How do I check cable TV signal strength?

Sandy & Shirley wrote:
Bought a new RV and when we camp with friends, their cable TV reception is always better than ours. They will get 20 or 40 channels clear while we get 4 or 5 and most of the others with snow.

Does anyone know how to test the signal strength of the cable TV signal?

We want to test it at the campground post and the back of the TV along with the various switches that allow us to switch from Cable to Satellite to Antenna.

Want to find out were the signal strength drops. Naturally our dealer does not have a cable drop and no want to test what is going wrong!

there's a couple of ez things to check especially since your cable reception is always poor as compared with your friends.

first, be sure the antenna booster on your over-the-air rooftop antenna is OFF. the booster is used only for over-the-air TV.

next, be sure your coax cable is the right type. look on the cable and be sure it is marked RG-59 or, better yet, RG-6. it might also be marked Belden 9104, 1189 or 8213. those are all 75-ohm cables which is what you want. the next time you're out with your friends swap coaxial cable with them and see if the problem stays with your hookup or with the coaxial cable. if you have the correct cable and it's old...more than 5-6 years, replace it. RG-6 would be best.

finally, be sure the INPUT setting on your TV's source menu is set to CABLE STD. and if you have a video selector switch in your RV be sure you have selected cable.

good luck.