RG6 CABLE

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elam budmore

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
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Sep 22, 2008
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sheboygan falls wi
I need to replace about a 150 foot run from my dish to the house, this cable will be buried at some point, most likely in spring, what should i be looking for? there seems to be several choices on ebay
 
I, for one, am not sure I understand the question. I would run the coax in plastic pipe, 1 inch black irrigation pipe at the least (need NOT be NSF). One or one & a quarter inch NMT (plastic conduit) is more rodent proof and probably adequate for most needs. If you are planning on more dishes, C-band with acuator, etc. you might even want a bigger pipe. And since this is the C-Band forum that is likely! Personally, I would not bury metal pipe except to sleeve plastic pipe where it might be driven over.
For the exact type of RG6, I have found not definative reason for using the quad, however, I noticed prices today and quad was only about $20 more than regular RG6 for the 500 foot roll. Therefore, when I buy my next roll, I MAY get the quad. I have not checked the price on EBay but the regular RG6 at my local HomeDepot was $47. for 500 feet.
 
Standard coax is not designed for exposure to the constant moisture of being placed underground. If the jacket is nicked or cut, moisture will quickly compromise the cable run. We recommend the use of direct burial or a "flooded" coax cable. This type of coax cable has a sticky gel that prevents the wicking of liquid or shorting of the cable if absorbed into the dielectric.

Quad shield RG6 will provide increased signal integrity in a 150' run. The extra shielding will also provide a much better return signal if you plan on controlling DiSEqC switches or a DiSEqC motor.
 
Use pipe, pull more runs than you need now. 1-1/4" is a good minimum, it can sit above ground over winter. Look to the big box stores for cable, it is expensive to ship. Expect $75-100 for a 1000' pull box, should last a long time. Spend the extra money on good connectors, compression type if you can afford the tool.
 
I found a 1000 ft spool of Commscope Tri-shield shipped to your door for 67 bucks on eBay. It's foil-braid-foil, usually 77% braid, and you can use normal connectors. It's the only kind I use. This was found with a search for Commscope on eBay and I have no ties with the seller.
 
I use common 2" gray PVC pipe as conduit. It's inexpensive and you can get it at Lowes. It comes in 10' sections. The 90 degree elbows are nicely curved to aid in pulling cable through. I add a connector box at each end to allow access to the conduit for a straight pull. I just laid a 40' run this week. When I mounted my OTA HD antenna on the shed 5 years ago I used the same stuff. That run is about 80'. I ran the coax and the rotor cable through it. No problems 5 years later. At the same time I remounted my BUD and ran a 20' run from the house to the dish. All the C-Band cables run through that. At my previous house I also used the same stuff and it worked without a problem for 14 years. When I sold the house I pulled the multi-function C-Band cable back out and took it with me. I'm using the same cable today, no deterioration. The price difference between 1.5 and 2inch is very little. Bigger conduit means easier pulling. Get yourself some orange masons string, tie a small weight to it and feed it through one piece of conduit at a time by tilting the 10' section up on one end and let the weight pull the string through. Keep doing that from section to section until it's all the way through then carefully glue the sections together making sure you don't glue the string fast. When everything is together and you tie the cable to the string to pull it through, tie another piece of string to it and pull that through at the same time. That way there's always a pull string through the conduit should you decide to add wires/cables at a later date.
 
Use direct burial or flooded cable even if it is in pipe. Water always gets in the pipe. Believe me. Direct burial is a good investment in the long term.
 
Spend the extra twenty or so bucks on quad shield direct bury. Much better than standard RG6.

I have bought both from ebay and the quad shield is much better.

I have had RG6 direct buried for almost 15 years. One wire did go bad, that's why I bury two cables for every one connection, you always have a spare and when you buy a thousand foot roll who cares how much wire you run.
 
I went to Lowes and got Phillips RG6U Quad and the Phillps compression kit. Now the question. I have found the cable to be too thick for any of the RG6 connectors I have.. The kit connector don't fit (i have wasted most of them) and crimp type connectors don't fit. I can not get the connectors to over the outer covering. I am assuming this is because of all the shielding. Is there a larger connector or did I just get ripped off? Thanks in advance
 
Goggled Phillips brand compression kit and found that they offer kits for regular and quad shield coax cables. Maybe you were sold the wrong fitting kit?

Quad shield cables require a fitting design for the specific cable. You should be able to find quite a selection of quad compression or "snap and seal" fittings on eBay which will fit the tool.
 
Connectors for "regular" vs. QS cable are definitely different, whether compression or the cheaper types, so make sure you get the right ones. The compression tools work with either.

Another hint - when you're pulling your wiring through the conduit, always include one or more strings or wires in the bundle in case you want to pull other wiring at a future date. I use galvanized electric fence wire for that - cheap on a 1000' spool, and it won't deteriorate over time. Use liberal amounts of wire pull "lube" as well to reduce the effort and chance of strain on the wiring. Plastic (PVC) conduit can be shaped by heating it with a torch. Keep bends at as large a radius as possible.
 
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