Can our equiptment disrupt/send messed up signals to cable service?

[simple green]

A few months ago my internet went out but the cable television fed through the same provider (and cable line) still worked.

Finally, a week or two ago, things were clean enough around the house to allow Mr. Cable guy to come inspect and fix. There was some filter that had been placed inline which was dirupting the internet signal. He removed it, and everything works. He did a variety of tests to make sure everything was cool and that there was no feedback, bad signals, or anything. It all checked out fine, but of course, all lights and other stuff were off at the time.

Lights are now back on in full blast.....Yesterday, I come home to find out that a Cable guy was on my behind my house (without my consent) and placed another one on there (internet not working). I fucking removed it. Today I come home from work. There was another one there and a note on my front door asking me to make an appointment for service because there was unwanted signals coming from my home/line.


After taking it off again (allowing me to be online and ask this....), I called the number, made it very clear that I'm aware that my contract did not give them consent to be on my private property without my consent

So could ballasts/grow equiptment do this?

If so, are cable providers in the know? Do they know that a signal disruption that is going on sometimes but not others could indicate grow equiptment? Hope I don't sound too paranoid...I just want to proceed properly.

Is going with some self installed dish network going to be a safer bet than a traditional cable provider?

 

[krunchbubble]

had it happen to me before....

was a fucked up cable that ran to my box that caused it....

replaced it and it was all good......

 

[simple green]

Sounds good I'm gonna replace all my internal cabling and hope the issue goes away.

Thanks for chiming in with your experience Krunch.....

 

[krunchbubble]

no problem! thats why im here!

 

[stonedar]

both of my older electronic ballasts cause the same problems, can't use them now that we have digital TV here. neither of my newer lumateks or quantums cause a problem. and naturally old magnetic ballasts don't cause any RF noise.

I was never able to solve it on the TV end of things, with new cables or anything.

 

[rives]

Poorly grounded electronic ballasts can raise hell with cable and internet because of EMI (electromagnetic interference). Also, some of the earlier units and the cheaper ones have inadequate shielding. A good place to start would be to make sure that everything is solidly grounded.

 

[Weird]

yes electronic ballast esp the old ones next to your cable line will cause this

 

[schwilly]

op i imagine the cable guys have a pretty good idea what's going on.

be cordial with them.

 

[PorkSword]

cable nowadays (digital) is highly susceptible to interference if the lines are damaged. critters gnawing on the lines, bad F-connectors, cheapo splitters etc...unfortunately the cable has the legal right to go onto your property and inspect their lines and repair them..its called a utilities easement or some shit..

If theres a problem with the cable in your house they will keep putting the ingress filters on there. go onto ebay and order a set of f-connector crimpers, RG-6 f-connectors and a stripper tool (Its all cheap) and replace every fitting in your house. thats all the cable guy would do.

something in your house is causing a red flag on the cable system. It happens. your ballasts are only exposing a problem, they arent the cause of it (if they are even a problem at all.) My splitter configuration is on the exterior wall behind my ballast shelf and have no problems with it.



Im a cable guy, Im cool with grows and so is every other guy on my crew. If we werent we would be out of a job or broke.

 

[Classy@Home]

Isolate the ballasts with a filtering power bar - they can generate noise that flows thru the electricity in the house.

Or so I seem to remember from my youth...

 

[johnnybravo]

Isolate the ballasts with a filtering power bar - they can generate noise that flows thru the electricity in the house.

perhaps, but the cable signal comes through the cable, not the electrical wiring. i have heard this urban myth about ballasts interfering with cable signals but i just don't buy it. cable is shielded to prevent exactly that from happening. i would follow porksword's advise.

 

[Classy@Home]

I'm no electrician, but isn't the noise generated thru the electricity - and affects anything on the same circuits as ballasts.

I'm not talking getting thru shielding on cable, it's picked up thru the wall outlets.

Like having a microwave and tv on same circuits - run the microwave, the tv signal gets affected.

Not sure - just suggesting...

 

[Norkali]

Double check that contract.....many utilities include language in the contracts in which you give consent for them to enter/access your private property at their discretion to maintain/repair/repossess their equipment once you start using their services.

 

[HighPlainsToker]

I'm no electrician, but isn't the noise generated thru the electricity - and affects anything on the same circuits as ballasts.

I'm not talking getting thru shielding on cable, it's picked up thru the wall outlets.

Like having a microwave and tv on same circuits - run the microwave, the tv signal gets affected.

Not sure - just suggesting...

That's one possible source...but cable networks can also pick up radiated RF (radio frequency) energy through the air, and into various parts of the network that act as antennas. Things that quickly switch on and off (like ballasts) can generate short broadband RF bursts that cover a big chunk of spectrum, and leak into the plant.

Back in the old days of analog signals, if there's interference, you might just see a crappy picture. With the digital stuff, it really doesn't degrade, it either works perfect, or it doesn't work at all.

If the cable networks are well designed and engineered (good connectors installed properly, shielded, grounded, etc.) they should be pretty resistant...but generally, out at the customer's residence, things can get pretty raggedy.

 

[PorkSword]

That's one possible source...but cable networks can also pick up radiated RF (radio frequency) energy through the air, and into various parts of the network that act as antennas. Things that quickly switch on and off (like ballasts) can generate short broadband RF bursts that cover a big chunk of spectrum, and leak into the plant.

Back in the old days of analog signals, if there's interference, you might just see a crappy picture. With the digital stuff, it really doesn't degrade, it either works perfect, or it doesn't work at all.

If the cable networks are well designed and engineered (good connectors installed properly, shielded, grounded, etc.) they should be pretty resistant...but generally, out at the customer's residence, things can get pretty raggedy.

yep, thats about it.

pretty raggedy is putting it nicely. The "interference" is what they pickup down the line and then send the guy out to put the filter/terminator in to block it. those fancy cable boxes/modems do far more than just give you TV & internet. they are constantly analyzing he condition of the signal and reporting to home base. the powers that be can get right into your box/modem from their office and tweak the settings as necessary too. Its kinda scary what they really can do.

 

[Neptune]

ALL old electronic ballasts will do this. Lumatek, for sure.

Have had the same shit (cable guy installed in-line filter to basically shut you off) happen at many different locations, and confirmed it with the manufacturer. The newer ones do not cause cable problems, but they still cause RF problems.

If your neighbor is a radio enthusiast, he will know you are fucking with him if you are running any brand of digital ballast. Magnetics are super safe, albeit noisy, heavy, and lossy.

 

[salamandra]

ALL old electronic ballasts will do this. Lumatek, for sure.

Have had the same shit (cable guy installed in-line filter to basically shut you off) happen at many different locations, and confirmed it with the manufacturer. The newer ones do not cause cable problems, but they still cause RF problems.

If your neighbor is a radio enthusiast, he will know you are fucking with him if you are running any brand of digital ballast. Magnetics are super safe, albeit noisy, heavy, and lossy.

Exactly like the bro said, if you got a HAM enthusiast near you, he will hunt you down and find you. It's easier than you think. To avoid as much interference as you can, you need to keep the cable from the lamp to the ballast as short as possible. The longer the cable is, the closer it gets to the "λ" of the fundamental frequency the digital-ballast is chopping the current that feeds the lamp. That cable acts like an aerial and the closer to "λ" it gets the more power(interference) it spits out.

Also, if you got more than one phase in your house, ask your electrician to hook up the grow lights on a seperate phase than the one your cable TV/Internet runs on. It should make a difference.