Sound Crackly?
 

Hi

After things got too late to get Digital, I had to end up getting analogue.

I have linked up the sound outputs to my receiver (Amp), but the sound every now and again crackles, is this a known problem with any analogue boxes?

Thanks

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

While this is well-known on (Bromley) digital systems, this is the first I've heard on analogue. Can you tell us any more about when it happens? When the sound is very loud, perhaps?

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

usually when someone speaks.. usually women.. some sort of speaking usually gives a few crackly :(

I turned the volume on the cable box very low and used my amp to make it loud.. still crackles.

I've put it into the tv on its own and its still a bit crackly here and there.

I'm a bit picky about how good my service is tbh, but i would like to know if theres a fix at all?

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

It's only happening on Sky One :(

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

Either your recieving equipment needs fine tuning or the modulator at the headend is faulty. Try fine tuning and let me know it doesn't work, I'll speak to the headend guys if they haven't already picked it up.

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

You know that, I know that, anyone on Bromley who has had to listen to this awful popping and crackling for the last six months knows this. Ring customer service.. 'never heard of that one sir' arrrrggghhh fcuk off....

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

Reaps has analogue cable. So its a Nicam issue, either reception or modulation.

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

That's a good point, actually.

Reaps, does your TV have a function whereby you can change between mono and stereo sound? If it does, can you tell us whether the crackling happens on both of these, or just the stereo?

NICAM audio signals are carried separately from mono signals. So if it happens on both signals, it's likely to be a reception issue. If it's only on the stereo signal, it's probably a fault in the NICAM encoder at the headend.

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

It happens on both, i've tried changing my amplifier to mono mode and stereo mode, but its still the same.

I dont think I can modulate the signal my end, can I?

It's quite damn annoying :( It's as if they are sending out too much of a loud signal and my cable box cant lower it enough, even if i put the volume down on the box it still crackles :|

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

The feed to your amp, where does that come from, your TV or a VCR? That device needs to be fine tuned or as Tristan says put it into mono mode.
The amp is merely changing the stereo signal it is recieving from the receiving device into mono, that stereo signal is already faulty.

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

I've already said that i've tried it in mono and/or stereo.

The feed comes directly from the Analogue Cable Box, using the white output on the back, near the RF outs.

I cant fine tune the box can I ?

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

Do you mean red and white outputs? Or is there only one? In which case you're only getting mono anyway. In fact, thinking about it, there probably isn't a NICAM decoder in the box anyway...

So, for future reference, if your TV or video has audio-outs, you will get better sound through these.

None of which really helps us with your problem, except that it isn't a fault in the NICAM decoder at the headend, probably jsut the modulator...

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

How many audio connectors are there on the back of the box? I don't work with analogue boxes, so I don't know.

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

Reaps, by 'Analogue Cable Box' what sort of box do you mean?

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

I've found some pictures of the back of some analogue boxes that have stereo audio outputs. Reading some of the words that go with them makes me suspect that they actually use the 88-108 MHz FM radio service for this. These boxes possibly predate Nicam too. This also explains why I can listen to Sky 1 using the FM hook-up!

Round here Sky 1 is loud but I never listen to it for long enough to identify any 'crackling'. However, I do listen to Sunrise and that is definately loud and distorted. I think some levels need checking.

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

Thats interesting, (can you pm me some links) cos to be of any real practical use the box would have to contain either a nicam decoder or an FM tuner which would have made it a very expensive box for the cable operator.

The mechanics of FM hook ups are different from site to site but generally, the audio is taken from the sat receiver into a multiple output amp, one o/p of which is fed into a nicam encoder (which also provides the mono) and into the modulator for transmission over the network, while a second o/p is fed into an FM processor and then sent out over the network as an FM carrier to be picked up by an FM tuner with a 75 ohm input.
These are referred to as simulcast FM's as opposed to the FM radio stations which are also carried in some areas. The idea behind them was that it would be a good selling point in the early 90's when the cost of Nicam TV's was still beyond the means of the majority of households.

Anyway though to get back on topic ;) I have heard that some of the GI/Jerrold boxes have a mono audio output, (pretty pointless if you ask me but no doubt another gimmick pushed by some marketing exec) which is probably what Reaps^ is using. Afaik beyond demodulation to baseband there is no other processing of the audio before it goes to the mono o/p socket and the TV. I'm not sure if the splitting takes place before or after volume control though.

Its difficult to make a call as to what this problem is but the best bet is to give faults a ring and get a service tech out to have a look, as it's more likely to be an ntl issue than something that you can sort yourself Reaps^



edited for spellink :)

Re: Sound Crackly?
 

Hi Stu, nice to see you posting.