# Tuning Adapter trouble: Cisco STA 1520



## gsutkin (Oct 7, 2007)

Here’s one for those of you who like a good cable card/digital tuning adapter mystery:

I have four tiVos, each one with a cable card and connected to a digital turning adapter (Cisco STA 1520), from Spectrum Time Warner, in Kansas City. Everything working fine until a few weeks ago.

I started having difficulty getting some of the SDV channels, Like HBO, Showtime, and Big Ten network,　on three of the TiVos. tried rebooting the TAs, but no improvement. The spectrum technician told me my signal was fine coming into the house and coming out of the outlets. The Bolt that was working fine was connected to the newest adapter, so I suspected that the older three TAs were malfunctioning.

I ordered three new TAs, and tried out each one with my Bolt. The first two, while booting up, showed repeating pairs of green blinks, which I understand means that they were dead on arrival. The third one, while booting up, went to repeated fast blanks, and could never fully boot up. Disgusted with my three new TAs, I went back to the old TA, which remember got basic channels, but not SDV channels, and it also went to the repeated fast blanks, never probably booting up. Now instead of getting some channels, I get no channels.

Any ideas? Isn't it strange that 3 TAs (or 3 cable cards?) would start malfunctioning at the same time? I still think it’s the TAs, other spectrum asked me to contact TiVo to see if it could be the tivos .

Thanks
Gary
Kansas City
2 bolts, 1 roamio, and 1 premier


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## bjstick (Jan 30, 2018)

I had the exact same thing happen to me. The issue ended up being provisioning on Spectrum's side. I went through 3 TAs and multiple truck rolls before someone high enough up understood what was going on. Apparently my case was well documented in their system as this was a system-wide issue in my area. I am in Maine.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

gsutkin said:


> Here's one for those of you who like a good cable card/digital tuning adapter mystery:
> 
> I have four tiVos, each one with a cable card and connected to a digital turning adapter (Cisco STA 1520), from Spectrum Time Warner, in Kansas City. Everything working fine until a few weeks ago.
> 
> ...


Could be a provisioning issue as another responder posted. Could be a headend issue. I had SDV problems a few days ago, but they seem to have cleared up without any intervention on my part so I assume it was a headend problem..

In the mean time, you can disconnect the usb cable from the tiVo and get all but SDV channels by letting the cable card map the channels.

You can also try a refresh signal from Spectrum. That has sometimes worked for me in the past with TAs.


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## XIBM (Mar 9, 2013)

Try without the TA. In my area a couple of years ago Charter went digital and all channels in the Silver Package work fine without the TA...


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## gsutkin (Oct 7, 2007)

XIBM said:


> Try without the TA. In my area a couple of years ago Charter went digital and all channels in the Silver Package work fine without the TA...


That would be an easy solution. 
I'll try without the TA. Also bringing a Tech out today, although they are rarely helpful.


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## gsutkin (Oct 7, 2007)

Fixing the signal seems to have fixed the problem. After 3 phone calls to Spectrum and 3 visits from their techs, they adjusted how the coaxial signal is distributed between the modem, the 4 TAs, and unused coaxia outlets. Then tested the signal at the wall outlets, and at least for now we are getting all SDV channels. 

Everyone says the TAs and the cable cards are old and finnicky. I wish I had more TiVo options in Kansas City.


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## gsutkin (Oct 7, 2007)

gsutkin said:


> Fixing the signal seems to have fixed the problem. After 3 phone calls to Spectrum and 3 visits from their techs, they adjusted how the coaxial signal is distributed between the modem, the 4 TAs, and unused coaxia outlets. Then tested the signal at the wall outlets, and at least for now we are getting all SDV channels.
> 
> Everyone says the TAs and the cable cards are old and finnicky. I wish I had more TiVo options in Kansas City.


Haha. SDV channels back out again.


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## djones18 (Jan 6, 2006)

This is a tough one since your system appeared to be fixed, worked, then you lost SDV channels again. You don't mention in your latest post if all the TiVos have lost SDV channels or if one or more are working normally. What is current status? Unless Spectrum has remapped some channels or made a change at the head-end to cause your latest problem, I suspect you are getting signal strength variations or noise (signal to noise ratio problems) in your system.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Keep in mind that Cisco TA's need a reboot about once a month. Also, Spectrum has on several occasions remotely disabled my TA's or removed them from my account entirely out of the blue and for no reason at all. In each case, I've been able to get them going again with a quick phone call.


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

Cisco Tuning Adapter Status Troubleshooting
More than you would ever care to know about Cisco TAs


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## Jim-Sarasota (Jul 7, 2017)

My subdivision in Manatee County Florida is changing over to Spectrum digital service with fiber to the home, fiber modem, etc. Like many other reports the local Spectrum office is having trouble setting up the Cisco STA1520 tuning adapter.

Does anyone have a Spectrum contact, name and number, who you have found to be excellent solving this issue? I would like to give that number to the local technicians doing the installations.


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## SC100 (Aug 19, 2018)

I too live close by and am having the same issue as of this month, did you get any relief?
Ty,
SC


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## Jim-Sarasota (Jul 7, 2017)

Yes, Spectrum put the "big guys" on it. It started working the afternoon of August 13th. It was *not* the TiVo, CableCard, or Cisco Tuning Adapter.


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## SC100 (Aug 19, 2018)

Do you have any names you can refer me to?

Ty,


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