RG59 & DirecTV

[sparky_pdx]

Ok, this may be a silly question. I haven't done any new resi for ages.
Is there any chance that DirectTV Satellite High Def TV will work
with a new home wired with RG59 ??
The home runs to the central location are 30, 40 & 50 feet.
Thanks for any advice...

[gndrod]

Originally Posted by sparky_pdx

Ok, this may be a silly question. I haven't done any new resi for ages.
Is there any chance that DirectTV Satellite High Def TV will work
with a new home wired with RG59 ??
The home runs to the central location are 30, 40 & 50 feet.
Thanks for any advice...

Both RG6/u and RG59/u are 3GHz coax cable used for HDTV quality performance. As a matter, RG59/u 5 conductor is used for home theater RGB feed clarity.

[Rampage_Rick]

Sure, why not? It's digital, it will either work or it won't ('sparklies')

If you were going to have any issues, I'd guess that one possible risk would be voltage drop from the receiver back to the dish, especially if you're running any kind of multi-LNB config. A difference of 4V is often used for control, and too much voltage drop can be an issue. RG6 has a larger cross-section for both the center conductor and the shield, thus less resistance.

More obvious would be the signal loss... Keep in mind that the signal from the dish to the receiver is usually in the area of 950 - 1450 MHz

Coax Cable Signal (Attenuation) Loss per 100ft


Loss at   RG-59   RG-6    RG-11
1MHz      0.4dB   0.2dB   0.2dB
10MHz     1.4dB   0.6dB   0.4dB
50MHz     3.3dB   1.4dB   1.0dB
100MHz    4.9dB   2.0dB   1.6dB
200MHz    7.3dB   2.8dB   2.3dB
400MHz   11.2dB   4.3dB   3.5dB
700MHz   16.9dB   5.6dB   4.7dB
900MHz   20.1dB   6.0dB   5.4dB
1000MHz  21.5dB   6.1dB   5.6dB

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/cabletech?text=1

[gndrod]

Rampage Rick, Thanks for the great chart. rbj

[Kontrols]

Keep in mind they make in-line applifyers for Sat Cable. It uses DC supperimposed on the line to support the gain. If I recall they recommend you use it at a minimum of 75'. Anything less is too much gain.

[brantmacga]

if you have rg59, directv will replace it or have you replace it w/ rg6. i once mistakenly used a patch cord from the wall to the receiver that was rg59 and it would not work. so take that for what its worth. maybe it was a bad cable i don't know; but i know for certain they won't hook up to rg59 (at least not the ones here).

[gndrod]

Originally Posted by brantmacga

if you have rg59, directv will replace it or have you replace it w/ rg6. i once mistakenly used a patch cord from the wall to the receiver that was rg59 and it would not work. so take that for what its worth. maybe it was a bad cable i don't know; but i know for certain they won't hook up to rg59 (at least not the ones here).

The question is...does the owner have much choice at this point? With everything pre-wired already, I would consider re-wire costs and at least checking out the system using the RG59/u already in place. The PO states run lengths of 30' to 50' at most so line impedance is viable as long as there are quality installation disciplines. (i.e. avoid VSWR loss due to tight cable kinks, coax connector size makeup, minimal length and connections etc.) Cable impedance is the same. JMO rbj

[hbiss]

a new home wired with RG59

Make the idiot who installed it rip it out and replace it with the correct cable.

-Hal

[zbang]

Remember that not all RG-59 is created equal, some is great and some is barely suitable for DC (it's that bad). The RG spec is really talking about is dimensions, not quality of components, so don't use crap cable. Come to think of it, I don't recall having installed any generic RG-59 is quite a while. For video work, it's at least Belden 8241 or 1505. For RF, I think the last time I used either Belden or Comscope RG-6 equivelant. It's always a good idea to look at the cable mfg's specs.

[gndrod]

Originally Posted by zbang

Remember that not all RG-59 is created equal, some is great and some is barely suitable for DC (it's that bad). The RG spec is really talking about is dimensions, not quality of components, so don't use crap cable. Come to think of it, I don't recall having installed any generic RG-59 is quite a while. For video work, it's at least Belden 8241 or 1505. For RF, I think the last time I used either Belden or Comscope RG-6 equivelant. It's always a good idea to look at the cable mfg's specs.

zbang, yer right. It's been a while for me in the industry, as I remember RG59 (73ohm) being replaced with 59A then 59B (75). There are major differences for sure. rbj

sparky_pdx, The cable can be made with a copperweld core or bare copper (quality) conductor along with either a solid or foamed dielectric. The cable quality is the defining end product factor. If the new home has crawl accessibility, changeout would be the quicker way to go as hbiss says, "rip it out". rbj