CABLE HOOK-UPS


Copyright 1986 Dawn Gordon


If you've ever had a problem hooking up your TV and VCR to a cable system with
scrambled channels you know what the word painful really means.  But you're in
luck cause if you want to be able to restore programmability to your VCR,
restore remote control to your TV, restore time shifting, and the ability to
tape both regular channels and scrambled cable channels, here's the answer:


SUPPLIES


1 Two-way splitter (a type with as little dB loss as possible--you can even   
  get one with a built-in amp)

1 A/B switch

5 Coaxial cables with attached F connectors


PROCEDURE


1)   Take the main cable that normally goes into the cable box, and put a
     2-way splitter on it.  

2)   Take a coax cable and attach it to one of the outputs on the
     splitter with the other end going to the cable box input.  

3)   The other output of the splitter goes to the A input of the A/B
     switcher. 

4)   The output of the cable box then goes to the B input of the A/B
     switch.  

5)   The output of the A/B switch then goes to the VCR RF input.  

6)   The VCR's RF output goes to the TV.

Here's how it looks graphically:


                            Main  :  Cable
                                  :
                                ******
                   Splitter ->  *    * ---------------
                                ******               :
                                 :                   :
                                 :                   :
                         ************** --------     :
                         * Cable      *        :     :
                         *    Box     *       ***************
                         **************       *    A/B      * 
                                              *   Switch    *
                                              ***************
                                                     :
                                                     :
                                                     :
                                              ***************
                                              *    VCR      *
                                ------------- *             *
                                :             ***************
                                :
                        *******************
                        *                 *
                        *      TV         *
                        *                 *
                        *******************


Well that's how it works.  With the switch in the A position on a standard TV
you get VHF channels, and when in the B position you get the output of your
cable box, which unscrambles pay channels.  If you own a cable-ready TV and/or
a cable-ready VCR you can get all cable channels (except scrambled ones) in
the A position.


                         PAY CHANNELS & ROOF ANTENNA


If you have both pay cable and a roof antenna and wish to mix them here's what
you do:


SUPPLIES


1 A/B Switch

3 Coaxial cables with F-connectors attached


PROCEDURE


1)   Take the main cable and connect it to the input of your cable box.

2)   Connect a coaxial cable to the output of the cable box and run it to
     the B input of an A/B switch.

3)   Take your main roof antenna cable and attach it to the A input of
     the A/B switch.

4)   The output of the A/B switch then goes to the VCR RF input.  

5)   The VCR's RF output goes to the TV.

Here's how it looks graphically:   



                                               Roof  :  Antenna
                          Main  :  Cable             :
                                :                    :
                                :                    :
                                :                    :
                                :                    :
                         ************** --------     :
                         * Cable      *        :     :
                         *    Box     *       ***************
                         **************       *    A/B      * 
                                              *   Switch    *
                                              ***************
                                                     :
                                                     :
                                                     :
                                              ***************
                                              *    VCR      *
                                ------------- *             *
                                :             ***************
                                :
                        *******************
                        *                 *
                        *      TV         *
                        *                 *
                        *******************


When you switch the A/B switch to the A position you get your roof antenna,
and when you switch it to the B position you get your cable box.