Installer Technician
Which of the following formulas is used to calculate normal attenuation of a certain length of coaxial drop cable?
(Cable length in feet/100) x Cable attenuation in decibels (per 100 feet) at frequency (f).
(-25) + (42) + (-62) + (20) =
-25
(17) x (-19) =
-323
20 milliamperes is the same as ________. (Remember, 1 milliampere = 0.001 ampere.)
0.02 amperes
13 X 0.123 =
0.99999
7 3/8 divided by 7 1/4 =
1 1/58
What does 0 decibel millivolt (dBmV) equal?
1 mV across 75 ohms.
The input-to-output power ratio of a coaxial cable that has 1 dB of attenuation is
1.2589:1
The power ratio for 2 dB is
1.585:1
(75 x 10^3) + (2.5 x 10^4) = ____.
100 x 10^3
The input-to-output power ratio for 2 bels of similar impedance cable is
100:1
Which of the following are the aeronautical frequency bands?
108-137 and 225-400 MHz.
How much signal is necessary from the subscriber's tap port @ 750 MHz to provide a minimum of 3.0 dBmV to the TV set when the drop is 150 feet of Series 6 cable and just one outlet (use 5.65 dB per 100 feet for the attenuation rate and round off to nearest tenth of a dBmV)?
11.5 dBmV.
A DC series circuit where R1 = 50 ohms, R2 = 100 ohms, R3 = 183.33 ohms, IT = 0.6 amperes, and ET = 200 volts consumes ______ watts of power.
120
What is the total voltage of a DC series circuit where ER1 = 20V, ER2 = 45V, and ER3 = 57V?
122 V.
How much signal is needed from the subscriber's tap port @ 750 MHz to provide a minimum of +3.0 dBmV to each of the TV sets when there is 132 feet of Series 6 cable and a two-way splitter? (Use 5.65 dB per 100 feet for the Series 6 cable attenuation rate and 4.0 dB for the splitter attenuation.)
14.5 dBmV.
(-17) - (-34) =
17
(250 x 10^-6) - (7 x 10^-5) = _____.
180 x 10^-6
3 6/9 + 6 1/3 + 9 5/9 =
19 5/9
What is the total DC loop resistance of a 350-foot piece of Series 59 drop cable when the DC loop resistance of that Series 59 cable is 56.04 ohms per 1,000 feet?
19.614 ohms.
What year did the current Emergency Alert System (EAS) replace the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS)?
1997.
______ kilowatt-hours (kWh) would be supplied by a standby power supply that provides 60 volts and 10 amperes of current for a period of 3 1/2 hours.
2.1
The total DC loop resistance of a 1,850-foot piece of 0.500-inch coaxial cable, with a DC loop resistance of 1.34 ohms per 1,000 feet, is ________ ohms.
2.479
When using an optical coupler, a desired split ratio of 40/60 will result in an insertion loss of
2.7 dB.
According to the FCC, leaks _____ and above measured _____ feet from the cable must be logged and repaired.
20 µV/m, 10
1:5 ratio is equal to
20%
When were additional rules enacted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that required closed captioning of much of the programming delivered via Internet protocol (IP)?
2012.
_______ ohms of resistance is required for a circuit with an applied voltage of 30 volts and a circuit current of 1.3 amperes.
23.076
______ watts of power are consumed in a circuit with an applied voltage of 60 volts and a load of 150 ohms.
24
A signal increase of 1 dB represents a __________ increase in power.
25.89%
(20) / (-4) + (-2) x (-10) - (-2) x (7) =
29
The circuit current is ______ amps in a DC series circuit where R = 40 ohms and E = 120 V.
3
An input-to-output power ratio of 10:1 has an input-to-output voltage ratio of
3.162:1, the square root of the power ratio.
0.5349 divided by 0.1420 =
3.7669014
ER2 = _______ volts in a DC series circuit where R1 = 150 ohms, R2 = 150 ohms, R3 = 550 ohms, IT = 0.2 amperes.
30
(75 x 10^3)+(25 x 10^4) = ____.
32.5 x 10^4
0.00004 = ______ x 10 to the power of ______.
4, -5
The square of 7 = _____.
49
4/7 x 9 4/11 =
5 27/77
5 kilovolts is the same as
5 kV.
R2 = ________ ohms in a DC series circuit where R1 = 33 ohms, R3 = 47 ohms, R4 = 56 ohms, and RT = 197 ohms.
61
-49/-7 =
7
The deployment of ______________ for use as a public safety communications technology will greatly increase the importance of controlling and reducing leakage and ingress issues.
700 MHz Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Which of the following is the frequency allocation dedicated specifically to public safety communications?
700 MHz Long Term Evolution (LTE).
(480 x 10^-5) / (60 x 10^-3) = _____.
8 x 10^-2
What is the voltage in a circuit with 0.8 ampere of current and 100 ohms of resistance?
80 V.
A DC series circuit with R1 = 15 kilohms (kohms), R2 = 25 kohms, and R3 = 47 kohms has a total resistance of ________ ohms.
87 k
Convert 0.893 volts into a power of 10 and metric prefix form:
893 x 10-3 V = 893 mV.
The square root of 81 = _____.
9
A length of coaxial cable that has an attenuation of 10 dB will experience an input RF signal power loss of _________, with __________ of the signal remaining.
90%, 10%
Why is it important to maintain a clear tone of voice?
A clear tone of voice can influence the customer's image of you and the company you represent.
A number that compares an amount that is less than the whole to the whole amount is
A fraction.
Why is a leakage detector preferable to a signal level meter (SLM) for detecting leakage?
A leakage detector has an increased sensitivity to weak signals.
What is the design difference between a loop-through system and a home-run system?
A loop-through system has a splitter or directional coupler at each outlet that provides signal to those outlets and passes the remaining signal to the next outlet, while a home-run system has a dedicated cable run to each outlet from a common splitter.
Voltage is
A measurement of the force or pressure that causes electrons to move.
What are the three basic elements of an electrical circuit?
A power source, a load, and the connecting conductors.
Which is the best amplifier to use when the digital set-top box (STB), cable modem, or embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA) is unable to consistently and reliably transmit information back to the headend because of a long cable drop run?
A return path (reverse or upstream) amplifier.
It is essential to pay attention to warning signs of stress overload. Poor attitude is one of the behaviors that may indicate that you are overstressed. What are the symptoms of poor attitude behavior?
A significant change in attitude with a noticeable movement toward negative, hostile, cynical, or paranoid thoughts.
What is the purpose of a tagger when detecting and measuring signal leakage?
A tagger will ensure any leak measured emanates from the cable system.
Acceptable leakage limits per the FCC specify a maximum acceptable field strength of 15 µV/m (micro-volts/meter) at 30 meters for frequencies
Above 216 MHz.
An ohmmeter should be connected
Across a resistor that is disconnected from the circuit voltage source.
Magnetic poles that are ___________ will ____________ each other when those poles are near each other.
Alike, repel
Flux lines
Always curve around through the body of the magnet to form complete loops.
The return amplifier
Amplifies the return signals for transmission to the next return amplifier upstream, relative to the forward path.
A passive component that reduces signal amplitude equally at all frequencies in a distribution amplifier is
An attenuation pad.
During the six-step troubleshooting process, you need to ask the customer questions such as, "Have any other contractors worked at the premises lately?" What step in the process do such questions most closely resemble?
Analyze the situation.
How far should an aerial drop cable be placed from the power utility feed where the cables attach to the premises?
At least 12 inches.
In analyzing faults at the customer premises, you will need to determine if the problem is localized or encompasses a larger area of the cable system. If the problem is affecting the whole house, how should you proceed?
Begin your isolation at the ground block.
How can the proper operation of a leakage detector in a monitoring vehicle be verified?
By creating a test leak.
Some set-top boxes (STB) with poor shielding can cause which of the following problems?
CB or ham radio interference and ingress on all cable channels.
Which category of wiring reduces both Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT) and attenuation due to a larger gauge conductor?
Category 6 (CAT-6).
A common problem at the ground block is common path distortion (CPD). What usually causes CPD?
Corrosion.
The magnetic field
Created by a straight piece of wire is weaker than that created by forming loops of wire.
What kind of reasoning is described as applying a general statement that you know to be true to a new situation?
Deductive.
Once you have restored the operations of the customer's service, how should you communicate this to the customer?
Describe the nature of the problem and what you did to correct it.
The strength of an electromagnetic field is
Determined by the magnitude of the magnetomotive force (mmf).
The FCC requires the use of a __________ antenna for the measurement of signal leakage for logging and Cumulative Leakage Index (CLI).
Dipole
Which of the following is most likely to reduce signal quality on a fiber-optic transmission as opposed to causing a catastrophic failure?
Dirt on the connector.
In the forward direction, optical splitters are passive branching devices that
Divide an optical signal across a number of output fibers.
A fraction is converted to a percent by
Dividing the numerator by the denominator and multiplying by 100.
Simplify and solve the equation: If E = IR then what is the formula for finding I?
E/R.
The recording head of a tape recorder is actually a(an)
Electromagnet.
Digital artifacts can be caused by impulse noise. What is impulse noise?
Electromagnetic signal interference produced by power-line transients, motor arcing, household appliances, or electrical systems without shielded wiring.
Direct current
Flow is continuous electron flow in the same direction.
Current
Flow that is excessive for a specific size of conductor can cause the conductor to become too hot and melt or burn the conductor's insulating cover.
A permanent-magnet loudspeaker
Has a cone that moves back and forth in relation to the varying current of the original sound.
A semiconductor material
Has four valence electrons.
Elements that are called conductors
Have very few valence electrons.
What does the filing of forms and reports in a cable operator's public file reflect?
How the cable operator runs their business and their network.
The letter and symbol designation for current is ______ and ______, respectively.
I and A
Which of the following is a method for controlling expectations?
Identify the source of emotional overload.
You are at a customer's home and you are asking the customer whether the problem is intermittent or constant. Which step are you using from the six-step troubleshooting process?
Identifying the problem.
The left-hand rule for electromagnetism in a wire states that
If you wrap the fingers of your left hand around the wire with your thumb pointing in the direction of the current flow, your fingers will be wrapped in the direction of the magnetic field.
The ampere
Indicates how many coulombs pass a given point during 1 second.
What signal leakage information and measurements must be included with the annual reporting to the FCC?
Information carried on signals in the aeronautical bandwidths.
How can an installer control the resistance of the drop cable being installed at the customer premises?
Install Series 6 cable instead of Series 59 cable because Series 6 cable is larger diameter, with lower resistance, than Series 59 cable.
A symbol
Is a simple line design used to represent a component or device in a schematic circuit diagram.
Load resistance
Is considered to be the total resistance when the source and wire resistances are very small.
Excessive current flow
Is often the result of the failure of a small part within a larger circuit.
The power source
Is the part of an electrical circuit that provides a difference of potential.
The load
Is the part of the electrical circuit that uses the electrical energy provided by the power source to carry out some desired function.
When troubleshooting a drop splitter with defective port connections, which of the following is true about a bad connection at the splitter's input port?
It affects all TV sets.
Which of the following is a feature of the signal level meter (SLM)?
It can be used in sweep mode to identify instances of ingress.
Using a phrase such as "You didn't" when speaking with a customer should be avoided because
It sounds like you are making an accusation.
When the cross-sectional area of a conductor doubles,
Its resistance decreases to half its original value.
When using the optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) to troubleshoot fiber-optic cable, locating a reflective event means
Light intersects with a material (like air), causing it to bend differently than if it was traveling within the fiber.
What type of loss occurs in a transmission line when the fiber-optic bend radius decreases?
Macrobending.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a good listener?
Makes eye contact with the customer.
An optical power meter (OPM) is used to
Measure the power in an optical signal.
What unit of measure is used to identify the field strength of electromagnetic radiation (signal leakage)?
Microvolts/meter (µV/m).
10 to the power of -3 has a metric prefix of ______.
Milli
What are the units that can be used to represent signal level values?
Millivolt (mV), decibel millivolt (dBmV), and microwatt (µW) or nanowatt (nW).
Why should you take the time to take notes and accurately record data at each job location?
Notes and recorded data are tools that can help you accurately remember events at a site that can help you determine a plan of action or evaluate the decisions you made.
Most line extender housings have
One input port for receiving the forward RF signals and one or two output ports for distributing the amplified forward RF signals.
When checking for ingress at the tap, when would you replace the drop cable between the ground block and the customer's tap?
Only if necessary as a last corrective measure.
When troubleshooting a drop splitter with wrong cable connections, incorrectly connecting the input cable to a splitter's output port and the TV cable to the input port of the splitter will usually result in which of the following?
Only the TV set incorrectly connected to the splitter input port will have a good picture, while all the TV sets connected to the other output ports will have black pictures.
Communication soft skills and customer satisfaction are linked because
Part of a troubleshooter's job is to favorably influence the customer's opinion of the cable company.
The line extender amplifier housing has
Plug-in connectors that direct the incoming forward RF signals from the input port to the RF amplifier module and the outgoing amplified signals from the amplifier module to the output port.
Which of the following best describes stereotyped thinking?
Presuming that all members of a group have certain characteristics.
A conductor
Provides a path for the current flow from the power source to the load and from the load back to the power source.
What are the FCC requirements regarding leakage monitoring?
Quarterly monitoring and annual reporting.
Across which resistor in a DC series circuit where R1 = 25 ohms, R2 = 50 ohms, R3 = 75 ohms, and R4 = 10 ohms is the greatest voltage drop?
R3.
Which of the following refers to an eight-pin, eight-conductor plug and jack capable of supporting Ethernet and telephone?
RJ45.
Which colors are used on a telephone station jack?
Red/green, yellow/black.
The line extender amplifier
Requires the AC input voltage typically to be received through the port seizure screw connection.
Which of the following connectors uses a bayonet coupling mechanism?
ST connectors.
When adjusting amplifier controls, remember that
Signal level controls compensate for slight variations in the input signal level caused by temperature changes and by signal loss from coaxial cable and passive devices.
What is ingress?
Signals leaking into the cable system.
The metal that has the greatest conductance is
Silver.
During a conversation with a customer, which of the following can be interpreted as a neutral, open position?
Standing with legs slightly apart and feet in the direction of the other person.
Which of the following wiring is used to connect speakers to an audio source?
Stranded two-wire.
Which of the following is one of the common sources of over-the-air ingress?
Strong over-the-air television channels.
Which of the following is the best way to speak with a customer?
Talk to the customer using nontechnical terms.
When applying the six-step troubleshooting process for improving one's behaviors and attitudes, which of the following can be used to help resolve a problem?
Talking yourself through the task.
The term "bel" originated with the early days of
Telephone.
One-tenth bel or 1 dB is
The 10th root of the 1 bel ratio.
Which wiring standard is used in all modern Ethernet data cables, jacks, and connectors?
The Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronics Industries Alliance (TIA/EIA) 568 B standard.
What test equipment automatically identifies specific wiring problems on four-pair UTP/STP patch cords and station wiring?
The UTP/STP test set.
The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 mandates that cable operators must hold outreach programs such as job fairs, internships, mentoring, and interaction with schools and community groups. What other employment practices are mandated by this Act?
The cable operator must make their Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) procedures available for public inspection on their websites.
When taking bit error rate (BER) readings, the pre- and post-forward correction error (FEC) BER are important to know. The harder the FEC is working,
The closer the system is to failure.
The resistance of a conductor increases as
The cross-sectional area of a conductor decreases.
Which of the following non-verbal signs might indicate that the customer is happy with what you are saying?
The customer's pupils are dilated.
The majority of ingress is caused by which of the following?
The customer.
To determine actual insertion loss on a two-way splitter, the input level at a particular frequency and the output port levels at that same frequency are measured. What is the actual insertion loss of the output port?
The difference between the splitter's input level and the measured output level of that port.
In the forward signal path of the line extender,
The first equalizer is where the frequency-dependent attenuation (tilt), caused by the coaxial cable between the line extender and the previous upstream amplifier, is corrected.
Which of the following is true when connecting a device to the correct AC to DC power supply?
The input ampere rating is the maximum load the supply will draw on the 110V AC circuit.
When measuring inadequate port-to-port isolation in a drop splitter, the higher the amount of isolation between the splitter output ports,
The less chance of passing radio frequency (RF) interference from one TV set to the other.
The term voltage normally refers to
The measurement of the difference in potential between two charges.
The major factor for determining whether a particular element is a conductor, a semiconductor, or an insulator is
The number of electrons in the valence shell.
If there is no signal on the input cable to the second directional coupler in a loop through drop system, what is the likely cause?
The output cable of the first directional coupler's output port was disconnected.
Which of the following is true?
The resistance of a material with a negative temperature coefficient will decrease as the temperature increases.
In a DC series circuit,
The same amount of current flows through each component.
When the output of a line extender is 3 dB lower than it normally should be,
The signal is 3 dB lower than normal from that point on.
Operational gain is
The signal level difference between the input signal and the output signal.
What is the theoretical output level and the actual output port insertion loss of a two-way splitter when: (1) the measured input level to the splitter is 9 dBmV @ 197 MHz; (2) the manufacturer-specified insertion loss is 3.5 dB @ 403 MHz; and (3) the measured output port level is 4 dBmV @ 197 MHz?
The theoretical output level @ 197 MHz is 5.5 dBmV and the actual output port insertion loss is 5 dB.
What test equipment measures cable lengths and locates faults on both twisted pair and coaxial cable?
The time domain reflectometer (TDR).
The "bypass AC current capacity" is
The total AC current the line extender amplifier can pass through to other active devices.
Which of the following is true?
The total resistance (RT) of a DC series circuit is the sum of the individual resistances in the circuit (RS + RW + RL).
Electric current is actually produced by
The transfer of energy from valence electron to valence electron as a result of applied charges.
What is the relationship between very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) leakage and ingress?
There is little or no relationship between VHF and UHF leakage and ingress.
Through which resistor in a DC series circuit where R1 = 10 ohms, R2 = 15 ohms, R3 = 20 ohms, and R4 = 5 ohms is the greatest current flowing?
They all have the same amount of current flowing through them.
Values expressed in dBmV progress in a nonlinear fashion when compared to a linear millivolt (mV) scale because
They are based on the logarithms of power ratios.
What exemption for proof-of-performance (POP) testing does the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allow cable networks having less than 1,000 customers?
They are exempt from performing POP testing, but if requested by the FCC, they must be able to prove compliance with the minimum technical criteria.
Which of the following is true about 110-type punch-down blocks?
They are used to connect data jacks to service provider cabling.
The orbital shell that has a maximum electron capacity of 18 electrons is the ___________ shell.
Third
When closing any distribution amplifier housing,
Tighten the bolts to the recommended torque in the proper tightening sequence, using an appropriate torque wrench.
Other than proving compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements, what are some other benefits of regular signal leakage monitoring and repair?
Tighter networks, which allow a smaller amount of signals to leave the network and fewer interfering signals into the network.
Values expressed in dBmV that are preceded by a minus sign (-) represent
Values of voltage less than 1 millivolt (mV) across 75 ohms.
What type of fiber-optic attenuator is used to check out and optimize network performance by adding loss, typically from 0 to 65 dB, in either stepped or continuous movements?
Variable attenuator.
When locating live cable, after placing the coupler around the cable in question, what should be done next?
Walk around the pedestal to locate the strongest signal.
Which of the following is a true axiom?
When A = C and B = C, then A = B because both are equal to C, which supports the axiom: Quantities equal to the same quantity are equal to each other.
Normal current flow results
When the circuit operates properly and no damage occurs to the circuit components.
In a magnetic material,
Where only some of the magnetic domains are pointing in the same direction, the magnetic field is weaker.
When examining a power cord for damage, what part of the cord is the most vulnerable?
Where the cord meets the plug.
In troubleshooting, hard skills can be utilized the same way each time, whereas soft skills
Will depend on the type of problem, the customer, and numerous other factors.
A 1 millivolt (mV) decrease in a signal level of 40 dBmV is approximately equivalent to a decrease in level of
0.1 dB.
How much current would an applied voltage of 60 volts cause in a circuit of 300 ohms of resistance?
0.2 A.
IT = _______ amps in a DC series circuit where R1 = 10 ohms, R2 = 20 ohms, R3 = 30 ohms, R4 = 40 ohms, and ET = 50 V.
0.5
Loose-tube fiber-optic cable is used for what purpose?
It is used as the main cable between the headend and node.
As part of the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, what can an over-the-air (OTA) broadcast station choose for carriage on a cable operator's network in the same market?
Must-carry or retransmission consent.
To create an electromagnet,
Wrap a coil of insulated wire around an iron bar and pass an electric current through the wire.
The letter S in the acronym RESPECT (for showing respect to customers) stands for sincere and means
You are empathetic and want to help the customer achieve a better experience.
Which of the following is a correct definition for a type of circuit graphic?
A block diagram is a simplified outline of an electrical system that shows circuits or parts as rectangles and other shapes.
Resistance
Doubles when the length of a conductor doubles.
Which activity encourages creative thinking?
Drawing.
What is the process for checking for ingress at a drop splitter at the customer premises?
Inspect the splitter and confirm that all of the splitter's F-connectors are properly wrench-tightened by using a 7/16-inch torque wrench.
Why is Series 59 coaxial cable no longer used?
It has poor signal loss characteristics.
Which of the following is true of fiber-optic pigtail splicing?
It is faster and more reliable than installing connectors in the field.
What coincided with the introduction of satellite program distribution, which enabled the delivery of cable-specific networks and created demand for cable TV services in metropolitan areas?
Relaxation of tight regulations due to local broadcaster concern over competition from cable operators importing distant TV stations from other markets.
What should be done to correct signal leakage from a drop splitter with a defective cover plate?
Remove and replace the splitter.
What prevents the electrons that orbit an atom's nucleus at high speeds from breaking away from the nucleus due to centrifugal force?
The attraction between the positive nucleus and the negative electron.
When visually identifying correct cable connections for a directional coupler in an attic with a loop-through system, which cable usually comes from the outside wall, which cable typically goes down the wall to the TV, and which cable typically continues on through the attic to another section of the house?
The input cable usually comes from the outside wall, the tap port cable typically goes down the wall, and the output port cable typically continues on through the attic to another section of the house.
Which of the following statements describes creative problem solving?
Thinking outside of the box and looking at problems from a fresh perspective.
What is the justification for state-issued franchises in place of local franchises?
To promote competition. State-issued franchises are typically much easier to renew and manage because there is one main authority (instead of many local franchise authorities).
The attribute of being "active" as a critical thinker means
You observe and take notes relevant to the issue.
What is the maximum tap value that can be installed when the tap is connected directly to a line extender amplifier output and: (1) the line extender output is 45 dBmV @ 745.25 MHz; (2) the longest amount of Series 6 coaxial cable from the tap to either of the two TV sets is 150 feet; (3) the Series 6 coaxial cable attenuation rate is 5.65 dB/100 feet @ 750 MHz; (4) the drop includes a splitter with a 4.0 dB loss; and (5) the minimum signal level required at each of the two TV sets is 3.0 dBmV?
29 dB.
A light bulb is consuming 60 watts of power with 0.9 amperes of current flowing through it. What is the bulb's resistance?
74.07 ohms.
What is the role of a franchise authority?
To provide the permissions necessary to allow a cable operator to use the public right-of-way within the franchise area, in order to access and connect customer premises.
Magnetism
Was discovered when the Greeks noticed that magnetite always aligned itself in a north and south direction.
Which of the following is a respectful way to treat a customer's property?
Wearing shoes with oil-resistant and non-marking soles.