Direct Burial RG-6 Coax Results?

[avenger]

Found some inexpensive Direct Burial RG-6 Coax cable, please express some opinions about this type of coax cable. Good or Bad idea?

 

[markbone100]

Every dish here is ran with direct burial coax

Regular coax is not designed to be underground

 

[harshness]

IFF it is significantly cheaper than laying in a suitable conduit, it is the way to go. If you have need for power or multiple cables, any advantage disappears pretty quickly.

 

[xtgold]

I bought a cheapo 1/2" garden hose,ran it through that and buried it.
that was back in 1996,regular rg6

 

[wallyhts]

I bought a cheapo 1/2" garden hose,ran it through that and buried it.
that was back in 1996,regular rg6

?Not a bad idea.

 

[xtgold]

I had a gas powered cultivator similar to a mantis and took off all the blades except for one, and used that to cut the trench for the cable.

 

[Tron]

Garden hose is a great idea! I wonder if one could squeeze multiple cable runs into a hose...

 

[KE4EST]

Never thought of the garden hose idea.....Great idea!

 

[chaskuchar]

when I buried my rg6 the animals found it and chewed into the center conductor. had to pull it up and put down conduit, about 50', to protect it. and had to use ends and connectors to repair the cable. when I get time, I am going to put the conduit above the ground along the deck and house instead of burying it. charlie

 

[xtgold]

Garden hose is a great idea! I wonder if one could squeeze multiple cable runs into a hose...

the 1/2" inside diameter stuff is actually a pain for long runs,I had to lube the coax with liquid detergent.I sealed both ends with silicone to keep water out.I don't know how much room the 5/8" hose gives you.

 

[SatelliteAV]

It would be better to leave the ends of the underground conduit or tube open with a downward facing J (shepherds hook). Use breathable caps or mesh material to keep the insects and other creatures out. Sealing will likely cause condensation resulting in the coax being submerged in the collected water.

 

[xtgold]

tough to get a hook using garden hose unless you give it a metal rod backbone,maybe a wire coat hanger.
I have 1" i.d. rubber hose used for gas pumps,but the pieces I had were too short to be used for burial.They have the metal pipe thread connectors on either end for mating.

 

[jorgek]

I have to ask the question. Why can you not bury the RG6? If its rated for outdoor use then I would think it is safer buried than exposed to the harsh elements in the air including UV rays.
I had an electrical extension cord buried in my back yard for about 15 years, when I pulled out of the ground it was like new!

 

[primestar31]

I just use black coiled-pipe available from Lowes. You can buy 100ft quite cheaply. It's hard (and won't rot), so resists females with garden shovels...

http://www.lowes.com/pd_165941-124-180100_4294822029__?productId=3514398&Ns=p_product_price|0

If you get a larger size, it makes it easy to pull wiring through it. I have two runs going into my crawlspace out to my dish wiring hub box, and I've pulled extra wires through later using a Fish Tape.

Of course smarter people pull EXTRA wires right away for future use, and even smarter people ALSO pull a thin nylon rope through, so they can avoid using the Fish Tape WHEN they still have to pull and extra coax or two in the future.

 

[rv1pop]

Around here, utility grade 3/4 inch poly pipe is CHEAPER than most garden hose.

 

[waylew]

I've got a run of "previously owned" rg11 that I put in the ground close to 20 years ago,still works fine.Not very deep either,more or less just stuck the shovel in and folded back the sod and stuck the wire in,along with the actuator and polarotor(no longer used) wires.Don't know if any of it was direct burial and none of it was new.The only problem I ever had was where the dog chewed threw the rg11 where it comes into the house,boy was he in trouble.

 

[Anole]

I was going to make a crack about getting a 100 foot hose, and using it to make two 50 foot runs.
But this plastic coil pipe was recently mentioned in another thread, and I'm thinking it makes the most sense.

I just use black coiled-pipe available from Lowes.
You can buy 100ft quite cheaply.
It's hard (and won't rot), so resists females with garden shovels...

http://www.lowes.com/pd_165941-124-180100_4294822029__?productId=3514398&Ns=p_product_price|0

?Local price is around $25.

 

[harshness]

I have to ask the question. Why can you not bury the RG6? If its rated for outdoor use then I would think it is safer buried than exposed to the harsh elements in the air including UV rays.

Harsh elements do not abound in the air. Harsh elements like acids and bases abound in the soil. Fertilizers and all sorts of interesting concetrated run-offs soak into the ground and eat stuff quite readily. Then there are the varmints: gophers, racoons and the occasional gardener.

I had an electrical extension cord buried in my back yard for about 15 years, when I pulled out of the ground it was like new!

Your extension cord was probably jacketed in PVC and that's what PVC was designed for.

 

[jorgek]

Your extension cord was probably jacketed in PVC and that's what PVC was designed for.

Isn't coax PVC as well?


We have an abundance of varmints in our area as well and they don't dig more than 4" into the ground in their search for grubs. The direct burial electrical cable specifies 10-12" depth. This avoids all the hazards you mention.

The only gopher in our household and property is me. lol

 

[Tron]

I have to ask the question. Why can you not bury the RG6? If its rated for outdoor use then I would think it is safer buried than exposed to the harsh elements in the air including UV rays.
I had an electrical extension cord buried in my back yard for about 15 years, when I pulled out of the ground it was like new!

Too much rain here in Louisiana to bury anything other than flooded cable. If you dig down more than a few inches, you sometimes hit water.