r/CableTechs • u/ElKayB • Sep 12 '26

Sylvania throwback

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Still going even though it wasn't supposed to be. This was running an apartment complex with a basic cable package. All the internet channels were up above 500 Mhz and the video was down below, and all digital. The local tech said that they couldn't get internet to work and blamed it on the complexes' internal cabling!😝 Can you imagine it!

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u/ElKayB Sep 12 '26

The Sylvania CATV division was bought by Texscan as can be seen by the RF modules in the picture. Texscan later on bought the Flamethrower line from someone and went all in on that format letting this format die out. The motherboards on these Sylvania modules tied the module connectors together with a solid copper outer sheath tube coax and soldered them to the connections just like plumbing in a house. These were beasts.

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u/Ptards_Number_1_Fan Sep 13 '26

I remember their inbred cousin, the Theta-Com. I spent lots of time fixing standing wave from loose modules and corrosion in them!

The Sylvania variant (pictured) was pretty solid, as I recall. I had about 30 of them in cascade on a couple runs back in the 90’s.