Adding a cable tv line

[macmikeman]

Here is something else I learned to do from the school of hard knocks about it. I do really good terminations using the Cable Pro crimper or the Snap and Seal method, but now I also use a magnifying glass to have a look to make sure that I have the braid all pulled back, none of the little bitty braid "hairs" is still pointing out to the inside connector and making contact. This is what I call the 52 years old method. Until my birthday.

 

[mdshunk]

Here is something else I learned to do from the school of hard knocks about it. I do really good terminations using the Cable Pro crimper or the Snap and Seal method,

That's 90% of the battle when making good terminations. A good stripping tool for the exact cable you're stripping. Cable Prep makes great stuff. Good terminations;. Snap-n-seals (or the other similar connectors) and a good termination tool. I can't tell you how many times I've found the wrong ends on the cable, which really screws things up. RG-59's shoehorned onto series 6. Regular series 6 ends jammed on quad-shield with the braid hacked off, etc. Lord help the guys who still use twist on ends. Inexcusable in this day and age. Nothing wrong with hex crimped ends, in my opinion, as long as you use the exact right hex ratchet crimper and the right ends. They're no good for outdoors, however. The Snap-n-Seal's are basically an outdoor connector that now gets used universally indoors and out.

 

[dbuckley]

And the right crimping tool for the connector. I must have over a dozen coax type crimpers...

Advice: when you get a new crimper use your engraving tool to scrawl both your name on it (to prevent walkies) and what connector the damned thing crimps, so you dont end up buying the same tool twice...

 

[mdshunk]

And the right crimping tool for the connector. I must have over a dozen coax type crimpers...

Advice: when you get a new crimper use your engraving tool to scrawl both your name on it (to prevent walkies) and what connector the damned thing crimps, so you dont end up buying the same tool twice...

Yeah, my RG-11 and my 320 crimper look nearly identical. Silver tool with yellow handles. I stand a 50/50 chance of picking up the right one, but I seem to pick up the wong one at least 90% of the time. Why is that? :grin:

 

[brantmacga]

Here is something else I learned to do from the school of hard knocks about it. I do really good terminations using the Cable Pro crimper or the Snap and Seal method, but now I also use a magnifying glass to have a look to make sure that I have the braid all pulled back, none of the little bitty braid "hairs" is still pointing out to the inside connector and making contact. This is what I call the 52 years old method. Until my birthday.

its called lasik my friend. come, enter the realm of 20/15 vision and be astonished.

(to prevent walkies)

speaking of that; i just had a hole hawg w/ a 2 day old 3/4 boring bit in it walk off. talk about pissed. what really pissed me off is that the guy wiring the house next door left about $2k of wire laying in the garage in plain sight for 4 days and none of it went missing. i was tempted to hide it from him just for being that careless. anyhow.

 

[macmikeman]

its called lasik my friend. come, enter the realm of 20/15 vision and be astonished.

Well here is the deal with that, my eyedoctor has informed me that lazik is great for treating the present vision problem, but once done later if cataracts start to grow, then they now won't be able to do anything about treating those if I get the lazer surgery. So I opt for reading glasses.

What I really like about the Cable Pro tool is that it doesn't make a hex crimp, it uniformly reduces the diameter of the round end making a conical end on the cable. They have excelent holding power, way better than hex tools do. A big 10-4 on the snap and seals for exterior useage, but cost comes down on the inside with my Cable Pro tool. http://www.icmcorp.net/CablePro_Compression_Tools.htm#Radial_Taper

 

[mdshunk]

What I really like about the Cable Pro tool is that it doesn't make a hex crimp, it uniformly reduces the diameter of the round end making a conical end on the cable. They have excelent holding power, way better than hex tools do.

I call that the "PrimeStar tool", for my own personal slang. They were popular with the satellite installers once upon a time. Truthfully, I didn't realize the connectors were still made. I think most everyone has switched to SNS for most everything now. I still use the hex crimps indoors from time to time, to save on cost, which is probably why you use the swage type connectors indoors. A dime a piece versus a dollar a piece.

 

[brantmacga]

Well here is the deal with that, my eyedoctor has informed me that lazik is great for treating the present vision problem, but once done later if cataracts start to grow, then they now won't be able to do anything about treating those if I get the lazer surgery. So I opt for reading glasses.

then one of us was lied to. unless you have funky eyes and it just won't work on you.

 

[Rockyd]

had the early day surgeries (R.K and L.K.) and my "new eyes" were good for about 5 years, then they started fading. I discussed it with my Ophtomologist, an he said I was smart at the time( early 90's) to not chase the vision, due to potential scar tissue damage.

I agreed because I fit into the 2% group that doesn't get all that they had neccesarily hoped for. Having said that, I would definitely go the same route I went. I was almost legally blind. Had I dropped my glasses before operation, might not have been able to get off the road safely. Although my eyes are not perfedt, I am at 20/40 and could drive if I had to. I scuba with cheaters, and am much happier with the operational results than had I not got the oeration(s).

If your a good candidate, get the lasik!

 

[Rich Elec.]

Well, after seeing how much interest I have sparked here, I have the answer to the problem.

I made a mistake.

There is one coax that has a plastic tag hanging from the wire right at the splitter. Just like the ones that the elec. utility seal their meter enclosures with. This wire runs right along two other wires through a dark crowded unfinished basement. I traced the wires to find which wire was which. I determined wich wire was the main feed. Hooked it to my line IN on my splitter. This wire had the plastic tag on it.
Mistake.
Wrong wire.
I had the main feed on an out port.
I sorted it out this morning and all works well.
Thank you all for the help.

 

[macmikeman]

Aha, it was a vision thing after all.....

 

[jrdsg]

Fwiw

Fwiw

I love the cable pro tool also. I actually bought mine from On-Q during some kind of promotion. We only use quad-shield RG6, so I buy the ends 100 at a time. Less than .50 each. SNS are great for outdoors.