Very simple cable question.

[jokeworm]

I have an abandoned cable from a satellite install in my spare room ... following the cable back outside around the other side of the house .. i noticed that on its journey it passed by my two-way OTA splitter (which feeds my main bedroom and my main TV setup in the DEN.)

In a flash of inspiration that would have made Archimedes jealous i realized that i could quite easily snip the cable right there - and hook up a three way splitter so that my spare bedroom/office could get a decent OTA signal rather than try and make do with the "coat hangar" setup it currently uses.

My simple question is this .... (and please excuse the technical terms i may use in this next sentence)

When the guys come to install the cable i've seen them snip ... clamp something on the cable - wind around (i assume to strip the cable back) and then stick the little metal doo-hickey on the end and secure it somehow.

what is the doo hickey called ... ? and what do i need to get it working/installed on the end of the cable securely .... ? can i just pull one of those from a spare bit of cable that i have lying around and stick it on the newly snipped bit of cable?

I figure i can - but thought I'd ask here before i go sit outside looking frustrated in the 105 degree heat when i can't slide pole A into slot B



edit - was not sure which forum to put this is as you don't have one that says "stupid questions that noobs have that are just too dumb to warrant an answer)

 

[Mr.Arizona]

The "doo-hickey" is called an F connector or RG-6 connector.
Normally, if more or less professional installed they use compression tools, which actually end's up in an one-time-usage.

Picture taken from sadoun.com

And yes, for OTA you can just replace the 2way splitter with an 3-way splitter and connect your cable to one of the ports of the splitter.

There are also f connectors which you can just "screw on" but they won't be water tight.

 

[jokeworm]

The "doo-hickey" is called an F connector or RG-6 connector.

That'll be the one thanks.

for OTA you can just replace the 2way splitter with an 3-way splitter and connect your cable to one of the ports of the splitter.

There are also f connectors which you can just "screw on" but they won't be water tight.

k - so strip wire back ... stick into F connector then into 3 way splitter ... the "connection" is just inside the crawl-space so no worries about water ...

I figured it had to be reasonably easy - just wanted to check before i jumped in with both feet and cut TV to the entire house (which i wouldn't put past me)

Thanks for the help.

 

[Jim S.]

If you get a screw-on connector, make sure it's for RG-6. I bought some at Radio Shack years ago that only fit RG-59, which is what used to get used for interior connections before cable companies started pushing higher frequencies. You can force it onto a piece of RG-6 if you don't mind grinding off most of the shielding in the process.

 

[jokeworm]

thanks - there are a couple more "abandoned" wires with connectors on the end - if i remove one of these to use on the newly stripped wire it'll fit just fine.

The wire in question runs under the house ... out of a vent close to the existing Directv wiring .. and is currently hanging loose in the cable box (not attached to anything)

having explained all of this to my wife though - she said ... "why not just pull all of the wire that already has the connection intact back around the house to wherever you need it
(approx 20ft) and that way you don't have to strip down or attach anything ... " just hook it up.

Why doesn't she just keep her nose out ... !!



I knew i kept her for a reason. Too smart for her own good.

Thanks for your help though ..

 

[Anole]

A big thumb's up for the wifie! - :up

Buy her something nice with all the money you saved when your connector fix didn't go right, you had to come back here to find out about the $1 connectors, the $10 strippers, and the $40 crimpers!
.... or you could have gotten a length of cable for $20 at Radio Shack or Home Depot ... with connectors already on it!

Yea, get her a gift! She's a keeper!