You misunderstand. You don't drill holes in active tap housings. You drill the holes in a single tap housing you use as a troubleshooting device/tool. You install a Pin-to-F on the housing input and a terminator on the output. You drill the holes in a location where you can short out each tap port against the housing with a screwdriver. You carry this device with you, and when you want to check a tap with either 2 or 4 ports, you remove the faceplate from the existing tap and connect/install it in your troubleshooting device/housing. You connect your meter to the Pin-to-F connector on the input to read the noise coming back on the drops. As you short the tap ports one by one, you will see the noise floor drop. When you find the bad drop, the noise will pretty much disappear completely. Now, you can do whatever the prescribed method is - tag the drop, place a filter at the tap, ground block, or splitter(if they have return services), disconnect the drop, whatever.
Another thing I do is take a 2 port tap faceplate, and solder a tap port directly to the output of the tap. When I want to check for noise/ingress coming from downstream, I pull the existing faceplate, and plug in my test faceplate. Through the port, I can read all of the noise/ingress coming back from the output side. It's handy when you want to cut an amp spacing in half. You can take your reading at the output of an active, and if you have noise, you go to the middle of the spacing. Install your faceplate. If the tap reads clean, you know you're noise is between that location and the active. If you still see noise, you know your problem is downstream.
You can also make a tool/troubleshooting device with Jerrold/GI DCs/Splits. You drill holes in the faceplate(2 for a DC or 2 way split, and 3 for a 6-3-6), install F-81s in the holes, and solder the F-81s to the output of the faceplate. When you want to check a DC/Split with 2 or 3 outputs, you pull the faceplate, plug in your troubleshooting tool/faceplate, and plug your meter into each F-81 to check the noise coming back from each leg.
Doing this with taps and splits sounds complicated, when you can just pull the faceplate and use a Gilbert NS-9178 on the output seizing screw, but by plugging in faceplates, you eliminate any noise or ingress you might get by having the faceplate out to create an open.
These methods work surprisingly well, and really speed up the troubleshooting process. I can't take credit for them, myself. The idea was given to me by Steve DePhillips, an ingress/noise troubleshooting master. A good guy, a pleasure to work with, and a very sharp tech.
Re: Not Possible Testing At Tap "F" Port
Member #: 52199
Registered: 4/25/2007
Posted:
76
Name:
Rich
Company:
self-employed
Occupation:
sweep tech
Location:
wisconsin
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