment.
Also it stops spikes hitting your box also
But not sure if it will fix it.
Maybe?

[egg_nog]

Thanks for replying chaps

I'll try and answer in turn..

Are you using scart or RF?
Are you using the same TV as before?

It's a different TV, the one upstairs is an old CRT one and the one downstairs is an LCD, hence me wanting to move! I've tried both scart and component connections to the TV, but not RF. The buzzing starts the moment the cable feed is connected to the EV. Does it make a difference how it's connected to the TV / which TV you use?

Try putting a forward path attenuator on there.

I've tried a variable attenuator (not sure if this is a "forward path" one) but it didn't even reduce the buzzing at all - it was exactly the same.

[chrissy]

get vi***n to install free view down stairs it only cost me about £30 a 1 off fee no bills

[nibblitz]

Well, if it's definately occuring even when the feed to the cable modem upstairs is disconnected then that rules out a Ground Loop issue.. With your EV downstairs, try running an RF lead from the EV to the Telly.. LCD's dont normally earth through the mains, and it may not be earthing via the scart, but'll definately get an earth using RF.. you'll still watch ya telly via scart, but just see if the RF lead does the trick of giving the TV something to earth.. Ive had to do this to eliminate ground loops, but it may also cure your ills..
:-)

[egg_nog]

Bugger, I never even gave it a second thought that it may be something do to with the TV being different rather than the cable!! I'll definitely try that tonight when I get home. Thanks for the advice. I should have posted before I ordered £20 worth of isolators, huh?

Might not get chance to post up the results cos it's my christmas party tonight... ... But I'll let you know how it went this weekend!!