Dumpster Diving Find.

[avediswolf]

Ok, So I needed a few pieces of RG6 to run a line for my sons TV. So of course, first stop, Local Cable TV Companies dumpster since I'm fresh out of RG6.

I found what I needed, But I found a huge spool of some interesting orange cable.
There has to be ~ 100+ Ft left on the spool, so I grabbed one.

It's Belden 9066 003 (ORG)
Series 6 75 OHM Coax Burial Cable
Duobond II Shielded
Coreguard under jacket.

The outside of this cable is quite rigid, and thick, Took a little work to get my PPC compression ends on there, and on the foil braid, it's got some stickey stuff.

The center has to be copper coated steel, since a magnet sticks to the center if I pull a piece out.

Seems to be half way decent RG6 (It's not quad shielded) and it's Belden!
Only strange thing, that I've never seen, It's bright orange!

Maybe I'll become artsy and run orange cables around the house.

Just thought I'd share since I found it a little interesting.

 

[datwell]

Well the orange might be appropriate around Halloween...

(LOL)

--Doug

 

[bnaivar]

The orange is because all CATV direct burial cables are going to orange to comply with a new electrical code. The code doesn't say it has to be ALL ornage just marked with orange for identification purposes. The cable makers decided that all orange was easier to extrude when making the cable and the cable companies decided that the bright orange was easier to see if it wasn't buried yet (damn contactors).

The steel probably indicates it has some kind of electrical power carring capabilities for phone or home node service.

 

[avediswolf]

I just looked it up on Beldens site: Part number is 9066, and it's available in black or orange.

Coax- CATV Cable
Number of Coax: 1
Series Type: Series 6
AWG: 18
Stranding: Solid Conductor
Material: BCCS - Bare Copper Covered Steel
Insulation Material: Gas-injected FPE - Foam Polyethylene
Outer Shield Material Trade Name: Duobond® II
Outer Shield Material: Dual Shield - Bonded Duofoil®/AL - Aluminum
Outer Jacket Material: PE - Polyethylene
Plenum (Y/N): N
Nom. Characteristic Impedance: 75 +/-3?
Applications: Broadband Coax, CATV Cables


the PDF also shows that it is indeed a 60% braid shield.

 

[avediswolf]

Forgot to include this... I snapped a funny pic while diving too.

 

[Van]

Direct burial coas is nice stuff, but that outer casing is a pain in the ass and its a pain to lay out on the ground to line up your trench, outside of that its the best stuff.

 

[Jared Twomey]

yeah, in this area, Charter uses the orange cable for any buried service line they run.... and I HATE that sticky crap on the shielding, it sucks

 

[avediswolf]

After driving around and looking, Here is what I've noticed.

After driving around a new neighborhood, that is in Time Warners area, I see no orange cable being fed into the houses.

Driving around in Insight Communications area, in the new neighborhoods, just about every house has orange cable.

Kind of strange, since I got this from a Time Warner dumpster, and they were throwing away loads of it. Almost half full rolls.

I went back a couple times, and now, nothing but black cable. Was hoping to score some more.

Went to Insights dumpster, and there is a bunch of it there, but just smaller bits and pieces.

Who Knows. My folks will hopefully be building a new house soon, maybe I'll put it in the walls for them.

 

[Claude Greiner]

You don't want to put that stuff in the wall!

Id much rather get a black RG6 Quad Shield Cable

All that basically is, is Direct burial cable. Its orange so it can easily be identified if your digging a hole and see it. The Stickey stuff is to simply prevent corrosion and water wicking through the cable if for some reason water got inside of it.

We actually do the same thing here and throw out alot of cable. The problem is when you get down to the last 50 or so feet on a spool of cable, you do not want to be running out and having to make a splice. The cable guys especially don't pay for their cable in their trucks, unfortunatly they throw away more than we do

 

[avediswolf]

Yup, You're right, I don't want to put that in the wall.
I'm just thinking of ideas of what to do with it.

My girlfriend thinks it's cute, and wants me to make the two wires running along the wall into an orange cable.

 

[bnaivar]

BTW The "sticky stuff" is a waterproofing compound. If the jacket gets cut it seeps into the breach and seals it (very useful when it's underground and you can't see it). If you get a can of GUNK engine degreaser from your local auto parts store it will dissolve it.

 

[chadzx11]

I buy my cable. I don't throw jack away. If its too short for anything else, its good for jumpers!

 

[dragon002]

dude,

ive seen black, gray, white, orange and yellow coax, it is nothing special.

 

[bhelms]

...I went back a couple times, and now, nothing but black cable. Was hoping to score some more...

Sounds like the "Bumpsters" got it...!