Lose a channel

Lose a channel or two either when you install BOCS (or any modulator), or later things change?

What Exactly is going on?

By default, Bocs uses the FM band to transmit its three new channels throughout the home - to be able to do that cleanly, the Supercombiner actually filters out that fruequency band so the BOCS unit can put those new channels in that now "clean" space. So the Supercombiner has a filter that takes out roughly 88-108Mhz (That is where channels 95-99 and channel 14 sit - and the filter is broad enough that it usually disrupts channels 15 and sometimes 16 as well)... That is all fine in MOST cable systems since cable companies tend to avoid putting anything "good" in that band (since FM radio stations tend to leak into cable company cables and cause troubles) - BUT (and this is why you are reading this probably) - sometimes they break the rules and put something good here. Usually it is a digital channel they sneak in - usually a local rebroadcast SD or HD. And since Supercombiner filters out that band, it also kills something of interest to you.

What is BOCS' take on all this?

To be clear, BOCS is a very versatile system and there is always a way to reconfigure or reprogram to end up with the result you want. It is not always possible to use the default configuration in the default wiring method - sometimes it takes an extra wire, use of a cable box tuner, or watching some channels ONLY through the BOCS system but you can get it to work if you follow one of the below methods. BOCS makes no guarantee that the default configuration will not cause conflict with some or many other channels and also that if it works when you put it in that it will not change if the cable company shifts their channels around. That said, keep reading to find out how to modify things to work for you.

So, what are the options

1. Order a supercombiner that is "switchable" - Huh? Well, we offer a special version of the supercombiner that allows you to switch it off (and bypass the internal filter) from and BOCS remote - all you have to do is press shift then power and the whole system shuts off and gives you back the channels you had before - Sounds really good? Maybe - Lots of folks who have the weather channel on 14 use this method - once a day they flip it all off, prep for the day, then turn it all back on - but lets say 14 is SciFi? and you really love Stargate, which you record on your DVR - your DVR has no way to turn the system "off" automatically to make your recording - so you are screwed (see other options below)... same applies if you have lost an HD channel - like channel 645 - if it is not ok to just manually watch it sometimes select another option... (All Supercombiners can be turned off if you want to give it a try - the difference is that the one that came with your BOCS will kill the cable TV in all the rest of the home when you turn it off - not good form normally... (See my blog for more info)

1. Add an extra wire from your demarc point (where the supercombiner is located) – put in a two wire splitter there before the supercombiner and feed your High def cable box from that point. Why? well, if you take a "clean signal" split off before the supercombiner and run that to your cable box, it will get everything since there is no filter in line before it. The output of the cable box then feeds the BOCS unit and that is rebroadcast to the entire home - So now, your basement TV still can't get SciFi? on 14, but you can watch it on the Red channel (the DVR tuned to 14 on the clean signal)

1. Rewire such that the HD box is independent of the Xtender system – this is less than ideal as the HD box is usually the DVR that supplies Xtender – at least for most homes

1. Put Xtender channels somewhere else – problem is, that is hit and miss – I happen to use channels 70, 72, 74 here in Boulder without trouble, but you are likely to lose some other digital channels in the process. Note that if you do this, you must order a supercombiner without a filter (the Supercombiner filter does NOT change when you put BOCS channels in a new location - it ALWAYS filters out the FM band.

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