Question. Settle an argument.

[raoul5788]

Saying that you cant use RG-59 for satellite viewing is like saying you cant hook up your speakers with lamp cord. If it carries an electric currant it will display a picture. Use a cut up extension cord if you want.

My suggestion would be to go with the RG-6 if you are running new wire. If not then stick with whats there. Also conduct your own test and see if theres a difference in the signal.

What we should be thinking about is how one day RG-6 wont be suffeicent to carry the data we need. Hmmmmm lets see 100,000,000 homes all needing new and improved cable to watch tv. Call your stock brokers

You are welcome to use whatever cable you wish. Don't come back here and complain about poor picture and dropouts from using RG59, though.

 

[chadzx11]

Whoever taught that class probably was referring to skin depth, but didn't understand electromagnetics. Actually a smaller diameter cable can carry a higher frequency (the cutoff for the higher order modes is higher in frequency). However, higher order modes occur at frequencies much higher than we are talking about here so that really isn't an issue. The real problem is that cable loss will be higher with the smaller cable. Additionally, the IR loss (voltage drop) will be greater for a smaller diameter cable, which can cause problems with multiswitches and LNBs. Short lengths of RG59 can be used, but should be avoided if possible.

I ran across a self installed E* customer that nailed his dish to the house and used twin lead cable with an adapter to a barrell connector to the short piece of 59 that comes with the reciever. Never thought that would work. Dish had refused to pay more than a service call on my last 2 reinstalls, so there was NFW I was redoing this one. I got some photos somewhere, maybe. I took a lot of it because it was too good to be true.

I would have been more inclined to help the customer out, but the house was a shithole, and they said FU to me by not cleaning up my work area.

 

[jdspencer]

The OP asked if using EXISTING RG59 would work. It will and there's no reason to change it out as long as it is, especially for short runs. When problems arise, then replace it.