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TheSMJ
join:2009-08-19
Farmington, MI

TheSMJ

Member

Should I run RG6 or skip it?

My current house (built in 1959) never really had CATV wiring installed - what it had was holes drilled in from outside walls into the house, and then the cable would get to each room by going through the ceiling/floor, rather than going through walls. When I installed CAT6 cabling, I pulled out all the RG6 because it was poorly installed (a cable installer must have done it), and I have no interest in getting cable TV myself.

But I'm at the point in my renovation where I'm about to start closing up the walls, and now I'm having second thoughts. While I may personally never want cable, my future wife, or future homeowners might. I'm trying to decide if it's worth running the RG6 to a few of the rooms just to have it, or if I should skip it entirely.

If RG6-to-CAT6 adapters existed I'd just use those, but I haven't been able to find any so I'm assuming they don't. Every room in the house has at least 2 Ethernet drops, so if this were possible it would be the best solution if the need ever arisen.

So, should I run RG6, or skip it?
dharel1705
join:2009-06-09
Merrick, NY

dharel1705

Member

For resale value of your house, and since the walls are already open, run the RG6.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned) to TheSMJ

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to TheSMJ
Run it now much easier and will be a neater cleaner install than trying to do it later.

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to TheSMJ

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I believe video over UTP baluns should be pretty easy to find; but I don't know how they'd work with CATV - they are usually meant for CCTV applications.

RG6 is cheap - nothing says you even have to terminate it - just run it to the same location as your CAT6 jacks, and leave it behind the wall, if you want...

You won't regret having it and not using it; but you will regret wanting it, and it not being there...
HarryH3
Premium Member
join:2005-02-21

HarryH3 to TheSMJ

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It's cheap and it's easy to install while the walls are open. Go for it!

CFoo
join:2008-03-19
Nepean, ON

1 recommendation

CFoo to TheSMJ

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to TheSMJ
No brainer. Install the RG6. The walls are opened and RG6 cabling is cheap. This way you are covered for DSL, Cable DSL, satellite or even an antenna set up.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym to TheSMJ

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to TheSMJ
Run it!

Even if you don't run cable TV over it, it could leave you open to using a MoCA adapter should you ever find the need to do so.

fcisler
Premium Member
join:2004-06-14
Riverhead, NY

fcisler to TheSMJ

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Run it. Don't just leave it in the wall. You don't have to terminate, but at least put in a LV box and a blank.
TheSMJ
join:2009-08-19
Farmington, MI

TheSMJ

Member

Well now, I was hoping for responses telling me I didn't need to run RG6, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to run a couple drops to the family room and leave them in the box unterminated.

Is there anything I should look out for when buying RG6 cable? I've seen both $35 500' spools, and $50+ 500' spools at Home Depot. Is there any real difference between the two?
95688065 (banned)
join:2013-01-28

95688065 (banned) to TheSMJ

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That's normal rg6 and shielded rg6. All you need is the cheap stuff.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
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said by LazMan:

I believe video over UTP baluns should be pretty easy to find; but I don't know how they'd work with CATV - they are usually meant for CCTV applications.

Would not work. Too much loss over the twisted pair at the higher frequencies used by CATV providers, which can go up to 1GHz.

CCTV composite video has bandwidth less than 5MHz which is why such baluns work since loss at 5MHz is relatively low on the twisted pair cable.
MrFixit1
join:1999-11-26
Madison, WI

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"Is there any real difference between the two?"
If they are from the same manufacturer , there should be .
Looking at Home Depot's site , seems one is dual shield and one is quad .
Link to a little info on types ( not a recommendation of the vender , since I have never used them )»www.cablewholesale.com/s ··· ner.html
Best rg6 would be quad shield solid copper core , but that is way overkill !
Would recommend a mid-grade cable , since the price difference will not be much compared to the work you will put into installing it

DarkLogix
Texan and Proud
Premium Member
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX

1 recommendation

DarkLogix to TheSMJ

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IMO run RG6QS, because IF you or someone ever uses it you don't want it to have to be replaced due to going cheepo.

Also I'd go ahead and use some keystone jacks to term them, if you just leave it in the wall only you will know its there.

I'd just go ahead and get a small electrical box and a grounding block

Might as well do it right instead of half-a**ed so if you or someone ever want to use it you don't have a sat or CTV installer just doing their own thing because your work wasn't done or was forgotten about.

So I'd put a grounding block where ever you imagine a CTV might come to enter the home and ground it to the breaker box.

Then have a cable from there go to the attic (or basement) and have a small electrical box (or whatever you want to use to organize the cables)

No need to term the ends at the aggregate location just be sure they're tidy and its clear what is what.

Then if/when you want to use it its ready to easily be finished and used.

CUBS_FAN
2016 World Series Champs
join:2005-04-28
Chicago, IL

CUBS_FAN

Member

Yeah, what everyone else said. Run it! Just as it was common to have a TV antenna on your roof in the 70's and 80's, today its going to be a common thing to see homes wired for Cable/Internet service.

Daarken
Rara Avises
Premium Member
join:2005-01-12
Southwest LA

1 recommendation

Daarken to DarkLogix

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to DarkLogix
Darklogix is 100% right.
Do it right the 1st time, and don't do it half-a$$. Even if you don't terminate and just provide keystone jacks, it still will be worth more in the future.
Also depending on how open your walls are, spend the extra few hours and run it to the bedrooms as well.

Arrgh Gee 6
@151.190.0.x

Arrgh Gee 6 to TheSMJ

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Get quad-shield.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym

Premium Member

said by Arrgh Gee 6 :

Get quad-shield.

For the typical in-home wall runs, this isn't necessary or even useful.
Ostracus
join:2011-09-05
Henderson, KY

Ostracus

Member

Indeed. Is there that much a price differential? I ask because my supplier only has quad.
TheSMJ
join:2009-08-19
Farmington, MI

1 recommendation

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As a matter of fact, the house does have 300-ohm twin lead wire going to each room and is connected to an old antenna in the attic. However, the wire is in pretty bad shape with the insulation cracking and peeling all over the place. I've been removing the connectors in each room and reusing the boxes for Ethernet.

I may as well run a couple RG6 drops to the family room, one in each bedroom and MAYBE two in the master bedroom. I'll just follow the same paths I used for the CAT6 and have it all end at the CAT6 patch panel. I'll leave everything unterminated for now and buy keystone jacks for it later on.

CUBS_FAN
2016 World Series Champs
join:2005-04-28
Chicago, IL

CUBS_FAN

Member

said by TheSMJ:

As a matter of fact, the house does have 300-ohm twin lead wire going to each room and is connected to an old antenna in the attic.

That's funny because I discovered an antenna preserved in perfect condition in the crawl space attic above my single level home. I saw some twin lead 300 ohm in the basement and I traced it up to the attic.

dib22
join:2002-01-27
Kansas City, MO

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Run 2 quad sheild lines to the main areas for future sat installs.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

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said by ke4pym:

said by Arrgh Gee 6 :

Get quad-shield.

For the typical in-home wall runs, this isn't necessary or even useful.

Actually, with the higher speed data, and having choice what room to locate a cablemodem, quadshield is the ONLY choice.

I'd pull a fish tape with each incase something else is needed in those rooms...but that is me.

wa2ibm
Premium Member
join:2000-10-10
San Jose, CA

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Don't use closed electrical outlet boxes for your keystone plates and jacks. RG6, especially Quad, is pretty stiff and you'll have a devil of a time getting one, let alone two, pushed back into the box when you try to install the face plate.

You should use class 2 wiring rings which don't have sides or a back so that you have the entire space of the wall to bend the cables around.

Something like this:
»www.homedepot.com/p/t/10 ··· Y55Nm2o0
TheSMJ
join:2009-08-19
Farmington, MI

TheSMJ

Member

As a matter of fact, I'm using mud rings very similar to the one you linked.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

1 edit

1 recommendation

ke4pym to cableties

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to cableties
said by cableties:

said by ke4pym:

said by Arrgh Gee 6 :

Get quad-shield.

For the typical in-home wall runs, this isn't necessary or even useful.

Actually, with the higher speed data, and having choice what room to locate a cablemodem, quadshield is the ONLY choice.

I'd pull a fish tape with each incase something else is needed in those rooms...but that is me.

Perhaps if you live next to a TV transmitter or if there is a $3 difference between DS and QS cable or you're buying less-than-high-quality-cable-from-China (read: copper-claded center core). The better built DS cable will smoke the cheaper built QS stuff floating around on the web in the interference rejection department. Or you're running 300-500 foot runs (which then you should step up to RG11).

Otherwise, there's no need for QS in a home.

As far as data speed - DirecTV recommends RG6 solid-copper-center-conductor dual-shield with 60% braid coverage or better, swept-tested to 3 GHz. Even though they only use about 2.1GHz of that. Your cable modem isn't going to get anywhere *close* to using that kind of bandwidth (DOCSIS 3, with 8 channels used is only using 48MHz of bandwidth).

As for personal experience, I've installed 3, 1000 foot rolls of Perfect Vision DS and have yet to have a problem. With any of it.

edit - I, apparently don't know the difference between your and you're. Fixed it.

edit #2 - Comment on cable modem BW and here's a very good read on QS/DS cables:
»www.bluejeanscable.com/a ··· ding.htm

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

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Run the coax! To keep it simple and cheap, leave it unterminated in the same box that your CAT6 jacks come out of.

CAT6 doesn't have nearly the bandwidth of RG6, so a balun won't work for anything other than a specialized application. CAT6 is good to 250mhz (some are rated to 550mhz). Cable systems generally need 900mhz, and DBS signals use all the way up to 2ghz.

-- Rob

mackey
Premium Member
join:2007-08-20

mackey to ke4pym

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to ke4pym
said by ke4pym:

(DOCSIS 3, with 8 channels used is only using 48MHz of bandwidth)

While your modem might only use a 48MHz wide chunk, that doesn't mean it isn't located north of 700MHz or the cable company is only using a single group of 8 channels.

+1 to the "don't by cheap Chinese junk cable" though

/M
54067323 (banned)
join:2012-09-25
Tuscaloosa, AL

54067323 (banned) to ke4pym

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said by ke4pym:

For the typical in-home wall runs, this isn't necessary or even useful.

The CATV sub-contractors (Comcast) I have had to deal with will not connect to pre-wired coax that is not quad.
54067323

1 recommendation

54067323 (banned) to ke4pym

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to ke4pym
said by ke4pym:

Perhaps if you live next to a TV transmitter or if there is a $3 difference between DS and QS cable or you're buying less-than-high-quality-cable-from-China (read: copper-claded center core).

For what it is worth the majority of RG-6 utilizes BCCS Bare Copper Covered Steel which is required to provide the strength needed for the center conductor to be used as a plug when terminated with an F connector?

The reason the BSSC works is RF does not flow through the center conductor but actually travels down the copper plating by what is known as the skin effect.

This is an example of what I am referring to, it’s a name brand coax (branded Honeywell) and note the rare earth magnet stuck to the center conductor.







Another example is attached.

»www.belden.com/techdatas ··· 9116.pdf

To be quite frank, about the only time a solid copper conductor is required is with CCTV cabling where it is needed handle the baseband frequencies of a video signal.

alkizmo
join:2007-06-25
Pierrefonds, QC

alkizmo to dharel1705

Member

to dharel1705
said by dharel1705:

For resale value of your house

That's an expense that will return 0% at resale.

The buyers might appreciate the RG6, but it will not make them pay more, or pick that house over another one no matter what.

If TheSMJ sees no need for CATV today, he will never need it in the future. He's best to spend that money on network wiring or pocket it.