What type of Coaxial? (1 Viewer)

[ChadFetter]

I am in the process of wiring my new house, and I need to know what kind of Coaxial I should be running. I am going to be running both DirecTV, and HighDefinition. The longest runs will be about 50 feet or so. Should I be using RG-59, RG-6, RG-11? Is there a certain shielding, or other considerations I should be keeping in mind?

 

[ChadFetter]

From what I have read, the quality typically goes from RG-59 to RG-6 to RG-11. If I have a 550 ft spool of RG-11, would I be gaining or losing anything by using it?

 

[SimiA]

Nope. Considering that almost all sat & cable companies use RG6, your cable has a little better shielding.
And as long as your runs are in the 50 ft range, you should have no problem.
The only better cable I know of, is RG11 that is quad shielded. If you think or know you're going to have alot of EM interference, then opt for more shielding.
Once it's in the walls.......
Also, leave extra runs in case you want to add anything later.
Vb

 

[StephenHa]

the requirements from directv on the internet side is quad shield rg6 so anything that good or better will work fine

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Chad,

Stephen is right. RG-59 doesn’t have the bandwidth capabilities for satellite. I’m not familiar with RG-11, so I can’t comment on that. But I expect that finding the correct “F” connectors – not to mention tools to terminate them - will be a challenge. Just stick with the RG-6.

Generally quad shield isn’t necessary unless you live someplace where there are high levels of RF interference – like near broadcast towers. Still it never hurts to be safe, and it’s usually about the same price as regular RG-6. Just make sure you use “F” connectors specific to RG-6 QS and not standard ones.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Dont use RG11. It is a different form-factor ment to carry the main signal for an entire CATV system. You wont be able to find connectors for it/use it.

You want to run 1 kind of cable:

- RG6 (sat grade) for CATV/Sat signals

You usually WONT be running HD component video from one room to the next so dont worry about analog HD signals.

You need to pick a central location in your house - the corner of a closet is a good choice. Just make sure there is a power outlet nearby in case you need an amplifier.

Run 2 runs of RG6 coax in a star pattern from this location. Run the coax through electrical outlet box's in the walls and pull enough slack to create a un-broken run from the central location to your equipment in each room. Buy blank wall-plate covers and drill your own holes to thread the coax through for a custom look. Later you can buy barrel connectors if you want, but pull the extra wire for now.

Have your CATV company & Sat company run their wires to this location. Now you have a simple job to run the feed to any room in the house.

What Coax: Call around to local radio and electronic supply houses and ask if they carry these:

Belden 1695a
Belden 7916a

The 7916a looks like a good choice:


Hope this helps.

 

[Chu Gai]

I'll second Bob's recommendattions on all copper RG6.

 

[ChadFetter]

This is great information. Thanks everyone...

 

[Leo Kerr]

Likewise, there are a lot of people who, when asked to choose an RG-6, will go with the Belden 1695A and nothing else.

For reference, 1694A is non-plenum rated, 1695A is the same cable, plenum.

Leo Kerr

 

[StephenHa]

I like comscope cable a little more than belden for pulling long runs (it comes out of the box easier for me)

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Good point.

Some fire codes require that for in-wall wires, the outer jacket be flame-resistant. This is called "Plenum" coated or have numbers like "CL3".

The Plenum stuff is stiffer and not as easy to work with, but only a few cents difference in price so it's cheap insurance.

Here is some more advice:

Label, Label, Label: Use a simple A/B/C encoding, but mark each end of the coax at 1 ft intervals with cable-marking tape (Radio Shack $5). This is so if the cable get's trimmed back years later, you have other labels up the wire to document what cable is what.

Plan to mount a high-quality distribution amp/splitter at your central location. Look for ones by Audio Authority or Channel Plus. These will set you back $100-$200 - but well worth it.

Note: Dont start by buying the splitter/amp, but plan your wire runs to go to one. You can buy cheap ones from Radio Shack if you need a 'target' to measure to.

This central location would also be a good place to mount a computer hub/switch. Run Cat5 or Cat6 cables to each room from this central location as well.

You can find "Smart Home" cable by Coastcom. It has 2 RG6 coax and 2 Cat5 cables in a single sheath. It's stiff, and a bit hard to work with, but it's kind of cool to have a all-in-one bundle.