Do I need amplifier?

[orpski]

SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR BORING DETAILS!

Hi, I'm a bit confused at the moment with my kryptiview a780 box. I have just got the box and I'm on the Gateshead network id. Some channels are working fine (BBC channels and so on), a few don't work at all and others work sometimes then when I go on them again they don't work. My signal on quite a few channels is 56 which I understand this could be my problem as I read you need over 75, First of all I have a V+ box in my front room and that has a cable coming through the wall and then a two way splitter on it, 1 end into the V+ box(front room) and the other goes to the back of the house and is attached to a two way splitter. This splitter then goes to the broadband and a standard Vm box (backroom). <--- This was all put in by Vm themselves. I have now changed the second splitter (broadband and standard vm box) to a 3-way splitter, one to broadband, one to standard vm box (backroom) and one to kryptview box.

Would it work for me to get a amplifier? And if so what would you recommend? And where would I put it in my connection?

If you don't think an amp would work would trying a different network id?

Open to suggestions!

Sorry to bore you with the details again!

Thanks in advance!

Orpski.

[TheCoder]

Firstly, you need to bear in mind that VM equipment tends to work with a very different signal level range to most third party alternatives. When some parts of the network were designed (remember VM is an amalgum of several different network builders - most recently C&W, NTL & TeleWest) they used a much lower signal level than was normal in the rest of Europe. Unfortunately, a lot of the cable tuners available were designed for European use rather than UK use. Although the KV tuner has been 'tweaked' for uk use its still nowhere near as good at the job as a real VM tuner. The same is also true of the SV tuner. Dreamboxes and other linux boxes use bog standard European tuners unchanged for UK useage.

A signal level of 56 is way too low so, yes, an amplifier may help but it may also make things worse. Amplifiers tend to amplify everything including 'noise' so you may just end up with a stronger but lower quality signal.

If you do use an amplifier then I'd recommend to amplify as close to the source as possible (ie, where the cable comes into the house, before the first splitter) and to use an amplifier which has a 'back' channel (to cater for the modem & subbed box return channels). This ensures you amplify maximum signal and least noise.

The cascaded spitters dont really help your situation. Each tap effectively reduces the signal level to the connected device. A two tap splitter reduces the signal by 3dB, a three tap splitter reduces it by around 5dB - thats a very significant reduction indeed.

[orpski]

Cheers I appreciate you getting back to me, could you point me in the right direction of one of these amps and I'm not quite sure how I would set it up from what you said but could give it a try, also my quality level was going from like 50-60 then like dropping causin a spike.

[DW190]

Cheers I appreciate you getting back to me, could you point me in the right direction of one of these amps and I'm not quite sure how I would set it up from what you said but could give it a try, also my quality level was going from like 50-60 then like dropping causin a spike.

Before you by any boosters double check all you cable connections in particular any screw on "F" plugs that do tend to leave the odd bit of outer wire floating loose and shorting the centre wire. Also check the signal level without the splitter. Some splitters have slight loss.

[orpski]

I've checked the wire and it's fine, it's not possible for me to check it before the splitter because the splitter is outside in a dedicated box.. Any other suggestions?

[orpski]

Also i have seen amplifiers on eBay 220v 20+ db (although I haven't a clue what any of this means) it's only ?7 would this benefit me?

[DW190]

Also i have seen amplifiers on eBay 220v 20+ db (although I haven't a clue what any of this means) it's only ?7 would this benefit me?

Konig do a yellow one that has been recomended in the past.

I'll see if I can find a link.

Here is the number on the bay 160643933653 they are expensive but have been recomended in the past.

[orpski]

thanks, im unsure whether i should pay for the ?25 cause if it doesnt work its gonna be a waste of money.. anyone tried a konig? or does anyone kno of any other options that have been tried and tested and can say that it works?

[TheCoder]

thanks, im unsure whether i should pay for the ?25 cause if it doesnt work its gonna be a waste of money.. anyone tried a konig? or does anyone kno of any other options that have been tried and tested and can say that it works?

Unfortunately other peoples experience dont really mean too much as each situation is unique. Such an amplifier will either work for you or it wont but you cant really predict the outcome without doing some measurements using some sophisticated equipment or simply trying it to see.

The Konig amps do the job they are meant to do. They are designed to work with modems etc where a reverse channel is required. They are still amplifiers though so have the same associated problem as any other amplifier in that they amplify any noise as well as the actual signal.

If you want to try a cheaper amplifier then it probably wont have the reverse channel so you would have to position it so its connected immediately to your KV (the KV doesn't need a reverse channel). This is the worst place for an amplifier but, dependant on what your problem actually is, it may work.

[ASEK]

ring vm tell them Ur v+ is breaking up at peak times, they may come out and move u up the cabinet.

[TheCoder]

ring vm tell them Ur v+ is breaking up at peak times, they may come out and move u up the cabinet.

Chances are, they wont !

Mostly the engineer comes out, checks everything is in range and then buggers off again. VM's in-range signal levels are allowed to be much lower than a KV/SV box can cope with before being considered out of spec.

For an engineer visit, you also have to restore the wiring to VM's initial layout (ie, remove all splitters etc not supplied by VM). That nearly always restores the signal levels to where they should be.

Best place to check signal levels is actually on your modem (they tend to be more accurate than stb's). If your downstream is somewhere between +/-7.5dBmV then its probably fine (VM aim for 0dBmV as an ideal at installation). The SNR/RxMer value should be above 32dB. Upstream power should never go above 58dBmV.