I use two lengths of Home Depot RG-6: 100' + 100' = 200', joined with a bullet connector with an H-H motor. Never experienced any trouble.
Quick Questions for people who has long cable run experience...
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oh really, Home Depot has good cable? how were the prices? i may go get some in the morning, i was going to order a box of 500 ft from monoprice as my other ran out a while back and i never bought more, but im broke at the moment. so if Home Depot cable is good and priced decently i'll get some of that for the time being. Ham, what brand was it, their branding?
never use RCA cable even if it says rg6 digital cable/satellite etc etc!!!
I re-checked my invoice. I actually bought the RG-6 from my local hobby satellite store. Each connectorized 100' cable cost $20. But I cut off the connectors and put new ones on myself. I guess I was only thinking of buying from Home Depot.
You can't use just any RG6 for Excede or Jupiter systems. It's almost critical you use SOLID COPPER RG6. Anything else and you're asking for trouble.
If I could find 500 feet of RG11 for less than $100... I'd mortgage my house and buy all of it.
If I could find 500 feet of RG11 for less than $100... I'd mortgage my house and buy all of it.
It's a good thing I don't own a house ... I justice checked RG11 prices. That stuff is waaaay cheaper than I expected. I'm getting some.
Keep in mind that most of the cheaper compression tools will NOT compress RG-11 fittings. You will probably need a more expensive multi-fitting tool, and the fittings are far more expensive. Not trying to dissuade anyone from RG-11 (it is great stuff), but its not as cheap and easy as RG-6.
Tron,
Just wanted to make mention of this... The Stripper and Crimper (I do mean a compression tool) that I bought was more expensive than standard tools for RG-6 cable. I decided to buy something really, really good and found that it wasn't quite as expensive as I had expected. I think the compression tool was $80 - $100. But, what I dreaded was the preponderance of the task of installing the cable ends. Guess what? It was the most simplest and easiest task ever! I thought I did something very wrong with the first end connector I installed because it stripped and installed the connector sooooooo easily!
I couldn't believe it at first. All the connectors went on like a breeze! After I tried to pull a connector OFF the cable to test its integrity, I found that it was absolutely secure. I didn't get the connector off without butchering the cable in the process. I am sold on the RG-11 that I got off E-Bay and the connectors that I got from Sadoun's and the tools that I bought from TechTool Supply.
RADAR
Never tried warming up the end of the sheath, but that was always where I had the trouble with quad shield cable - trying to get the connector slid over that portion. I used that lubricant for pulling bundles of wire through conduit. Cannot recall the trade name / brand name, but that worked fair. I just put a little dab on the outer sheath and twisted the connector on, then crimped it.
RADAR
Yes, the solid copper conductor makes a big difference and I was also surprised that I was able to get RG-11 cable w/ solid Cu conductor so cheap! It was the flooded cable type, too.
RADAR
I've had very good quality duel RG-6 satellite ribbon cable run 500 feet since 1994. Still works perfect today. 10Ft C/ku band dish.
That was back when you could still get good quality products, but much more $$$$ Enjoyed everything on this dish from analog ITC to videocipher to digicipher, and now FTA ITC. The hobby has changed over the years, but still remains.
I agree. Very impressive. Must have been some really good stuff (cable) on that installation.
RADAR
I expected a big jump in performance when I upgraded from RG6 to RG11. Unfortuantely it was a minimal improvement for the increased price. However I really like the guy-wire that comes with the RG11. I could securely tie it between the balcony and the shed that is 150 feet away. The 150 run through the air uses one cherry tree for support and appearance. I was able to tie another RG6 and some polorator feed wires to the RG11. The birds also love it to roost. Eventually I will put a PVC pipe in the ground when I am ready to repave the driveway.
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Guacharaca,
Yes, if you were hoping to see some vast improvement in signal level or signal quality, you wouldn't achieve that. I witnessed a fair improvement of the signal level reading as that is reading total current on the cable, but only 1-2 points improvement at best on signal quality. The benefit here is more for the operation and control of switches and motors, where the DC current and DC voltage become involved.
As long as the cable's frequency rating is on the high quality side, RG-6 and RG-11 should both perform nearly equally as well for the actual LF signal coming from the LNBF. I was actually suprised that I detected as much of a boost as I did, it was sufficient enough to make me happy. My main concern was driving my H-H motor and switching polarities in the LNBF.
I am certain that if you scrutinize extremely long runs of cable, 300 feet and above, you will probably begin to detect the signal quality differences between the two cable types.
RADAR
Rg11 performance gains would not be very noticeable for a 150ft run. On 300+ foot runs the signal integrity improvements would start to be apparent. You also will notice an increase in reliable switching and motor control as the 22khz signals have less attenuation on the return path.
Almost any cable type is available with a messenger wire. Standard Rg11 does not have the messenger wire unless it is ordered.
Edit: Radar best me to the send button...
Almost any cable type is available with a messenger wire. Standard Rg11 does not have the messenger wire unless it is ordered.
Edit: Radar best me to the send button...
I do enough volume as a contractor that I am certain to come across a situation where a customer wants or needs a 300 ft+ run. I'm fairly certain nearly all RG11 is copper clad steel, so I wonder how it would perform on Hughesnet and Wild Blue systems.
I checked the chart once and there is less resistance (ohm) in solid copper RG6 (awg 18) than in copper clad RG11 (awg 14). However one pays a premium for solid copper RG6. I suspect that the cable companys would not have a need for solid copper RG11 as their only goal is to deliver signal and they would not require the extended characteristics of solid copper cable. As a result the bulk of what is manfacturered is copperclad.
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