GRiDL0CKD
join:2008-03-27
Monticello, MN
| reply to FusionGuy
Re: RG59 from street to RG6 in the house
RG-59 wire does not carry digital signal nearly as well as RG-6 due to the the size of the center conductor. I have been to many trouble calls where customers could not receive digital/data services because of obsolete/incompatible house wiring. Now, when you said you have an RG-59 line that enters your house, do you mean the drop line that runs from the cable ped (if underground)/aerial tap (if aerial) or the service line that feeds in from the ground block in the house box?
If you have an RG-59 drop then you should get that replaced immediately. RG-6 is considered the bare minimum for drop lines, and as of this year it became a policy within my division that we run RG-11 drop lines to houses with the recent inclusion of telephony to our services.
If it's the line that feeds in from the house box then it'll depend on how far it travels through the house before it meets the splitter(s). Personally, I recommend replacing RG-59 wire whenever possible as it will only lead to problems in the future. |
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FusionGuy
join:2001-12-06
 ·Mountain Cable
edit:
March 29th, @11:37AM
| It enters underground from the cable ped on the street directly into my basement and into the splitter. There is no house box. |
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FusionGuy
join:2001-12-06
·Mountain Cable
| I should of done this before I posted but I disconnected the cable and it does look like RG6 and not RG59. The cable without the connector is RG59. |
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beerbum
Premium
join:2000-05-06
Reading
·Comcast
| said by FusionGuy  :I should of done this before I posted but I disconnected the cable and it does look like RG6 and not RG59. The cable without the connector is RG59. are you sure you have rg-6 in the house? in your first picture it looks like all the connecters are PPC RG-59 connectors..
to me it looks like RG-6 feeding the main splitter and everything else is 59.. also I suggest replacing that twist-on fitting for tv #2.. |
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FusionGuy
join:2001-12-06
·Mountain Cable
edit:
March 29th, @01:15PM
| I thought the main cable from outside was RG59. But now under closer investigation it in fact does look like RG6.
I know that the in house cables are all RG59. I want to change those to RG6.
What brand of RG6 cable should I be looking for? |
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MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
·Comcast
| said by FusionGuy :What brand of RG6 cable should I be looking for? CommScope and Beldin are the first two brands that come to mind. No matter what brand, though, the best is quad shield if you live in a RF-rich area or are running electrical or data lines beside them. The downfall of that, is it takes special connectors. Other that, tri or dual shield is fine.
On another note, I don't know if it just the lighting of the picture, but the RG6 shown in the picture beside the RG59 with no connector looks like it has a black center conductor, which is usually a sign of water damage. If that is the case, it could cause some problems later on. The center conductor should be nice and shiny copper.
Keep in mind also, it will not matter much what kind of cable you have if you use those twist-on fittings like the one in the picture. The best connectors to use would be a decent compression fitting similar to what the cable company has used. |
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FusionGuy
join:2001-12-06
·Mountain Cable
edit:
March 30th, @05:32PM
| What do you mean special connectors? The standard compression connectors won't fit a Belden cable?
I have a package of Ideal compression connectors.
I don't know why the copper pin is oxidated. The cable is up between the joists of the basement and there has never been any water damage here. Can I clean it with something or should I cut it off and install a new connector? |
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MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
·Comcast
| said by FusionGuy :What do you mean special connectors? The standard compression connectors won't fit a Belden cable? I was referring to quad shield cable, not necessarily the brand. Standard compression fittings do not fit quad shield cable well, unless they are specifically labeled as universal. If you decide to use anything else (tri or dual shield), you will be fine with the standard connectors.
As far as the oxidized center conductor, it would be best to cut it back until you find a nice shiny center conductor and install a new connector. However, if you find that the braiding of the cable is not shiny and is powder-like, you likely have had water in the line somehow and it should be looked at by a tech for replacement. If you have never had water damage in the home itself, it is possible that water has migrated into a break in the jacket from the outside and traveled through the cable over time. |
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Jabbu
Premium
join:2002-03-06
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to FusionGuy
said by FusionGuy :I should of done this before I posted but I disconnected the cable and it does look like RG6 and not RG59. The cable without the connector is RG59. Is that the cable coming into the house? The stinger looks corroded, also you should just have the ground going to the first splitter and no loops and no pig tails. |
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