My areal cable outside the house has been cut so I need to repair it. Given that it is exposed to the elements, should I repair it with a couple of F-plug connectors joined with an F-to-F adaptor? Or should I do it another way to make it waterproof?
Fixing a cut aerial cable
- Thread starter Yukster
- Start date
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Standard F-plugs and a back-to-back joiner don't need much in the way of special tools to fit them, so there's a lot to be said for that. You just need something then to provide the waterproofing. The answer is self-amalgamating tape.
This is a stretchy rubber tape that not only sticks to itself but amalgamates (hence the name) to form a waterproof skin over the cable joint. The process is chemical and the bond forms in just a few minutes. You'll be able to pick up a roll from eBay or Screwfix / Toolstation for between £3 and £6 depending on roll length. You don't need much. A piece about 30cm will do the job.
This is a stretchy rubber tape that not only sticks to itself but amalgamates (hence the name) to form a waterproof skin over the cable joint. The process is chemical and the bond forms in just a few minutes. You'll be able to pick up a roll from eBay or Screwfix / Toolstation for between £3 and £6 depending on roll length. You don't need much. A piece about 30cm will do the job.
Thanks. This is the cable that I need, right?
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It's not UV proof, so then need protecting from the sun. Black electricians tape over the top of that, is usually recommended.
It's the right size but personally I would avoid anything based on aluminium braided shielding. if/when it gets any moisture in it the aluminium corrodes quickly and turns to mush. It stops working and you'll then need to rip it out and start again.
Screwfix tech details are poor so I can't tell if the core is pure copper, but GT100 looks a better choice.
I'm not fixed on getting the cable at screwfix. I'm happy to get it elsewhere and look for a cable with copper conductors. From what I read RG6 is the best cable for the job. Is that right? And if so I can look this cable with copper conductors elsewhere.
RG6 is just a generic name now. It's like 'size 11 shoes". Yeah, but size 11 shoes for what? Rock climbing is different to ballroom dancing or steel toe-capped shoes for a building site.
All 'RG6' tells us is basic info such as physical dimensions and the impedance (75 Ohms). It doesn't specify anything consistent about the materials used for say the shielding, or the loss charateristics etc. That's why WF100 is an RG6-sized cable, but the performance is way ahead of the generic RG6 sold cheap at builder's merchants, electrical wholesalers and online.
Webro WF100
Labgear PF100
Triax TX100
These are all good, 100% copper coax cables. You can't go wrong with these. If you want to buy something else marginally cheaper then go ahead. Just cross reference the materials used and the loss characteristics. What the specs won't tell you though is how loose the outer jacket is on some cheaper cables and how that can lead to the inner core pulling clear of the connection. Then you've got marginal/no signal so you spend (in cost terms) your time troubleshooting an issue that spending a fiver more on a bit of cable would have prevented. Cheap cables are not so resilient to wear, and alu-based cables die fast when exposed to moisture. Copper can get saturated - literally water dripping out of the end - and it will still work and won't corrode through unless perhaps in a seashore environment.
The maths here is simple. Spend a little bit more now, and save BIG in the future. It's a false economy to install cheap cable unless you either make a living selling cheap cable, or you're the guy going round fixing all the problems it causes.
If that's the Screwfix stuff then it doesn't surprise me. They tend to race to the bottom for quality in order to maximise profits.
Not all self-amalgamating tape is UV proof/resistant, but the better ones are. It's very much a case of caveat emptor. https://docs.rs-online.com/75e5/0900766b8057852f.pdf
I've known 3M tape deteriorate due to UV in the past, so now I always ensure it is protected.
That's disappointing.
Having said that, 3M is the brand behind Scotch, and their VHS tapes were rumoured to wear out the tape heads faster than others. Don't know how much of that is true, but I know our service engineers said to avoid Scotch video cassettes
Regarding 'trician's tape I have done a fair few aerial installations where that tape has list its adhesion capability and the only thing holding it on is that it sort of petrified with UV exposure. I guess everyone has their own experiences though.
Ew
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I don't mind buying good and more expensive cable. I just want to get it somewhere local so that I don't have to wait ages for it.
It just occurred to me to ask, when getting the cable to extend the cut areal cable, do I need to use the same type of cable for the extension?
Have you thought about checking out that GT100 at a Screwfix store? All that's left to do is find out if the core is pure copper or copper coated steel (CCS). Ring the tech help line maybe? That or take a magnet in and have one of the staff see if it sticks to the core. Magnets won't stick to a bit of pure copper.
Alternatively, find some local aerial shops or aerial installers. Ask if they use all copper cable, and if so can you buy some. I'll tell you now that you'll find most won't use it. RG6 is cheaper and cable faults make for repeat business.
As for cable consistency, no, it's not vital. Folk use those crappy coax fly-leads on the end of a decent RF distribution system. When I am installing in a new build, the site QS often specifies the worst coax, and that's what the sparks run inside the walls and up to the loft. I use Webro WF100, so my good cable runs from the aerial through any distribution hear and then hooks up to their crappy RG6. I make up the flyleads in WF100 again, so that's two different cables together.
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Yep, I commented a while ago, on the signal loss I suffered as a rubbish ready-made Fly-lead I had bought.
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