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Old 14-Nov-2017, 5:14 PM   #3
twaw
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 14
Thanks for the reply! It's not working again so I have to go back to the drawing board. Any suggestions appreciated...

I hear you on too much amplification, but if that's the case I don't understand why I have no issues when going direct to the TV, but when I go thru the Tablo I get nothing. Do you mean that my 30db preamp is probably adding too much noise and the Tablo with it's 4 way dist amp is adding even more? If so, any suggestion on the correct amount of amplification, or which unit?

If I simply unplug the power inserter on the CM 7777 preamp on the mast, will that give me an indication of whether I have too much amplification? When I do that, I get nothing even when bypassing the tablo, and re-aiming doesn't help at all. I know it's a better test to take it out of the path completely, but I'm getting on in years and trying to avoid climbing up the 25' ladder again, if I can.

Only other thing I can think of is a bad F connection...? I've checked them all except on the preamp at the top of the mast, they seem good, I used electrical tape and then covered with silicone, I'm using a single run of RG-6 through a conduit out to a single ground block 5' up the mast, then another coax run up to the preamp, then 1' coax to antenna... all those at the top of the mast are booted and siliconed, too. If it wasn't such a PITA I'd try a new cable run. Guess I could maybe test the coax with a voltmeter, but I'm not sure exactly what voltage I shoudl see, given the preamp is still in line at the top of the mast.

Anyway, I re-aimed the antenna back to 195 degrees, going direct to the TV and bypassing the Tablo, it works and I get my channels at 50-70% signal (as measured by the "Signal Meter" on my TV). Still nada on the Tablo... and I suspect the Tablo's not fried because when it's in-line and I re-aim the antenna (255 on clear day, 195 when overcast), I can get it to work usually. But I've also contacted Tablo to see if there's a solution on their end. All I know is it worked great for a year before the old RS var gain amp died... but the fact that it worked at all surprised me too, since it's the "wrong way" to do it.

Thanks for the help... you're awesome!

Last edited by twaw; 14-Nov-2017 at 5:23 PM.
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