Coax / antenna help needed

[SVTarHeel]

I wasn't watching much TV so I cancelled cable, but I have family in town for the holidays. I plugged the TV's coax antenna cable into the coax plug in my wall that connects to the antenna built into the apartment building (I'm sure it wasn't for the cable - that's definitely another plug). I got nothing but snow.

While we were fiddling with it, we briefly got a clear picture and more fiddling revealed that, if the coax wire of the cable from the TV touched the outside threaded part of the female coax plug, the picture is fine. But if we plug the cable into the wall, snow. We've tried 2 different screw in cables, 2 cables with the slide on "collar" and replaced the wall face plate that has a female threaded plug on each side. Still nothing. But we now have the end of a paper clip bent around the threads of the wall plug and the other end around the coax wire in the cable going to the TV. Works OK, but not the sturdiest of solutions.

None of us has any clue what the problem might be. Tried Radio Shack for ideas but no great progress there. Could it be a grounding issue? Something like out of phase (since it seems like it's working backwards)? I'll stop with ideas since we're shooting blind.

Thanks for any pointers.

[audiyoda]

You're shooting blind alright

A coax cable is nothing more than a shielded copper cable -- the outside housing of the cable is not connected to anything.

You're probrably getting something from that fitting due to poor wiring. Part of the shield for the installed cable is most likely coming into contact with the fitting -- thereby you are using all the RG-6 (coax) wiring as an 'antenna'.

-Craig

[SVTarHeel]

Well that sounds reasonable. Would that mean it's unfixable on my end? I have the original cable coming thru the wall - from there, I've changed the wall plate and used 4 different coax cables, so it would appear I've changed all I can on my side - any disagreement?

Thanks Craig.

[audiyoda]

No disagreement. So....

Step one: Get in car.
Step 2: Drive to BestBuy, Circuit City, Radio Shack....whatever is close.
Step C: Buy amplified antenna -- I would stay away from anything that says Jensen on it.
Step IV: Pay for antenna.
Step five: Get back in car.
Step F: Go home, install antenna.

Everyone that's coming for the holiday's is happy

-Craig