The Thor H-RF-MET is designed to quickly measure Cable CATV RF signals or signals from off-air ATSC antennas within the frequency range of 5MHz - 870MHz.
CATV RF transmission over coax can pose various challenges due to RF losses in coaxial networks. dB losses can occur due to CATV RF splitters as well as the length of coaxial cable used. Different frequencies experience different losses in coaxial cables, and it also depends on the type and rating of the coaxial cable.
Having a meter during Coax RF installations is highly beneficial as it allows you to check the strength of the CATV RF signal, ensuring it is sufficient for detection by the TV's tuner. An RF meter also saves significant troubleshooting time by identifying any video imperfections and ruling out the possibility of dB being too low or too high in RF power
How to Troubleshoot a Coaxial Network:
Modern TV's have a relativly wide RF tuner sensitivity, which can receive RF from 0dBmv to 30dBmv, a signal below or above that range shows as not readable, the tuner can't find the program. Modulator outputs are usually around +40dBmv, the coax has its own RF insertion loss and it depends of the RF channel frequency. Distance and Coax Cable Type are often the disruptors of seemless installs.
The biggest loss is usually related to the RF Splitters and RF TAP's , which have their own losses. This is a link to RF splitters where you can find common losses. If the measured level by the TV's are between 0dBmv to 30dBmv, TV will display the Video, if it's higher then an attenuator is needed, if too low then an RF amplifier is needed.