any cable guys have any tricks on hooking up a cable signal booster, having trouble with a few channels?

Question

local channels seem to be coming in weakest. have all the correct tools, crimper, stripper, connectors, channels are ok on cable but local bad.

Answer 1

If your house cable is in good condition the cable signal coming to the house is usually high enough to run about 4 TV's with no problem from a 4 way splitter. If the splitters are run in a daisy chain or if you have more outlets than that hooked up (even if they are not in use) it could be a low signal problem. Now, each VCR also has a splitter built into it, so if you have 2-7 VCRs hooked up behind one TV that could be a problem.

If you are getting ghosting or a black vertical bar on the local channels it is because local channels being broadcast over the air are leaking into your cable. If you are getting snowy images on channels 2-6 especially it is because of poor contact on one of your cable connectors.

Ghosting (black or gray vertical bars) The outer shielding of the cable is compromised at some point. Could be corrosion if the cable is old or if you live near the ocean it doesn't need to be that old. Could be an animal chew ... pets chewing outside or behind the TV, mice or squirrels in the walls or attic. Also if you are using those push on cables that came with your VCR and you have strong broadcast channels in your neighborhood replace them with good cable jumpers made from cable like your cable company uses. Also if your house cable has copper outer braid shielding instead of Stainless Steel braiding, this could cause ghosting.

For 2-6 snowy could be any of a number of tiny things on one or more fittings throughout the cable system. Cable Fur ... That clear or white stuff that insulates the inner conductor from the outer shielding stuck to the "stinger", that pointy part that sticks out of a coax cable end. Corrosion on any one or more stingers. The spring loaded section of a splitter or barrel connector could be loose or corroded. Could be a single strand of the outer shielding (either wire or foil) just barely touching the stinger of one fitting (if it touching completely all channels would be snowy or completely gone)