What's new

Attaching a Connector to Coax (1 Viewer)

Iver

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 23, 2002
Messages
324
Hello guys (and gals). This is a quick question.

I just need to know the kind of tool and the method for stripping coax (the kind used to run cable-TV into a house, which I believe is 75-ohm) and attaching a screw-on type connector (the standard type that you find on the back of a TV set or cable box).

I already have one of those standard, inexpensive wire cutter/strippers with the yellow plastic-covered handles, but it does not appear purpose-built to handle anything with as much diameter as 75-ohm coax.

The straight stripper blades on the end would probably be okay for getting coax stripped, if I was careful, but I'd prefer getting a purpose-built coax stripper if there's such a thing selling for a reasonable price.
 

Jason Charlton

Ambassador
Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2002
Messages
3,557
Location
Baltimore, MD
Real Name
Jason Charlton
Hey, Iver. You should be able to find pretty much everything you need at your local Radio Shack.
You can get a pretty inexpensive coaxial cable stripper that makes 3 cuts in the cable at once - the first all the way to the center core, the second through the shielding, and the third cut just through the outer jacket.
Attaching the connectors is done with a crimp tool, that is also available at RS. It has a hexagonal-shaped die, and the crimp-on connectors should be easy to find there, too.
The coaxial stripper is a must-have, as manually trying to strip each layer and leaving the correct amount of exposure can be extremely difficult.
If you plan on getting serious about making cables, I would recommend investing in some high-quality strippers, crimpers, and cable/connectors that are available from Canare. That's what many DIY'ers (like me) use.
A great web resource for learning how to make cables (this applies whether or not you go the Canare route) is this site here . The site includes links and prices for most of the materials, but again, you can get similar tools from Radio Shack (and probably Lowes/Home Depot as well).
Good luck!
Jason
 

Iver

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 23, 2002
Messages
324
Hi Jason,

Now it all comes back to me. I remember the last time, a few years back, that I undertook the construction of cable-end.

I forget exactly which type of instrument of destruction was employed. A wire cutter or something. Many inches of coaxial cable were discarded as I'd get the center section the right length, then cut through the whole shebang while trying to cut off the outer jacket without pressing too hard.

Thank you for the very solid information and for your quick response.

Regards,

Iver
 

Drew Eckhardt

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 10, 2001
Messages
246
With just a few pieces to strip, I've used an Exacto knife. Sandwich the cable between your thumb and the knife, rotate arround it until you can pull off the outer insulation; fold back the shield and repeat for the center conductor.

For more, I'd be real tempted to buy a coaxial stripper.
 

Iver

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 23, 2002
Messages
324
Thanks Drew. I'm weighing the cost of the stripper versus the cost of Bandaids...:)
Radio Shack has one of those neat "spin three times this way, two times the other way" strippers that takes care of everything fairly automatically. That's about $10.00.
There's also something that's basically a pair of small curved blades which you can plyer together, eyeballing how much you cut, and that's about $3.00. I'm not sure if that product is a huge advantage over just my regular straight-blade wire cutter/stripper.
At most this project is going to involve attaching a total of four F-connectors (or possibly even two if I buy the main cable with the F-connectors attached already).
I like your Exacto knife idea. That would probably work better than just using my straight-blade wire-cutter which has rather dull blades anyway.
It's the eternal conflict between wanting the right tool and not wanting to sink cash into something you'll use once every five years.
Thank you again for the info.
Regards,
Iver
 

Jason Charlton

Ambassador
Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2002
Messages
3,557
Location
Baltimore, MD
Real Name
Jason Charlton
Iver,
I've got plenty of spare Canare parts and cables lying around - I'd be happy to make you a couple cables to whatever length you need for just the cost of materials/shipping. You say you only need two cables with F-Type connectors? No problem - got everything here.
Of course, that may take away any personal satisfaction you might get from making them yourself ;)
Just a thought. Drop me an email if you're interested.
Jason
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
356,814
Messages
5,123,703
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top