How to Estimate your Signals
I said I wasn’t going to give you equations for calculating gain, loss, and Noise Figure/margin but I will explain how I estimate the Noise margin (NM) of the antenna system. I’ve worked in a…
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CABLES 101 – How to choose the best cable: Part 4, Signal Loss
It’s just a fact of life… signal loss happens. Of course, the image above would result in complete, 100% signal loss. However, there is a lot more to the idea of loss than just broken cables….
How to Attach a Magnetic Antenna to an Aluminum Vehicle
Here’s a question for you: If you’re installing a cell booster in your vehicle, and it has an aluminum body, how do you install the outside antenna? The antenna is magnetic, but it won’t stick to…
CABLES 101 – How to choose the best cable: Part 3, connectors
When you think about it, a cable isn’t just the wire. The ends are important too. They’re the point of contact between the wire and everything else, and if that connection isn’t very good, then you’ll…
Learn more about the Televes Nevoswitch!
The Televes Nevoswitch is designed to help customers who have been left high and dry since it’s almost impossible to get a Spaun multiswitch in this country. The new multiswitches from Televes are perfect replacements for…
CABLES 101 – How to choose the best cable: Part 2, technical specs and terms
There’s a lot to learn about cables. Before we go too far, we need to look at the parts of a cable and why they’re important. Center Conductor The center conductor, marked “D” in the…
OFF TOPIC: My Star Wars: The Last Jedi review
So last night I finally went and saw it. I admit that for some reason, I’ve been far less jazzed about The Last Jedi than about prior Star Wars films. Blame that on over-exposure: there was a movie each of…
CABLES 101: How to Choose The Best Cable
Are you using the best cable for the job? You may have heard terms like RG59, RG6, RG11, and Slim RG59 but you didn’t know what they meant. There is actually a real difference between these…
Power Over Ethernet: One Cable to Rule Them All
My router is in my home office, surrounded by a mountain of cables. I’d love to put it in the attic more centrally located. I could run an ethernet cable up there, but I’m more worried…
STREAMING SATURDAY: Streaming Services Announce Last-Minute Improvements
A handful of streaming services have announced some improvements in the dwindling days of 2017. Talk about coming in under the wire! Amazon, DIRECTV NOW, and Hulu know how to go out in style. These three…
Is your phone unlocked? Here’s how to tell
Here’s the quick answer to the title question: If you have purchased your phone recently, it’s probably unlocked. But if you’ve had it for a while or if you’re planning to purchase a used phone, you…
REVISED AND UPDATED: Frequencies in use by different services
If you’re looking for the ultimate resource for frequencies in use by different broadcasters, you’ve come to the right place. Our PDF showing common frequencies used by radio, television, satellite, and government has been fully updated!…
The built-in USB port in your car probably doesn’t do real well. Just ignore it.
It’s great that cars come with USB ports now. It’s an easy way to charge any phone and it’s also a way for your friends to play music through your car stereo without having to permanently…
What’s the deal with Tech Choice Parts?
You might find this logo attached to some of the most popular parts at Solid Signal’s web site. Don’t believe me? Check it out. We have hundreds of parts from the Tech Choice catalog, and they’re all…
FUN FRIDAY: Post credit scenes
Used to be, the lights came on at the end of the movie and there was absolutely no reason to sit through a list of maybe 1,000 people’s names for 6-7 minutes. Now, it seems like…