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Author Topic: Cable Pairs - A Question  (Read 41282 times)

snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #30 on: April 24, 2012, 09:07:42 PM »

bluuurdy hell.... :)  I agree with BS, you are extremely talented!!!    ;)  well impressed!!

yes I live near Blaydon which is a few miles from greenside and I can see the stagshaw one from our house (about 2 miles away)

now you have just got my brain ticking and there is an old black box on wall outside that runs a thick black cable into the soffit where the phone lines are along the whole length - its one of them old radio/TV thingys...cant remember the name , but I never heard of them until the BT engineer pointed it out last week when I asked if he knew what it was, he was shocked that I didnt know about them, had a funny name I thought

now I wonder if its that cable thats picking up the broadcast and running it near the phone lines?  its on my wall too, maybe I could go up and disconnect it? I assuming its no longer used, it must be running along with the phone cables just inches away.

just for info: ive had 2 people from sky call today after a lengthy worded email, a tier 2 rep called Chris has ordered a Line Card change for tomorrow, our phone is off, broadband is still on even though he said it should have went off hours ago, he is calling me back after its done.

then someone called Stanley rang from escalations to say he is monitoring the case from now on and making sure it all gets done and is working, he said if not he can roll back to WLR3 but it means 10 days with no service as its a cease & reprovide.

watch this space....

yeah Im gunna go up there with ladders and open it up that black box and take a look, I will take my Multi-Meter up and see if its live, what do your's reckon?

cheers :)
« Last Edit: April 24, 2012, 09:09:49 PM by snadge »
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Blackeagle

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #31 on: April 24, 2012, 09:20:20 PM »

Its not a Rediffusion box is it ??  If so I doubt its still connected to anything, but it could still be acting as an aerial.
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snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #32 on: April 24, 2012, 09:22:41 PM »

aye thats the one, thanks BE :)

I will take a gander at it tomorrow - it sorta runs under the soffit then into it half way along - as you say it could be coaxing frequencies near it and thus introducing them into my line?  if not, does this mean everyone else will be suffering with this?

thanks
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Black Sheep

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #33 on: April 24, 2012, 09:33:59 PM »

<bluuurdy hell....   I agree with BS, you are extremely talented!!!      well impressed!!>

I suggest we call Asbo, Hannibal Lecter from now on. I daren't tell him my favourite colour for fear he'll track me down, and nick a couple of Huwaei modems off me !! ;D

We still have the Redifusion Cables around our way, I still hear on the grapevine of people with the old selector switch receiving pictures through the actual cable ?? As an OR engineer, we sometimes get urgent safety tasks issued that have been reported as 'Dangerous-cable down', and now and again it will be one of these Redifusion cables that the general public mistake as ours.
Years back, Granada TV took over from Redifusion and we used to pass the issue to them, but as time's gone by even they don't want to know. We just hacksaw through them and make them safe nowadays.
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snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #34 on: April 24, 2012, 09:39:36 PM »

haha - thats exactly what the OR engineer said when I asked him what is was...haha

I will be up there tomorrow having a gander, will they be live at all?
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Black Sheep

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #35 on: April 24, 2012, 09:44:44 PM »

50-50 mate ?? As with all things carrying voltage/current, test your meter against a known souce, then test the actual cable, then retest against the known source. This verifies your meter is working correctly, and the readings you are getting are true.

I'd hate for you to go hacking through some kind of electric supply cable, under the illusion its a Redifusion one. I know this is highly unlikely with your good-self, but for anybody else perusing these forums who may feel the need to go chopping cables down. :) :)
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snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #36 on: April 24, 2012, 10:36:41 PM »

50-50 mate ?? As with all things carrying voltage/current, test your meter against a known souce, then test the actual cable, then retest against the known source. This verifies your meter is working correctly, and the readings you are getting are true.

I'd hate for you to go hacking through some kind of electric supply cable, under the illusion its a Redifusion one. I know this is highly unlikely with your good-self, but for anybody else perusing these forums who may feel the need to go chopping cables down. :) :)

Very True - it has 'rediffusion' on the box, I wont be chopping wires if i can help it - I am hoping I can open it up and simply disconnect any wires and insulate them if live - if it IS live, where will the power be coming from?
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asbokid

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #37 on: April 24, 2012, 11:08:37 PM »

that's nice of both you lads to say!  it's just a bit of fun though, and unfortunately doesn't solve your line fault / broadband fault :-(

i've just been reading a TBB thread from 2008. Some poor blighter reports actually hearing radio 5 live when he does a QLT!

The government proposed turning off AM radio broadcasts some 10 years ago, but didn't pull the plug in the end. Does anyone listen to AM radio any more? Would anyone notice if it was turned off?

The old Economy 7 electricity meters used to receive their switching signal (from economy to 'standard' tariff) via the Radio 4 LW carrier on 198kHz.   Don't suppose that happens any more.  I often wondered whether a radio jammer fired up at the right time would leave the meter charging at the economy rate!

cheers, a
« Last Edit: April 24, 2012, 11:13:33 PM by asbokid »
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snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #38 on: April 24, 2012, 11:12:00 PM »

well hopefully tomoz it will get sorted :)

FINGERS CROSSED!!
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asbokid

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #39 on: April 25, 2012, 12:13:35 AM »

well hopefully tomoz it will get sorted :)

FINGERS CROSSED!!

yeah, very best of luck with it!  Please keep us all informed of progress!

cheers, a
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Ezzer

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #40 on: April 25, 2012, 05:25:48 AM »

Black Sheep's advice about checking your meter before checking the errant cable is spot on.

I have come across quite a few situations of voltage that shouldnt be there that lethaly is. From opening a nte only to get a blinding blue flash and the whole house electrics blow (some numpty connected an earth wire from the dowstairs wall lighting to the bell wire and plasterd over the mess) To getting a ruddy huge belt off the MDF in the exchange. I still have the scar from where I got zapped.

Or Black Sheep you'll like this one. Opened a jb23 to find a mc31. Fortunately although it was dark I still could make out electrical terminal screws before I prodded about inside (corroded as it was sopping wet inside) with 6 or 7 13 amp 240v cables inside. Some contractor had got a hold of bt plant and used it to connect the estates lighting and alarm system together.
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snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #41 on: April 25, 2012, 12:30:34 PM »

well.... no joy :(

changed line card and results were still the same :(

luckily, as there was proof I had 18Mb before (even 19Mb at one point) that they are able to send out a Broadband Engineer to find the problem and fix it, he has specialist tools that can locate noise on line and he has full access to the lines and in the exchange so can do anything

he is booked in for Saturday afternoon

I told him it must have been something the first engineer done then - I got those speeds as soon as he messed with the line, he done something at the exchange end cos the phone went off and he wanted access to DP on end house but didnt because there was a dog in the garden, this is what sky rep told me last week, but the lad I just spoke to said there was nothing in his notes?

he said theres no reason the BB specialist engineer wont be able to fix it...but if he doesnt then there is nothing else they can do...which is fair enough...annoying...but at least they tried
« Last Edit: April 25, 2012, 12:33:27 PM by snadge »
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snadge

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #42 on: April 25, 2012, 08:39:14 PM »

...just too add to last post..  Stanley @ Sky escalations rang just now and said he wasnt convinced that the LL14 engineer would fix it, but hopes he does, he says some are good and some are bad BUT he done some more tests and they were all green except for ONE which was red and said "HIGH AM NOISE, POSSIBLE GROUNDING FAULT" - hehehe -  I explained what asbokid told us about the transmitters broadcasting on AM and how the noise spikes are now much more prominent since the switch and that there could be a wire in contact with something that acts as an ariel making the already present noise much worse...  he agree's

he was very nice and helpfull, at first I thought he was gunna cancel the engineer the way he is going on because I was playing about with SNR Margin and got it up to 13,500k with 3.5db SNRM  (2,200k increase) with almost no extra impact on errors and he seen it didnt he.. but he was reading the TARGET SNRM saying it was at 7db @ 13.5Mb... i told him I had been changing the noise margin and its actually at 3db..in an attempt to see what I could tweak it too should the LL14 engineer be unsuccessful at finding the fault - I reset it back to normal to show him it was still 11.3Mb with 7db and he said "ahhh yes, i see... how is it your able to change the noise margin..?" hehe - I told him I use a tool that changes it in my sky router (it is a sky one too, just not sky firmware)

I told him I was very pleased with the efforts that sky have gone to in an attempt to fix it for me even though I am inside the estimated speed they gave me, other providers wouldnt have done that...and he kept saying "thank you for that" - if he cant do it, then he cant do it... I will see if Chris at tier 2 can tweak INP/Interleaving and see if we can squeeze anything more out of it - I dunno if the values lowered will do anything to help (INP=1 / IL=64) and especially if Iam lowering SNR Margin... probably best just leaving it.


so, fingers crossed for Saturday... wished I had some wonga, I would backhand the lad some money if I had it in an attempt to boost his effort, as its likely to be pee'ing down I reckon he will just get sick and call it off (it is Saturday after all)  ..............TEA & BISCUITS  ::)
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Black Sheep

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #43 on: April 25, 2012, 09:06:39 PM »

Black Sheep's advice about checking your meter before checking the errant cable is spot on.

I have come across quite a few situations of voltage that shouldnt be there that lethaly is. From opening a nte only to get a blinding blue flash and the whole house electrics blow (some numpty connected an earth wire from the dowstairs wall lighting to the bell wire and plasterd over the mess) To getting a ruddy huge belt off the MDF in the exchange. I still have the scar from where I got zapped.

Or Black Sheep you'll like this one. Opened a jb23 to find a mc31. Fortunately although it was dark I still could make out electrical terminal screws before I prodded about inside (corroded as it was sopping wet inside) with 6 or 7 13 amp 240v cables inside. Some contractor had got a hold of bt plant and used it to connect the estates lighting and alarm system together.

Wow !! ..... and I truly am gob-smacked at that last paragraph, Ezzer.  :no: :-X :no:

I have to say, I've had the bog-standard DIY'er running a 'Twin & Earth' cable under the carpet, and unwittingly getting that and the telephone cable caught on the gripper rods. Nice little 240Vac contact.

Plus, the scenario where both electric and phone cables have been 'chased' into the wall and plastered over. For some reason they must have been damaged, as again there was 240Vac contact on the phone line.

That's just playground stuff compared to your find in the JB23 !!! PS .... what were you doing working in the dark Ezz ?? If you were using WITHOD, I'll get the CWU to track you down and give you a chinese burn !!  :lol: ;D
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Black Sheep

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Re: Cable Pairs - A Question
« Reply #44 on: April 25, 2012, 09:09:40 PM »

"so, fingers crossed for Saturday... wished I had some wonga, I would backhand the lad some money if I had it in an attempt to boost his effort, as its likely to be pee'ing down I reckon he will just get sick and call it off (it is Saturday after all)  ..............TEA & BISCUITS"  

Try not to be too despondent Snadge. 'Tea & Biscuits' ???? ........ Nah mate, bacon & egg butty is the deal-maker.  :P ;D
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