My Latest Frustration

Orrymain · 07-02-2009, 04:06 AM

Believe it or not, I discovered that amid all of my gizmos in a drawer, there was a brand new balun. I've been waiting until I had the energy to try and remove the old connection that everyone told me was overkill. Guess what? I can't connect the antenna lead to the balun. There aren't little leads to put under the screws of the balun. The lead is flat and has those screws attached to at the end somehow. I got it unscrewed but the crown part that the screws go through is attached to the antenna lead. I had to reconnect it. No choice.

O-O · 07-02-2009, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orrymain

I can't connect the antenna lead to the balun. There aren't little leads to put under the screws of the balun. The lead is flat and has those screws attached to at the end somehow. I got it unscrewed but the crown part that the screws go through is attached to the antenna lead. I had to reconnect it. No choice.

No comprende. Need pics or a reference pic from the web.

Orrymain · 07-03-2009, 06:29 AM

There's a photo in another post somewhere. If I get a chance, I'll try and get a photo of it, but I'm really not sure it'll be visible. I had to rescrew it back in so I could keep getting reception. It's just that it's a flat wire with no ends to be affixed to the balun. The wire has these crown type things attached to it that the screws go into. It's really weird.

Orrymain · 07-05-2009, 09:22 PM

This is a lousy picture, but see that bright spot on both ends of the black lead? They're like crowns or something. The screws go through them. They are attached to the black antenna lead. I have no clue how anyone would get them off. I thought I'd have two little scraggly ends that I'd put under the screws of the balun. Maybe that's why that brown vhf box is there in the first place. Shrug.

Wheezer · 07-05-2009, 10:21 PM

Is this is the other photo?

[Edit.--What I'm getting at is that if the wire from the antenna (to the right in the photo) just has little rings on the contact end, you can simply take a pair of scissors, cut them off, and strip the remaining wire.]

Orrymain · 07-07-2009, 01:27 AM

Yes, that's the photo. I know how to use the scissors to cut, but I don't know how to strip it or get it to where I can attach it to the balun. I'm really not very technical.

Eureka · 07-07-2009, 09:32 AM

If the screws have little teeth under them like this:

Just stick one unstripped wire underneath the "teeth" and tighten the screw. It will pierce the insulation.

Orrymain · 07-07-2009, 04:52 PM

Remember, I'm a novice. By unstripped wire, do you just mean the lead in from the antenna? It sounds like you're saying just to cut off the end with those crown-like things on the wire and then stick the end under just one of the balun screws, in which case you're saying that it doesn't need to have something beneath both balun screws.

Am I reading this right?

DTVuser2009 · 07-07-2009, 05:01 PM

Actually i think he means take the wires, don't strip them and use the screws to 'crush' the insulated wire and the teeth usually pierce the insulation and make contact. but any time i have ever used a 'balun' to get a TV-out connection i get lousy grainy picture, as i do also with cheap 'push on' coaxial cable.

If you're using the balun with an antenna, there usually is no issue with bad picture, but bad reception if it's not just right.

I have a mind to try those 'Noise filters' that i find on speakers and see if that can eliminate reception difficulties due to noise interference in the connections.

Eureka · 07-07-2009, 07:40 PM

NO. You can't just connect it to one screw. Both screws have to have a wire underneath them. It may be better to strip the insulation off each wire and insert one underneath each screw terminal.


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