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gaines_wright's avatar
gaines_wright
Tutor
6 years ago

Warning, don't fry your modem.

  Some years ago, an EMT vehicle backed over and destroyed my Hughes dish. The next morning I called my trusty tech company, and the first thing he asked me was if the coax was damaged, and next if h...
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  • BirdDog's avatar
    BirdDog
    6 years ago

    Yes, there is DC power supplied by the modem going through the coax to power the radio on the dish. Under certain situations the modem can be damaged if the power is shorted out. There are protections built in but they don't always work.

     

    Also one reason we say to power down the modem from the wall receptacle, not the plug on the back of the modem.

vladams2015's avatar
vladams2015
Sophomore
GabeU wrote:

gaines_wright 

 

  It was most likely from an insufficient amount of dielectric grease being applied to the connector or the installation tech just forgetting to do so.  Zap!  

 

Just a tidbit of information, while typical coax connectors are not IP rated, the application of an additional dielectric will change impedence and negatively impact throughput, as the cable, connectors, transceiver, and receiver are all designed to be impedence-matched. Just an interesting thought to consider. Which is more important? Ingress protection, or maintaining transmit power and throughput without any significant loss or gain (depending on how you look at it)

 

GabeU's avatar
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV
6 years ago
vladams2015 wrote:

Just a tidbit of information, while typical coax connectors are not IP rated, the application of an additional dielectric will change impedence and negatively impact throughput, as the cable, connectors, transceiver, and receiver are all designed to be impedence-matched. Just an interesting thought to consider. Which is more important? Ingress protection, or maintaining transmit power and throughput without any significant loss or gain (depending on how you look at it)

The connector in question was likely not weather sealed properly, as well.

  • vladams2015's avatar
    vladams2015
    Sophomore
    6 years ago

    obviously so, however the point is that a type F connector (while not IP rated per se) are standard IP64 and applying a dielectric is poor practice...but one is left to consider: do we care more about a cable being submersible, or about ensuring an impedence match. 

    • GabeU's avatar
      GabeU
      Distinguished Professor IV
      6 years ago

      I have no idea, but what I, HughesNet, and the installers care about is a proper installation, which requires the proper application of dielectric grease and weathersealing of all outdoor connectors.  

      • gaines_wright's avatar
        gaines_wright
        Tutor
        6 years ago
        GabeU wrote:

        I have no idea, but what I, HughesNet, and the installers care about is a proper installation, which requires the proper application of dielectric grease and weathersealing of all outdoor connectors.  

          LOL  "I, HughesNet"?  Sort of like "I, Robot"?  :>)>

         

          Seriously, it's been over 30 years ago, but I don't remember doing any of that stuff.   We didn't have any problems with connectors either.   Most of our problems were caused by lightning and ground loop currents.