DIY RG6 Component vs. Monster (1 Viewer)

[anthony_b]

I have about 75ft of RG6 cable left over from my Dish install, and I'm planning to use and (F) to (RCA) connector to try them out as Component cables. Will this yield as good results as my $50 monster cables or better ?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Coax is like asphalt. The same stuff in on the street in front of your house, and on the freeway, but you cannot drive the same on both. Each is built for different speeds.

Sure, you CAN attach RCA plugs to your RG6 Sat coax and try them for component cables. But that coax was built for a very differerent purpose. This includes outdoor-proof case and carrying digital signals in the GigHz range.

And the connectors - not likely close to the 75 ohm impedence of the coax and the input jacks of the television.

But it wont hurt to try.

If you do a test, find a scene on a DVD with lots of contrasting colors and fine white/black lines and freeze the scene. (or use one of the test patterns on a DVD setup disk). Switch between the home-built cable and a commercial cable. Look at the fine lines. Here is where you will see the problems.

Note: some of the custom cable sites will sell you the proper coax for $2-3 /ft. This might be a step in the right direction.

Here is Chris Whites Website on how to make your own cables the proper way.

Hope this helps.

 

[anthony_b]

Bob, thanks for the site..this was the site that made my think of doing this !!

 

[Chu Gai]

Is the leftover cable copper or copper over steel?

 

[ChadLB]

I made my own out of RG6 and I don't see any diff between that and my expensive IXOS cables...

 

[ThomasL]

Anthony, for interconnect cables carrying component video signals, you probably want to use solid copper conductor. The RG6 you have is probably copper clad steel. I've been making my own coax patch cables with Canare L-5CFB cable (30 cents a foot approx.) for my various tvs as well as redid my downstairs main in-wall runs with Belden 1694A - 30-something cents a foot if you buy a big spool of it. Both of these RG6 cable products are solid copper conductor and 100 percent shielded and are suitable for making component video cables as well - although some prefer the Canare V-5CFB cable that is 3 single runs of the L-5CFB cable already twisted together and tested as a single unit. When all is said and done, unless you're planning on making a bunch of cables, it's really not worth it to go DIY. But if you do, the Canare tools are pricey but very helpful.

good luck,


--tom

 

[anthony_b]

Thanks guys for the replys.. Can i get similar cables as Canares at Home Depot ?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Nope. The Canare/Belden coax is not sold through normal consumer outlets. (They sell to the broadcast/production industry).

You might try some of the custom-cable websites. Some of them will sell you the bulk coax on a per-foot basis. One of the sites I emailed warned that the problem with selling bulk coax to DIY people is then the customers then ask lots of questions/emails after buying something that is basically a zero-profit item to them.

Be respectful: these sites are selling not just the parts, but the knowledge/skills to put them together. Buying the coax from them does not entitle you to training.

Note: the custom cable sites sell cables starting at about $60 for a component cable set. It might be simpler to pony up the funds and just get it done.

 

[ThomasL]

Anthony, you'll probably need to get Canare or Belden on-line from an electronics/A/V/broadcast parts distributor - markertek.com and haveinc.com are two places to try. I personally like haveinc.com since I've had good experiences ordering connectors and parts from them. They are close to me and my order almost always ships the same day and I get the stuff the next day. I believe they sell Canare cable in bulk. You may be able to get bulk cable locally in person from an electronics distributor in your area.

All in all, the actual making of F-connector coax patch cables for me was pretty simple. Using the Canare connectors and crimp die makes it pretty easy to do. I will say that the Partsexpress.com crimp handle works but you need to shim it with a small finish nail or equivalent to get a good crimp - but when you do this, you have to babysit the crimp dies since the screws don't fit perfectly. For me, considering what I spent on connectors and cable, and everything else, the $55 I saved on not buying the Canare crimp handle wasn't really worth it. I'd probably buy that as well if I were doing it all over again.

But still, considering that the Radio Shack gold series cables that I had owned had connectors on the end that I literally twisted off with two good twist and pulls, I don't think I've done any worse than what you can buy at the local stores And the one thing people may not realize is it's great to have the flexibility to make your custom length cable when you need it.

One issue to keep in mind with component video cable is the timing of the signal. Some say that you really need 3 separate cables twisted together and tested in order to make sure no timing delays are introduced. Whether or not this is true and whether or not you'd see a difference in the real world, I can't say. If I were to make them, I'd simply make sure to make all 3 cables the precise same length.

cheers,


--tom

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Strange... Mine work fine. I have 4 of the handles and 2 of the Canare dies work great. I also bought the RG6 and RG59 dies and just keep all the crimpers ready for use.

Yes, try to make all the coax cables the same length. Dont try and twist/braid them yourself if you use separate strands. Just cut them to as close to the same length as possible. (A few inches off on one of the cables wont really matter, but .. just take your time and try being close.)

 

[Garrett Adams]

While it's not cheap it's well built. A particularly nice feature is the ratchet gear action that releases when proper crimp compression is attained (like some torque wrenches).

 

[ThomasL]

Bob, I did something similar to what Vince did in this thread.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=86879

I didn't do it exactly like that but instead simply put one small finished nail to shim the bottom half of the die. When one does this though, it does make the screw holes not line up perfectly so you have to make sure the crimp die doesn't pop loose or more specifically the screw pops loose holding it in place. I found this method allowed for the maximum crimping and as Vince mentions, there is no danger of overcrimping since the dies are specifically designed to work with the cable.

Also, since component cabling came up in this discussion, according to the above thread, it seems you have to be careful of the Canare V*-5CFB cable since it actually isn't 3 runs of the L-5CFB cable - at least when measuring the diameter of the cable itself. It may require different tools or some tweaking.

cheers,


--tom

 

[Ravi Duvvuri]

I was planning on doing something similar to what Anthony is and I've been trying to research some of the different tools out there. Am I right in assuming that the Canare tools are only really useful if you're going to be exclusively using Canare cable?


Also, are there any decent medium-price alternates for someone just getting into the DIY scene? I know a lot of people mention the partsexpress crimp frame, but I'm not sure which part number they are referring to. Would part number 360-047 be a good starter kit?

Thanks in advance. It's a lot of questions, but I'm a pretty clueless newbie.

- Ravi