UPC cut my sky dish cable

Riverireland

decided not to renew my contract with UPC. When I went to connect my free view through my sky dish I found that they had cut the cable outside the house. This must have happened when they installed UPC last year as no one else would have done this. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Thanks.

DublinDilbert

Riverireland wrote: »

decided not to renew my contract with UPC. When I went to connect my free view through my sky dish I found that they had cut the cable outside the house. This must have happened when they installed UPC last year as no one else would have done this. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Thanks.

What level is it cut at? Obviously replacing the cable with some rg6 (or better) would be best.

Failing that A couple of twist on f plugs and a coupler will join it back up. Put silicone grease in the connection and shrink wrap or tape up the joint.

At this stage no way of proving who cut the cable.

Riverireland

DublinDilbert wrote: »

What level is it cut at? Obviously replacing the cable with some rg6 (or better) would be best.

Failing that A couple of twist on f plugs and a coupler will join it back up. Put silicone grease in the connection and shrink wrap or tape up the joint.

At this stage no way of proving who cut the cable.

That is true I can't prove it but wanted to see if anyone else encountered this. The cut is down low about a foot of cable taken. Tried connecting some copper cable between the gap but signal not being picked up. Thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

fozz10

they also pulled mine out from outside and lost the connection for the box in doing so. i had actualy left a note for the guy to not touch anything as they were nothing to do with upc and for a dish. came home and it was outside and only rolled up and not cut because i rang home and told the wife to check he wasnt near them. sure enough he still done it. f**King cheek of them.

Riverireland

Couple of pics of my "repair job" in case anyone can help a technical dim wit improve on it. Thanks.

Riverireland

fozz10 wrote: »

they also pulled mine out from outside and lost the connection for the box in doing so. i had actualy left a note for the guy to not touch anything as they were nothing to do with upc and for a dish. came home and it was outside and only rolled up and not cut because i rang home and told the wife to check he wasnt near them. sure enough he still done it. f**King cheek of them.

I know, couldn't figure out why it wasn't connecting so checked the wire eventually after exhausting internal cable problems. Was a bit shocked to be honest. Might call them tomorrow, they have no right to be doing this. Not their property or their business. Fairly peed off tbh.

obezyana

Riverireland wrote: »

Couple of pics of my "repair job" in case anyone can help a technical dim wit improve on it. Thanks.

That is whats known in the industry as a bodge job As mentioned get some F connectors and a coupler and make the connect all good and proper. When the rain hits that you will loose signal.

Thurston?

Riverireland wrote: »

Couple of pics of my "repair job" in case anyone can help a technical dim wit improve on it.

That 'repair' is no use.

What exactly is going on there anyway, how many cables are going through the wall?

fozz10

go into an electrical store joiner a few euros.

Riverireland

Thurston? wrote: »

That 'repair' is no use.

What exactly is going on there anyway, how many cables are going through the wall?

There was a sky cable going through, the connection is still on the inside. There is also a upc connection going in.

You're right the "repair" is useless.

obezyana

Riverireland wrote: »

There was a sky cable going through, the connection is still on the inside. There is also a upc connection going in.

You're right the "repair" is useless.

The repair isn't useless as it will work....for now. So if you can get some F connectors and a coupler (joiner) that is the proper and best way to fix it.

Thurston?

Riverireland wrote: »

There was a sky cable going through, the connection is still on the inside. There is also a upc connection going in.

Ah right, so seems purely malicious, not just to hijack the hole in the wall for the UPC cable.

Here's a better way to join the cable.

obezyana wrote: »

The repair isn't useless as it will work....for now.

It is useless. Doesn't even look like the braid is connected, & anyway would still be no good.

Riverireland

obezyana wrote: »

The repair isn't useless as it will work....for now. So if you can get some F connectors and a coupler (joiner) that is the proper and best way to fix it.

Thanks, I'll try asking for them in a hardware store tomorrow:)

Melodeon

Both the solid copper inner core AND the outer braid need to be joined up!
It will work, for a while, by carefully twisting them together and making sure that no stray whiskers of the outer braid are touching the inner core, but it's only a bodge and needs to be done properly for future reliability.

Short of replacing the whole cable (best option), as already suggested, get a couple of twist-on F-Type connectors and a joiner:

obezyana

Thurston? wrote: »

Ah right, so seems purely malicious, not just to hijack the hole in the wall for the UPC cable.

Here's a better way to join the cable.



It is useless. Doesn't even look like the braid is connected, & anyway would still be no good.

As a long term solution yes I agree but if it is to do until it is fixed properly then of course it will work.

Thurston?

obezyana wrote: »

As a long term solution yes I agree but if it is to do until it is fixed properly then of course it will work.

The cable joint in those pictures will NOT work in any way, shape or form. Won't even get the DC to the LNB.

obezyana

Thurston? wrote: »

The cable joint in those pictures will NOT work in any way, shape or form.

OK boss if you say so.

Riverireland

Thurston? wrote: »

The cable joint in those pictures will NOT work in any way, shape or form. Won't even get the DC to the LNB.

Well it's not working but I did see something similar working years ago, not my handy work though! I'll get the bits tomorrow, thanks for all the help, pics etc. still think UPC should be stopped doing this but who has the time to spend all day on to their contact centre. To think I gave them permission to run extra cables through my back garden as a couple of the neighbours on the corner wouldn't let them on their land!

I wonder if they would have tampered with the cable higher up too or even the dish. Looks like I'll have to call them grrr

Thurston?

Well, he could try it & see. If the braid is connected there would at least be power to the LNB, & then it would be interesting to see what shape the signal is in when it gets over the 'bump'.

I suppose there could be a surprise ...

obezyana

Riverireland wrote: »

Well it's not working but I did see something similar working years ago, not my handy work though! I'll get the bits tomorrow, thanks for all the help, pics etc. still think UPC should be stopped doing this but who has the time to spend all day on to their contact centre. To think I gave them permission to run extra cables through my back garden as a couple of the neighbours on the corner wouldn't let them on their land!

I had to do the exact same thing to my own cable a few years back. I was late home from work one evening and I wanted to watch a match but I had no cable run. I quickly ran two short cables to make one and bodged them together like yours. It worked a treat and I sorted it the next day. That is why I said it would work as it worked for me.

L1011

obezyana wrote: »

I had to do the exact same thing to my own cable a few years back. I was late home from work one evening and I wanted to watch a match but I had no cable run. I quickly ran two short cables to make one and bodged them together like yours. It worked a treat and I sorted it the next day. That is why I said it would work as it worked for me.

Unless your LNB was being powered from another box (multiroom), that won't have worked. Both the braid and the core need to be in contact.

Melodeon

The 'joint' in the attached photos appears to only have the inner solid core joined, but NOT the outer braid.
If so, it most certainly won't work.

Re-doing the repair with both conductors joined up will work, pending a proper repair or replacement.

obezyana

L1011 wrote: »

Unless your LNB was being powered from another box (multiroom), that won't have worked. Both the braid and the core need to be in contact.

It did work it was bodged wrapped in tape and i got picture. I didn't wrap the braids they would be been touching but I didn't wrap them together.

L1011

obezyana wrote: »

It did work it was bodged wrapped in tape and i got picture. I didn't wrap the braids they would be been touching but I didn't wrap them.

If the braids were touching its fairly critically not the same as the pictured one, then.

Riverireland

obezyana wrote: »

It did work it was bodged wrapped in tape and i got picture. I didn't wrap the braids they would be been touching but I didn't wrap them together.

Are the braids the little wire bits? I just wrapped the copper. Dark now so it will tomorrow anyway.

Thurston?

Melodeon wrote: »

... Re-doing the repair with both conductors joined up will work, pending a proper repair or replacement.

Well, it'll kind of work. You're introducing an impedence mismatch into the cable, so there could be odd effects caused by signal reflections.

Don't think I've ever seen a satellite cable connected like this, terrestrial certainly, with varying outcomes, mostly a bit crap.

jimd2

My advice from my experience of doing frequent patchups to a join is to replace the full piece of cable. It will cost you a few bob now but a better job in the long run.

obezyana

L1011 wrote: »

If the braids were touching its fairly critically not the same as the pictured one, then.

There was no length in the braid. It was fairly minimal so what i am saying is whatever braid was exposed was touching. Maybe I should of stated clearly in my first post on this for the OP to wrap the cable together and he might get a picture (presuming the braid was touching)

obezyana

Riverireland wrote: »

Are the braids the little wire bits? I just wrapped the copper. Dark now so it will tomorrow anyway.

Yes the braiding is the bits you mention. I would not leave it like that it would be best to fix it properly as soon as you can.

Melodeon

I'm currently running a full HD+ Sky box on two cables with twisted cores and braids, all wrapped in insulating tape.
It's a temporary extension of the system to the other end of the house while we're refurbishing the living room.
It's all working fine, but I wouldn't expect it to be 100% reliable as time goes on and as the winter weather takes its toll.
It'll be getting all new cables and connectors when I'm refitting it back into its permanent location.

Here's TV Trade's tutorial on fitting F-Type connectors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNqJcmslwyM

Thurston?

Melodeon wrote: »

I'm currently running a full HD+ Sky box on two cables with twisted cores and braids, all wrapped in insulating tape.
It's a temporary extension of the system to the other end of the house while we're refurbishing the living room.
It's all working fine ...

Interesting that it's trouble-free.

I have a cheapo meter, I must set up something like this & see if it shows much actual signal degradation.

Riverireland

Melodeon wrote: »

I'm currently running a full HD+ Sky box on two cables with twisted cores and braids, all wrapped in insulating tape.
It's a temporary extension of the system to the other end of the house while we're refurbishing the living room.
It's all working fine, but I wouldn't expect it to be 100% reliable as time goes on and as the winter weather takes its toll.
It'll be getting all new cables and connectors when I'm refitting it back into its permanent location.

Here's TV Trade's tutorial on fitting F-Type connectors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNqJcmslwyM

That's interesting. I was just using an old sky box but I also have a sky hd box. I was told this could not be used for free stations, is this not the case? Thanks.

obezyana

Riverireland wrote: »

That's interesting. I was just using an old sky box but I also have a sky hd box. I was told this could not be used for free stations, is this not the case? Thanks.

Did Sky tell you that when you were cancelling I wouldn't be surprised if they did. It most certainly can be used and you can get a UK card on Adverts for 7euro so the UK channels like the BBCS ITVS are in some kind of order and CH 5 etc are on the main epg.

Riverireland

obezyana wrote: »

Did Sky tell you that when you were cancelling I wouldn't be surprised if they did. It most certainly can be used and you can get a UK card on Adverts for 7euro so the UK channels like the BBCS ITVS are in some kind of order and CH 5 etc are on the main epg.

Don't think I asked them, think I read it somewhere. That's great news, delighted to hear it! Thanks.

brightspark

Riverireland wrote: »

That's interesting. I was just using an old sky box but I also have a sky hd box. I was told this could not be used for free stations, is this not the case? Thanks.

Just be aware that the "plus" features etc won't work, it will just be a free to air receiver.