CATV Archives

22 05, 2023

Introduction to Carrier-to-Noise: Learning the Basics

Mia Colabrese2023-08-28T12:50:16-04:00May 22nd, 2023|

Join cable industry veteran Ron Hranac and host Brady Volpe in this must-watch video on "Introduction to Carrier-to-Noise: Learning the Basics." This video is a comprehensive guide to understanding Carrier-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) and how it works in real-world applications. We'll cover everything from Thermal Noise to Noise Figure to Practical CNR measurements and much more. If you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of this critical component in the world of cable technology, this video is a must-watch! So grab your notebooks and get ready to learn from

26 04, 2023

Putting the Decibel to Work

Mia Colabrese2023-05-01T17:15:20-04:00April 26th, 2023|

Welcome back, tech enthusiasts! I'm your host Brady Volpe, founder of Nimble This and the Volpe Firm, and I'm thrilled to be here with another exciting episode of "Get Your Tech On." Today, we have a very special guest with us, Ron Hranac, who will be the main presenter on our topic, "Putting the Decibel to Work (see video on Youtube)" As many of you know, the decibel is a fundamental unit of measurement in the world of telecommunications and is used to express everything from gain and

3 04, 2023

Cable Operators’ Mastering the DOCSIS 3.1 to 4.0 Transition for Next-Level Networks!

Mia Colabrese2023-04-04T08:47:51-04:00April 3rd, 2023|

Welcome to the future of lightning-fast internet connectivity! In this video, Brady Volpe and John Downey will dive into the exciting world of DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 4.0, showcasing how cable operators can harness these game-changing technologies to provide unparalleled speeds and robust networks for their customers. We'll explore the key differences between the two versions, reveal the technical advancements that make DOCSIS 4.0 a true revolution in the broadband landscape, and share valuable insights on how cable operators can seamlessly transition from DOCSIS 3.1 to 4.0. Join

13 03, 2023

Signal Level

Mia Colabrese2023-05-01T16:11:17-04:00March 13th, 2023|

Signal Level 101: Learning the Basics with Brady Volpe and Ron Hranac Welcome to our YouTube show where we are joined by two renowned experts, Brady Volpe and Ron Hranac, as we explore the fascinating world of signal level, current and voltage, and power! I am your host, Brady Volpe, and together with Ron Hranac, we will start by answering the question "What is signal level?" Ron will explain how signal level is measured and how it relates to the strength of the signal being transmitted. He will

6 03, 2023

Did You Know? Balancing Amplifiers and Other Critical Broadband Concepts

Mia Colabrese2023-03-06T10:06:23-05:00March 6th, 2023|

Welcome to the latest episode of "Did You Know" with Brady Volpe and special guest John Downey of Cisco. In this episode, we'll be discussing "Did you know? Balancing Amplifiers and Other Critical Broadband Concepts" some of the most important topics related to balancing amplifiers, cable & fiber, signals & spectrum analyzers, downstream signal levels, upstream signal levels, bits, bytes, nibbles, and more. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the industry, this video is packed with high-quality information that will help you stay up-to-date with

22 02, 2023

Are Staples in Coax Cable Impacting My DOCSIS speed?

Mia Colabrese2023-02-22T17:43:08-05:00February 22nd, 2023|

I recently posted a YouTube short (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n5ucjCb-iGA). ) about how staples in coaxial cable can cause micro-reflections and interfere with subscriber modems. The video was well-received, and I received a lot of feedback, including real-world experiences and questions about the implications of these issues. Let’s take a closer look at this subject. Staples in coax cable meets the real world Let’s start off with an example of real-world feedback I received. The example goes as follows: “I’ve had calls for this. Poor US voice quality. My worst

29 01, 2023

What is a dB?

Mia Colabrese2023-05-01T16:12:26-04:00January 29th, 2023|

What is a dB? RF and Cable Basics :: Brady Volpe and Ron Hranac discuss RF and cable basics in a new series designed to help those who are interested in understanding RF and Cable TV technology a little better. In this first episode we cover what is a decibel (dB). This is a fundamental unit of measure that every person working in the cable industry should understand. To learn more, watch this episode 0:00 Intro 4:30 The Decibel Primer Beginning 5:13 What is a Logarithm 9:15 Question

14 07, 2020

How to fix your Coax and Internet

Mia Colabrese2023-02-17T18:35:20-05:00July 14th, 2020|

How to fix your coax and internet. I have previously discussed that coax cable is really fragile. To some this can sound crazy because we hang coax cable in the air, burry it in the ground and run it through walls. It gets driven over by cars and walked on by people. So why do I say its fragile. Let me explain in a little more detail. I am Brady Volpe, Founder of The Volpe Firm and Nimble This. I have nearly 30 years experience in the broadband and

20 04, 2016

RF Measurements in the Cable Plant

Mia Colabrese2021-08-16T20:15:37-04:00April 20th, 2016|

RF Measurements in the Cable Plant - Learn more about RF Episode 20 Hosted by Brady Volpe of the Volpe Firm and Nimble This. Guest John Downey, CMTS Technical Leader at Cisco Systems and special guest, Ron Hranac Technical Leader at Cisco Systems. Today’s show we will cover a number of topics including RF measurements and fundamentals. The discussion starts with basic building blocks of the sine wave and evolves to how QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) signals are comprised of sine waves with varying amplitude and phase shifts, which means even though we call

4 03, 2016

OFDM, Completely New in DOCSIS 3.1

Mia Colabrese2023-09-06T19:41:07-04:00March 4th, 2016|

OFDM, Completely New in DOCSIS 3.1 CableLabs has just issued the first DOCSIS 3.1 certifications to five cable modem vendors. These vendors were Askey, Castlenet, Netgear, Technicolor and Ubee Interactive. Cable operators are implementing DOCSIS 3.1 trials and very soon. production systems. Frequently I receive questions about DOCSIS 3.1 such as “is it backwards compatible with DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0 modems?”, “what are the channel bandwidths?”, “ ”, and many more. OFDM It Always Begins at the Physical Layer As with my original tutorials on DOCSIS, we start