Help in helping COX troubleshoot their problem, please

Neighbor contacted me about problem she was having with COX cable signal. So am I. Contacted others in subdivision. So are they. Did not go beyond the subdivision. Mostly at night, signal suddenly drops, only to immediately reappear. Some see just a quick glitch. I, and others, have picture turn to snow, only to immediately reappear. Others see blue screen display "Signal not available" or some such. COX response, after we mobilized everyone we could to call, is that they will send out a repairman to each and every caller, refusing to accept that they might have a problem somewhere up stream. An electron I am not. Any thoughts on where I might suggest they look, or what their problem might be. Any way they could instrument it, since the chance of it happening when they are looking is pretty small I would think. TIA

Reply to
Roy Starrin
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Does this happen on all channels?

Does this happen on all TV's in your house?

For how long is the picture gone?

The sound goes also when the picture goes?

Mark

Reply to
Mark

I find it strange that a "System" is asking for the "public's" help to locate a problem. Where are their techs? If it's not in their line - either a glitch from the line amplifier or the other sending units, satellite downloads, etc... then, chances are it is resting with a residence. Home done Cable connections done improperly in the right place could cause havoc. But, if the glitch happens "often" enough, their equipment and techs should be able to isolate it to either their equipment or to an area of being affected. Maybe too - a new type of transmitter (perhaps pulsing) in the area? A bad ground - like that from a poorly done cable connection can introduce lots of outside problems. While it doesn't "sound" like an RF issue in the sense of a "transmitter" out side of the system, don't just overlook it. It sounds though - more of an electrical connection issue - OR actual intermittent "signal loss" somewhere in their system or the CATV lines to the TVs. Like maybe a combo - as in a bad solder joint in a line amp on the pole! A bad "cable" connection going to the rest of the system! A "break" in the line from birds pecking/animal chewing, wind stress, etc.

As to the glitch, snow, blue screen....... the first two most likely in systems of older technology but one reacting faster than the other. The newer sets - do show a blue screen with no signal and often do have a message showing. Some of the newer sets I've seen are slow to warm up to start with (almost like tube sets!) and slow to respond to a reconnect to an antenna.

IN addition to the questions above from the other poster, are there any certain weather conditions in effect at the time of the glitch? Wind, rain, snow, HEAT?

Any heavy rumbling of equipment (cars, trucks, buses, trains, construction equipment) elevators or feet through the affected area to cause a "vibration" issue to knock it out? Any new transmitting systems - 2 way, CB, ham - commercial?

THEIR Techs really need to sit down and ask themselves and the affected customers - these questionss and more and APPLY equipment to track the problem. Intermittents can be a real pain in the ass, I KNOW....... but ya got to take care of them - regardless - especially for "paying" customers. That's why they get paid the big bucks! They won't know til they start - but they have to start "somewhere". Having the "public" try to seek answers is very unprofessional at best.

Just my 2 cents

Reply to
Spamfree

"Spamfree" wrote in news:451c182d$0$25792$ snipped-for-privacy@news.coretel.net:

*snip and trim*

It doesn't sound like Cox is asking the OP for help, it seems like the OP is trying to help Cox without their specific request. Most companies go through a specific process before looking for other answers. The problem with that is the guy they send out often ignores extra information to completely solve the problem.

It's reset the circuit breaker, mark the problem solved. Come out next time it rains and repeat. (No, this isn't referring to the OP's problem, just an example of process.)

Puckdropper

--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm
Reply to
Puckdropper

Yeah - (sigh) - you may be correct!

Reply to
Spamfree

Yes

Yes. And similarly in dozen or so homes in the subdivision whose owners I have spoken with

1 or 2 seconds

Yes. I get snow. Neighbor with newer set gets blue screen with message saying signal has been lost.

Reply to
Roy Starrin

I got sent to another city to fix a system we had installed 10 years before - a control system for HVAC for some operating rooms in a hospital. It had never worked despite best efforts and they wouldn't award us the new contract for another building unless we made it work.

I looked at it and looked at the wiring diagrams and realized that it never could work. Previous attempts to fix it involved adding new controls to the control panel in a hopeless effort to fix it without understanding the problem.

Unfortunately there weren't enough wires run through some of the conduits to get it to work right. I drove into town, found a wholesaler and bought some reels of conduit wire. I then set to rewiring the whole thing. This was the middle of summer in an underground plant room which was hotter than hell. I had to run outside every 20 minutes and inhale the water fountain. While I was rewiring it the sweat was literally running off me in rivulets.

I also removed all of the 'extra' controls which did nothing anyway and piled them on the floor.

After a few hours I had all the wiring in place. I connected it all back up, turned it on and started recalibrating it. I finally got it running right and sat there watching it for about 20 minutes when the chief engineer of the hospital walked in and stopped dead in his tracks. He asked, "It's finally running right?" and I replied, "Yes, and it will continue to do that".

He then pointed to all of the excess controls on the floor and asked, "What's the deal with those?"

I said, "They were never needed"

He replied, "Shit, I just ordered spares for all of those".

I laughed and said, "Don't worry, contact the office and they'll refund all of the spares for you"

We got the contract.

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

Maybe had I reread it, it would have appeared differently. First read "appeared" to be that way. I apologize for the misinterpretation. Well, you "could" place your cable bill money in Escrow and advise the State Public Utility Commission of your actions and frustrations! Might also try "e-mailing" the FCC. They "do" offer help.

Sounds like their Techs aren't too Efficient. Maybe someone ought to VIDEO TAPE for a day, to catch the problem, maybe "that" "might" help. But then again, with your luck, they'll say your VCR is defective.

Reply to
Spamfree

I'm a light sleeper. So, I had a discussion with the COX (contract) line maintenance folks about 2 a.m. Saturday morning when they were out front with their bucket trucks, playing on my pole. They insisted they were "just checking" but that the problem was really in the "node" where the distributed fios TV signal is split off for cable TV as it enters the subdivision. They did see the twitches we had been complaining about. So, the "fiber guys will have to come out and clean up their connections." I have no idea as to whether they were giving me the straight skinny, so passing the buck. Anyhow, the problem was again in evidence last night. Perhaps "the fiber guys" don't work weekends. One good side effect, the (now) six different trucks that have made forays into the subdivision to correct "the problem" have found lots of little things and helped improve some aspects of the customers' service. Time will tell

Reply to
Roy Starrin

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