New Signal Interference With DTV

[D.V. Dee]

I set up a digital converter with rabbit ears back in July, with adroit assistance from this Forum. My digital signals have been pristine!

But...for the past few weeks, I've been getting snow-like interference on my favorite local channel (Ch. 5, WCVB). The picture is visible, but with the obnoxious snow-like interference cutting in frequently...

Is this somebody in my building operating a wireless router? Is it FM signals (if so, then why all of a sudden...?)

I have to work with the setup I have--can't afford cable TV.

Any solutions to this? Thanks!

 

[Eureka]

Are you using the yellow-white-red cables from the converter box to the TV, or an RF coax cable between the two (with the TV tuned to ch 3 or 4)?

 

[Aaron62]

When was the last time you did a rescan of channels on the converter box?

Just to help us out too, we'll need your results from TV Fool (enter your address and post the results here).

 

[D.V. Dee]

Eureka -

Using RF Coax, tuned to Ch. 3.

Aaron62 -

Haven't rescanned since July...

Meanwhile, here's my TV Fool Address Analysis URL link:

TV Fool

Thanks!

 

[JakesDTVBlog]

I got something similar with one of my Venturer boxes. Turned out it was the coax cable. If you have another -- better -- piece of coax, try that. You'll be surprised at the difference. I was.

 

[Piggie]

I got something similar with one of my Venturer boxes. Turned out it was the coax cable. If you have another -- better -- piece of coax, try that. You'll be surprised at the difference. I was.

Two problems with the coax that came with the boxes.

1) Push on connectors. They fall off, they corrode. Also if you have a ham in the neighborhood, the corrosion from pushon connectors will pick up interference signal a screw on connector won't

2) Many I have seen the coax was not RG6, not even RG59, but small coax that was not identifiable. Throw them away... Of if you use them, they are first thing to replace if you have a problem.

 

[JakesDTVBlog]

Two problems with the coax that came with the boxes.

1) Push on connectors. They fall off, they corrode. Also if you have a ham in the neighborhood, the corrosion from pushon connectors will pick up interference signal a screw on connector won't

2) Many I have seen the coax was not RG6, not even RG59, but small coax that was not identifiable. Throw them away... Of if you use them, they are first thing to replace if you have a problem.

Agreed. I wish they'd have invested another 20 cents per box (I'd have GLADLY paid it) to give folks a decent coax and connectors that don't disintegrate upon exposure to air. :cheesy:

 

[Eureka]

Using RF Coax, tuned to Ch. 3...

If your TV has Audio/Video (yellow/white/red) input jacks, switch to that type of input.

If not:
1. Replace the coax with screw on connectors, if not already.
2. Go into the converter box setup menu and change the output of the box to Channl 4 and tune your TV's tuner to channel 4.

 

[D.V. Dee]

I will try out these good suggestions...but I do get the nagging feeling that the interference just might come from a wireless router somewhere in my building, given the intermittent nature of the interference...

...at least that's my uneducated guess....

 

[Eureka]

Switching to the yellow-white-red A/V input cables should eliminate the problem.

 

[FOX TV]

Not a Router !!

I will try out these good suggestions...but I do get the nagging feeling that the interference just might come from a wireless router somewhere in my building, given the intermittent nature of the interference...

...at least that's my uneducated guess....

It is most likely not a wireless router. The frequency range is so different that it is highly unlikely that a router is causing this. Ham Radio, or an over modulated CB radio is more likely to cause these symptoms, but there can be other interference sources as well.

If you have the option to use A/V connections, it would be much better than the coaxial cable, as even without the interference issue, the coaxial cable connection option automatically makes the picture noisier. Most routers are on 24/7, so you would most likely see it all the time if it was a router.

You may have a leaking cable TV connection somewhere in your building that would be more likely to cause this type of interference. This sounds like some type of radio frequency interference that the TV itself is picking up, and it is not coming from the converter box itself, but is close by to the TV location and is getting into the RF receiver section of the TV itself.