Choice of coax cable?
- Thread starter comfortably_numb
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 41
- Views 3K
- Status
Many factors go into choosing coax for a job. The length and environmental conditions. The expected signal load. The trick is to identify your needs correctly so you don't need to overspend for higher quality that brings no benefit. So without best info to work with we use the old' Better safe than sorry" and go for the best 
If your planning to motorize your dish I'd get better quality coaxial cable. Also, make sure to use compression connectors for durability
.
I don't mean to hijack your thread, but what TP do you use to allign to 87w?
Sent from my C6743 using the SatelliteGuys app!
.I don't mean to hijack your thread, but what TP do you use to allign to 87w?
Sent from my C6743 using the SatelliteGuys app!
The strongest TP on 87 for me is 11960 H 29270 (the CNN mux)
Try Hypermegasat that's where I bought my wire and connectors he has nice RG6 wire works well for I need it for.
Solid versus CCS comes down entirely to how much the current draw is on the dish end of the cable. I doubt that it is all that important in the FTA world as the LNBs tend to be pretty efficient. It is when you have a bunch of switchgear hanging out there (especially with DIRECTV or perhaps satellite Internet) that higher ampacity comes into play. CCS conducts signal just as well as SCC but steel (3-15% of the conductivity of copper) isn't nearly as good for ampacity when it comes to conducting DC power to run switchgear.
Resistance difference is noticeable in the short term.
In the long run there are other disadvantages of CCS Cable. See the second half of this post, for instance: Koaxialkabel (Kupfer oder Stahlkupfer)
It's in german language, however..
For a long term use cable, I would only buy solid copper cable (core and sheath).
Greetz,
A33
In the long run there are other disadvantages of CCS Cable. See the second half of this post, for instance: Koaxialkabel (Kupfer oder Stahlkupfer)
It's in german language, however..
For a long term use cable, I would only buy solid copper cable (core and sheath).
Greetz,
A33
How often do you want to have to trim back 2 or 3 inches on the ends when the center core rusts?
Buy solid copper, seal it well, and be done with it!
Yep. I bought 50 feet of dual solid copper core coax to feed my 90cm dish feeds, and then tonight ordered 75ft of solid copper single coax to feed the 75cm dish on the roof. I figure it’s best to do it right the first time and save myself the headaches later.
Unless you're using the cable to power something significant at the dish end, resistance is of little consequence and doesn't materially impact the signal transmission properties of the cable. Anyone who wishes to understand why (and maybe even if you don't) should read this Wikipedia article:
Skin effect - Wikipedia
Oxidization is an issue with most common metals and there are treatments that help with that (over and above making water-tight terminations). Some use special tape to cover the connection while others prefer dielectric grease. The truly fastidious (or those in mission critical applications) may use both.
If you do your cabling correctly, it simply comes down to the anticipated DC load on the cable.
As of yesterday, I'm using two dishes. The first dish has a switch at its location. The second dish is 75 feet from the first dish and switch. It's 50 feet from the switch to point of entry into the building. That makes 125 feet total from the second dish to point of entry. And since the LNBF's and the switch both require power, I decided to invest in solid copper coax to help cut down on loss.
Commscope/Belden I think is the same company, but there are different types of RG6 they sell so make sure you obtain what you require; solid CU versus copperweld center, etc. Very rare to have problems with their feedlines whatever the type.
This is comparable to pretty much any "legacy" pizza dish setup. When I refer to complex switchgear I'm talking about the likes of SWM where the power consumption of the LNB can be relatively high. In the case of the DIRECTV PI21, it is rated for 25 watts. The old-school DIRECTV switchgear was less than 10 watts. The DISH DPH-42 maxes at 365mA.
Legacy systems with more than 2 LNBFs typically had a powered switch and the STBs were current rated higher than FTA STBs.
A motor and two LNBFs typically exceed the maximum current rating of any FTA STB. Running a motor and or switches and multiple LNBs at the end of a long run at 13Vdc and typical 300-450mA is an apples to orange comparison to a SWM power inserted running 21Vdc at 1.5A.
Another consideration is the shielding for reliable DiSEqC signaling. I only use solid copper core quad shield.
A motor and two LNBFs typically exceed the maximum current rating of any FTA STB. Running a motor and or switches and multiple LNBs at the end of a long run at 13Vdc and typical 300-450mA is an apples to orange comparison to a SWM power inserted running 21Vdc at 1.5A.
Another consideration is the shielding for reliable DiSEqC signaling. I only use solid copper core quad shield.
Is 125 feet from dish to block using solid copper coax too much of a run?
Last edited:
Not the rating of the coax, but rather the STB current rating. Depends what the current requirements are for the components.
To be more specific, in my scenario, I’m running an Amiko 8x1 switch at the dish, and the Amiko HD.265
- Status
