Newby question on TV sound

[[email protected]]

I recently bought an inexpensive Magnavox TV. After two months of use,
the sound has begun to misbehave -- it somtimes fluctuates erratically
in volume. Is this something that I could get fixed under the Circuit
City warranty? Thanks for your consideration.

 

[A man]

You might find something at the sci.electronics.repair faq.
http://www.repairfaq.org/

 

[Jerry G.]

You should bring it back for warrenty service. They will normaly give
you a new set, if it is complated or expensige for them to service.

It is impossible to guess at what the cause is, without properly
diagnosing the proglem.

Jerry G.
=======

 

[NSM]

Is this something that I could get fixed under the Circuit
City warranty?

You bet. It's a real fault.

N

 

[[email protected]]

I believe that I have found the actual basis for the problem -- a loose
antenna connection. The connector on the TV is the screw-on type, not
the plug in type (forgive my ignorance of the terminology), and
therefore not entirely compatible with my antenna cable. Although I had
taped the cable in place, I think that it had drifted enough so that
the connection was imperfect. I positioned it more securely, and I have
not had any volume fluctuations (for the time being), so I'll look for
the appropriate adaptor. Does this explanation seem reasonable? Thanks.

 

[NSM]

I believe that I have found the actual basis for the problem -- a loose
antenna connection. The connector on the TV is the screw-on type, not
the plug in type (forgive my ignorance of the terminology), and
therefore not entirely compatible with my antenna cable. Although I had
taped the cable in place, I think that it had drifted enough so that
the connection was imperfect. I positioned it more securely, and I have
not had any volume fluctuations (for the time being), so I'll look for
the appropriate adaptor. Does this explanation seem reasonable? Thanks.

A push on connector will work fine on that connector. But sometimes the
contact is poor, and moving it clears up the problem.

N

 

[[email protected]]

As it turns out, according to a Radio Shack salesman, no adaptor exists
for this combination of connectors. Apparently the use of cable TV is
considered commonplace, and antenna use exotic.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

As it turns out, according to a Radio Shack salesman, no adaptor exists
for this combination of connectors. Apparently the use of cable TV is
considered commonplace, and antenna use exotic.

Do you believe anything Radio Shack tells you other than "Yes, we're
open?"

They do have answers, 99% wrong, but they are answers.

 

[NSM]

As it turns out, according to a Radio Shack salesman, no adaptor exists
for this combination of connectors. Apparently the use of cable TV is
considered commonplace, and antenna use exotic.

When you say "Screw on" do you mean two ordinary screws? For 300 ohm twin
cable?

N

 

[[email protected]]

When you say "Screw on" do you mean two ordinary screws? For 300 ohm twin
cable?

No; I mean that the input is threaded, for a standard cable TV cable.
The antenna cable is not threaded, and it will connect, but only
imperfectly. The salesmen at both Circuit City and Radio Shack, who may
be bullshitters, told me that you just stick in in there and wiggle it
around until you are satisfied with the results.

Up until this morning, I was convinced that the problem was solved, but
now I am having picture problems, which also seem to be
antenna-related: if a human being is near the antenna, the picture
becomes much clearer, but if said human moves away, the picure becomes
blurrier.

I live at the bottom of a hill in L.A., and I have been told that this
is a problem for reception. I bought the $20 Terk antenna to replace my
generic rabbit-ears antenna, and initially the picture was very good.
This antenna stuff mystifies me. Does reception change with the
weather, or cosmic rays, or things like that?

The problem may also lie with my bargain-priced 13" Magnavox, which is
now two months old. Interestingly, the sound problem is completely
gone. Now it's a picture problem.

 

[[email protected]]

Oops -- it's not a picture problem. The Terk antenna has a round button
in the center that I think, for some reason, turns off the VHF part of
the antenna. My girlfriend pushed it, for some reason. Now that it has
been pushed again, things seem to be fine.

 

[NSM]

No; I mean that the input is threaded, for a standard cable TV cable.
The antenna cable is not threaded, and it will connect, but only
imperfectly. The salesmen at both Circuit City and Radio Shack, who may
be bullshitters, told me that you just stick in in there and wiggle it
around until you are satisfied with the results.

That's normal. I'd try gently squeezing the connector and see if it fits
better, but you have to be cautious doing that. The "a human being is near
the antenna" problem is normal. If you can put up an outside antenna you'll
do better, or sometimes I'v eput one of those in the attic for better
results.

The problem may also lie with my bargain-priced 13" Magnavox, which is
now two months old. Interestingly, the sound problem is completely
gone. Now it's a picture problem.

No, it's not at all likely to be the set.

N