Hosa video cable tester good for eliminating noise ?

[Tuco]

I was doing some searching on Google last night and came across a video cable tester made by Hosa. I wonder if this might be a useful tool in eliminating the "bad cable variable" when troubleshooting some of the AV equipment used for capturing. There isn't much information on the retailer's site, so I went to Hosa's website and couldn't find this particular video cable tester, just an audio cable tester. I wonder if this has been discontinued, so I sent the manufacturer an e-mail. Anyway, it sparked my curiosity.

Has anyone heard of this device or had any experience with it? Think it could be useful?

[admin]

"Product not found" on the retailer site --- something changed there?

I'm dubious about items that claim to test cables. Video and audio is not simple like electrical wiring testers. It's not just on/off, or even measurement of a something. There is a quality impact to be considered, too. I would wager that a cable could be creating noise, but a tester would pass it as okay. That's just my guess. I've seen things like this before.

Here's are some audio testers on Amazon, with reviews:
- Ebtech Swizz-CT Swizz Army 6-in-1 Cable Tester @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0002GLCE0
- Behringer CT100 Cable Tester @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000CCIVCA

Based on the reviews, it looks like these are made to assist in the repair of expensive audio cables. Some have commented that it helps them discover if a wire is adding hum. In other words, it appears to be effective on a macro scale, and not a micro one. A micro scale would be to understand herringbone patterns on a video cable. I can see where these sorts of testers would have a use, and where they would not.

I don't see video testers at Markertek, either: http://www.markertek.com/Tools-Test-...quipment.xhtml ... only audio

[Tuco]

Hmmm, looks like the retailer dropped the product recently. I found another retailer carrying the same item here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

A micro scale would be to understand herringbone patterns on a video cable. I can see where these sorts of testers would have a use, and where they would not.

Going off of some research I did, I'm assuming herringbone patterns are a visible effect you see in the video?

Thanks for the input!

[admin]

Herring = fish. Ever de-boned a fish? It's like removing meat from a comb.

Herringbone noise is like having a slanted, often slightly-moving, fuzzy and faint combs (or "herring bones") in the image. It's caused by all sorts of things, from FM noise to power issues. It was particularly evil on analog coaxial cable broadcasts, like analog cable. It's one reason FM traps existed.

I seriously doubt a simple tester would pick up on something like that. There's quite a few errors that I would imagine would not be picked up. Maybe I'm wrong, and that would be great, but I have to be a skeptic of something like this. I've never heard of anything like it, and that's generally not a good sign.

[Tuco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

Herring = fish. Ever de-boned a fish? It's like removing meat from a comb.

As an avid saltwater fisherman, I sure have. But I haven't cleaned a Herring or eaten one. I had a pickled one before when I was in Russia and it ruined me for life . Ughh. If you really want to eat "meat off a comb" then try eating Spot. I do a lot of fishing down in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and they pop up like roaches. Meat isn't bad when you fry with the fin and tail, but they are bonier than Giuliana Rancic . I actually caught a Spot in the Chesapeake Bay one time. He shouldn't even be there. I swear those things are are related to roaches.

Sorry, I'm ranting. I can talk fishing all day long. Anyway, back to the subject....

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

Herringbone noise is like having a slanted, often slightly-moving, fuzzy and faint combs (or "herring bones") in the image. It's caused by all sorts of things, from FM noise to power issues. It was particularly evil on analog coaxial cable broadcasts, like analog cable. It's one reason FM traps existed.

I think I have seen this before, but I'm not sure. Most of the analog noise I noticed in the antenna and analog cable days was ghosting and grain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

I've never heard of anything like it, and that's generally not a good sign.

My thoughts exactly. I talked to a colleague of mine who is an audio phile and DJ and he has never used a tester. He just plays it by ear. My ears, on the other hand, aren't so sensitive. I blame the invention of the Walkman and early exposure to Guns n Roses, Metallica, and Pantera. I literally can't tell the difference between a 128K MP3 and a 300+K MP3. I hope I'm not going deaf at 31 years of age.

Thanks for your input. It would be nice to have some disposable income to buy one of these and test it with known bad cables. But I have better things to do with $80...like paying that D.C. parking ticket.