Picture quality issue - channel 3 vs 60 from a 522

[mhilb]

I'm getting a high quality picture on channel 3 (TV1), but a much lower quality picture on channel 60 (TV2). Why?!? This is an interesting situation that I'm hoping someone technical can shed some light on... here are the details.

Running a 522 dual tuner. I have the TV1 output going out over one coax line, and TV2 going out over the other coax line. The entire house is wired with a double strand of coax (run through several slitters, through the attic and basement - at least 300ft of line, maybe 400ft). By simply reconnecting at the wall jack, I can make any of the TVs in the house see either the TV1 output on Channel 3, or the TV2 output on Channel 60.

The channel 60 output is consistently lower quality on the remote TVs. At the TV next to the tuner - both channels are high quality - so it is not the 522 that has a problem.

I've completely switched wires with no affect (reversed the wires that the receiver is feeding between TV1 and TV2), so it is not that one wire has a cut in it, or a bad splitter.

My suspicion is that the frequency that channel 3 broadcasts on carries better over longer distances, versus channel 60 degrades faster over longer distances. Is that possibly true? (I'm not technical). If so, would a line amplifier likely help?

Are there other possibilities?

-Mike

 

[ats7627]

Try setting the modulator for the TV2 output to the lowest channel available. Higher frequencies will degrade quicker over long cable runs and running through multiple splitters. If that doesn't work, a RF amplifier is in order.

 

[pearldriver]

Best solution without using amps is switch to cable mode on the 522 modulator. If the picture is still poor you will need to amp the output line. Another thing you stated you had alot of cable and splitters. All cable should be RG6 and Splitters should have the rating of up to 22,000 mhz.

 

[SimpleSimon]

No such thing as a splitter rated to 22GHz, and it's certainly not needed for UHF channels - they top out at 850MHz. Just a little different.

However, switching to a low CABLE channel number is a good idea.
http://www.tinlee.com/FreqChart.htm
For the same channel number you drop a few hundred MHz.

 

[KE4EST]

As SimpleSimon said "No such thing as a splitter rated to 22GHz"
I have seen spiltters rated or 900 Mhz but that is the highest I've ever seen
and that is more than enough. As an installer installing 322/522 I have seen good results using even RG-59 on the Second TV set where that is what was installed in the house. Check all connections and splitters. For every splitter you lose 1-3 db gain, so lots of splitters equals poor quality. Cheap made coax is another issue I've seen it all, just try replaceing one thing at a time (coax/splitter) starting from main Rx until you find the problem.