Ugly attenuators.
 

To be honest, the wall box could have been put out of the way but I wasn't around when it was fitted to suggest so.
However, I think I'm right in presuming these can go out of the way on the back of the STB so not overly miffed.
Is this common practice to double-stack? I appreciate it saves a wander to the cab, but they look bloody ugly. :dozey:
Any reason why I can't move these to the back of the box or any reason why the engineer didn't?

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/6056/img0026t.jpg

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

never seen them double stacked and it was proberbly to save a trip to the cab.

I had two new modems last summer to try and fix high upload power levels as the techs that came out claimed it was the modem when all that needed was a take down in the cab which they pass on the way into the building.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

He left Tonto down the pub I think lol

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

They are normally put behind the tv box or the modem.They are not supost to mixed like that :)

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Thanks all.

Hmm. I can see the cab from my front window.
Ned, are you saying the red/green shouldn't be mixed?

Up until an engineer (different one) came this week to sort out my V+ box I had 5 of these things everywhere. On the modem, the V+ box, on two splitters and then these two (on the box upstairs) totalling 7. He took all the ones downstairs off and replaced them with one (-15db). I asked my nephew to tell him to check the other box upstairs but he forgot.

With what Ned says, I guess I'll take them off and see if there's any detriment.
Cheers.

That may have been why he was in such a rush..

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

How high up the wall is that? it looks like a shower unit........

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

About 60cm! There was a small sofa that could have been moved to be honest, and it'd have been hidden behind it. I'm not too worried, the curtains hide it.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

The 2 colours are not suppost to be mixed like they are in the pic 1 should be in the box outside on your wall the other on the back of the settop .:)

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Ta.
They're both off for now anyway.
As the attenuator is the only one I've ever seen over the years I'll presume that's the one that goes on the box so I'll pop that one back on. I don't have a box outside for the simulator though.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Care to expand on that Ned, I too have both of these little doo dads, one screws on the back of the modem, and one on the back of the V+ box

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Are they both the same colour? If not, which attenuator/colour is where (in case it makes a difference)?

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Cheers Pal,

If memory serves, I have a -6db forward path attenuator on the back of the modem, which I think was the green one.

The red one (cant remember the value) was on the back of the V+.

My V+ box freezes, can take 30 seconds to 2 minutes to respond to requests sometimes, but is just ok for the majority.

Picture quality sometimes is poor, even last night on the VM channel it was suffering from slight pixelation.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

It seems odd to mix a Cable simulator (attenuates high frequencies more) and what looks like a forward path equaliser (attenuates lower frequencies more). It seems to me they could have just used one normal attenuator (attenuates all frequencies).

I would get rid of the green one as it very very unlikely that it will have any effect on the service and screw the other one on the back of the equipment rather than at the wall socket. Keep the green one safe just in case it does affect things but I doubt it very much. I love the picture, a shining example of poor workmanship. As you rightly said he should have gone to the cab and lowered the signal there.

---------- Post added at 21:06 ---------- Previous post was at 21:04 ----------

You problem is probably unrelated to the attenuators. Check all connections are tight and everything is ok, if still the same call VM.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

There is three types that are used

attinutor brings down digi and analogue
simulator brings down digi
equaliser brings down digi

looking at the picture is that a 15db attiuator if so your on the wrong tap port in the cab. you should never have to use a 15db in a customers property.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

That is not correct.

Attenuators lower signals at all frequencies (digi and analogue)
Cable Simulators lower signals at higher frequencies (digi and analogue)
Equalisers lower signals at lower frequencies (digi and analogue)

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

That wouldn't have fixed the tilt that the cable simulator was probably there to fix though would it sir?

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Possibly in a very rare circumstance but what you would gain evening out a very slight positive slope with a 4db cable simulator? I wouldn't add it as its just something else to go faulty as you would not gain anything in respect of service to the customer.

Also I'm struggling to think of a scenario where you would need to use a 15db attn/equaliser(can't see as the pic is blurred) and a 4db cable sim. It would really need to be an odd set of levels, in which case I suspect the network levels would not be set correctly.

Believe me I am not worthy of being called sir (I only know what I know, which isn't much). :)

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Well after closer inspection it would appear I had a (red) 6bD forward path equaliser on the back of the modem, and an (red) 8dB forward path equaliser on the back of the V+ box, so apologies for the bum steer.

I decided to have a little play last night and removed the 8dB from the V+ completely, then swapped the 6db one on the back of the modem with the 8.

So now I have power levels on the modem nearer to zero (the ideal I believe) and nothing on the V+, the picture quality has either stayed the same but if anything slightly improved.

The SNR levels on the V+ are still 30db, 30dB,and 31dB though, and the SNR on the modem are unchanged at 36db, 36db and 37db.

What I would like to know is why the engineer fitted effectively the same equalisers to both units, albeit slightly different values and didnt just put one behind the splitter???

Or am I talking out of my hoop

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

I would just put the 6db one before the splitter which will then have that effect to both pieces of equipment and ditch the 8.

Without measuring your levels it would be impossible to say what attenuators are definitely needed. If you are still having problems then just report it and get an engineer out, that way your levels can be properly measured and signal adjusted accordingly if needed.

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Will do pitbull, cheers,

Re: Ugly attenuators.
 

Sorry for late reply, and thanks for the contributions.
As calmpitbull suggests, I have popped the red one back on the box feed and all seems to well.
It was a 15db forward path attenuator by the way.