What is RG-6 & RG-11 coax cable connector hole diameter dimensions?

[gary350]

I have a 500 ft roll of coax cable I need to make some antenna cables. I have not bought connectors in 20 years. All my connector have a 1/8" hole for the cable. With the black outside removed the white color inside cable is 5/32" diameter I need a cable connector with a 5/32" hole?

What is the hole size for RG-6 and RG-11 ?

I have look at coax cable connectors for almost 2 hours none tell what size the hole diameter is?

All these connectors in this picture have a 1/8" hole through the connector my cable will not go through the hole.

I have several old coax cables they all use connectors with 5/32" diameter holes.

I found several places that sell RG-6 but have no clue if they fit my coax cable. ???

 

[gary350]

I should have thought about going to hardware store yesterday. Today I went to 2 hardware stores & Walmart. RG-6 connectors have .190" hole through them they will all work perfect only difference is the attachments. Some, crimp on, screw on, plastic inserts, 1 way slide and lock. Slide on lock are the best & easy to use but $4 each. Screw on will not screw on plastic is not flexible maybe heating plastic to make it soft will work??? Crimp on requires a $40 special tool. Pack of 2 crimp on connectors $7. Ebay prices are better and selection is much better too.

 

[gary350]

WHAT is the secret word search to find a T Combiner for RG-6 coax. I keep finding coax cable but no T combiner

 

[Visitor]

f type tee connector - Google Search

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

WHAT is the secret word search to find a T Combiner for RG-6 coax. I keep finding coax cable but no T combiner?

it's just a splitter in reverse usually. Uses F connectors.

OK, people used to use RG-59 cable for TV. It's fairly thin and has the 75 ohm characteristic impeadance..

Now the ballywhoop is RG-6 and compression connectors. Before compression was invented you had Hex crimp.

There should be some lettering on your cable or your cable spool. You cable "could be copper clad". e.g. the center conductor is not solid copper. Makes it cheaper. RF travels on the skin of the cable, so no big deal usually.

Twist on is for whimps. You don;t have the rings for some of the connectors you showed. Most look like RG59.

Now the "fun" part

Look for QS or Quad shield.

So, there are RG-6 and RG-6QS; sometimes you need to separate, sometimes the connector works for both and even plenum.

On top of that, there is an indoor an outdoor version.

Compression is the way to go. I have not figured out the colors yet.

See: **broken link removed**

https://www.alliedelec.com/m/d/f56560d86a5cea3247ecd30a153fa758.pdf

loos like no ryhme or reason for colors, but there is an RG-6, RG-6QS difference and a weatherproof difference and comco RG-6 connectors/

Label them when you buy them!

 

[gary350]

duplicate

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I know of this https://www.solidsignal.com/winegard-2-way-dual-tv-antenna-coupler-combiner-cc-7870 combiner.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Presumably RG type cables are an American thing?, and while it's used over here it's not used for TV down leads - but regardless, if you use F-connectors for your TV connections, you simply buy the correct size to fit the cable you have (and there seems a bewildering number of sizes). If inn doubt, buy your connectors from the same place as the cable - ensuring you buy the correct size!.

As for the supposed 'combiner', this is generally a VERY, VERY poor idea - although I don't know how it will work on the American digital TV system.

It's just a passive splitter, used backwards - and preferably a high loss (-6dB) resistive one - as the transformer ones often make higher losses when not connected the right way round.

But the problem is that each aerial picks up reflections (ghosts) of the other transmitter, these are added together, and can cause issues with the reception.

The better way was to use an aerial switch, and simply select which aerial you're using - you used to be able to buy these, but I've not seen them for years.

A more modern solution is a diplexer - but this has to be specifically ordered for the two transmitters you're using, and relies on them been well apart frequency wise - in the USA case, one on VHF and one on UHF would be absolutely wonderful. But UHF only wise, like in the UK, and with the available frequency space getting reduced more and more as time goes by, it's difficult to use a diplexer, and it's just a matter of luck what channels you're on.

Basically a diplexer is simply a low pass filter and a high pass filter, so blocks/reduces the unwanted signals from the other aerial.

I don't know if you have the same problems in the USA?, but in the UK it's VERY highly recommended to use satellite coax (double screened) for terrestrial TV, as this cures a great number of problems with terrestrial reception (so called 'tv coax' is usually pretty crappy and barely screened at all).

 

[gary350]

I worked on my antennas all day yesterday & day before that. I moved my antennas to a different location then drilled holes in the house to put wires through the wall to the TV. I cleaned the contacts on wires for best connection. I aimed each antenna with a compass. I went to 2 hardware stores & Walmart looking for connectors, T combiners, T switches. I got all my new & used cable TV connectors & parts in one location then connected the antennas & tested parts with the TV field strength meter for each channel. Interesting thing about digital TV either you have a good signal or you don't. If antennas are out of phase or ghosting field strength metal shows that as lost signal 5, 10, 20 db lost signal or NO signal at all. I have several T splitters they all give different signal on the field strength meter so I used the best one signal is 96 to 98 on all channels. I have 2 T switches the new switch works slightly better than the old one about 3 db better. I have my wineguard 8200 antenna on switch A and my home built improved CM4228 antenna on switch B. My CM4228 has been outside for 6 years yesterday I took it apart cleaned all the electrical contacts, put it back together signal strength meter is up to 98 again. Now that everything is working very well & antennas have been moved my coax cables need to be 25 feet shorter. Local stores want $7 for 2 cable connectors so I ordered 20 connectors online for $8. I am 40 miles from the transmitters signal is crystal clean, it rained hard last night no lost signal. It snowed yesterday morning no problem either. When Sun is very low on the horizon that use to cause signal loose but not anymore.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

but in the UK it's VERY highly recommended to use satellite coax (double screened) for terrestrial TV,

That's the RG-6 Quad shield. Who knows why they call it quad? Maybe because Triax was already taken?

So, it's a foil and braided shield: https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/585555/Product-Page-Assets/Copper/Coax-Cables/rg6-dual-non-plenum.pdf

Differences: https://systoncable.com/whats-difference-rg6-vs-rg6q/

then you have the copper clad stuff: https://www.computercablestore.com/1000ft-rg-6uq-quad-shielded-coaxial-cable-riser-cmr-black

My friends gave me a roll 500' of RG6QS copper clad. They used it in their satelite TV business. I don;t have too much left.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

How to you like the 8200, that's the HD8200U, right?

Shown is an issue I have with the 8200. This is one end. What's taped to the left side is the original rivet. Note the corrosion.

I looked at some info on areal construction and I thought that that connection shouldn't be there Because of all of the corrosion, it's a poor connection anyway, right?

So, I added the black heat shrink to insulate the boom. Weingard claims that the connection improves the rear rejection.

My antenna actually fell and broke in half and I patched it together. I also changed the longest rods because they were too flimsy.

I also used screws and nylock nuts to tighten any loose reflectors.

I think, for your purpose, you can turn the matching transformer around if you have issues with phasing with your other antennsa

 

[gary350]

Factory antennas are designed to be made fast & low cost on an assembly line so they pack inside a box for easy shipping to customers. They don't always use the best parts & they are not always the best design. It looks to me like you could put 2 or 3 flat fender washers in those spaces then tighten bolts it will hold together much tighter and not bend or damage the other parts. My WG8200u works ok but not much better than my home built improved CM4228. I like to buy and test antennas to see if they work better than what I already have. Sometimes improvements can be made to factory antennas to make they work better. My homebuilt CM4228 works very well in VHF & UHF much better that the factory original CM4228. I have a low VHF channel reception is better on the WG8200 than the CM4228 but they both work for that station. I decided to use my CM4228 for real channel 66 high UHF it works better than WG8200u. I have a TV show I like to watch every Saturday night 8 pm real channel 66 the WG8200 fades in/out sometimes signal loss over & over gets very irritating & hard to watch. The CM4228 has NO lost signal on real channel 66. Each of those 2 antennas have their own advantages. I have not tried to make improvements to the WG8200 if its not broken don't fix it.

We live in Tornado alley the WG8200 was on the north side of our house & I moved it to the west side of house. Most of our 75 mph wind comes from the south, house was blocking the wind but not anymore. I have to wait and see how the antenna holds up to 75 mph wind March, April & May. We had 90 mph wind last spring it blew down 5 trees, 6 trees were leaning at a 70° angle, some trees had lots of broken limbs, end of summer 21 trees were dead or dying so I cut them all down. Trees are good wind blockers to protect the house.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

It looks to me like you could put 2 or 3 flat fender washers in those spaces then tighten bolt

I probably did. They were large stainless metric screws with nylock nuts. Look for corrosion around those back rivets.

Here is my home made mount:

The "Kink" in the antenna has been removed. It's made with the gold annodized Unistrut, The stainless chimney cap doesn;t help. if i had the chance, I'd make the upper mast out of fiberglass.

There are 3 "guy wires" made with Phillystran to a TB-105 support bearing (No longer available). Wierd shackles and rope thimbles were used at the thrust bearing. The 3 turnbuckles are 18-8 stainless. Two are near the roof. There's two roof penetrations for eyebolts for the guy wires. The eye bolts were sealed to the shingles with two large sealing washers and silicone.

The cable clamps are stainless. There are rubber caps on the ends of the wire. There is a cap on the mast. there is a white cap on the perpendicular Unistrut. The lead-in iis siamese RG-6. The main mast is EMT tubing. There are 4 bolts holding it to the house and they go through the edge of a 2 x4, I think. I did some re-enforcing with the metal lumber brackets. I don't remember what the inside looks like.

The rotator is an Egle Aspen ROTR-100 (NLA, but really cool). There is a wire braid around the rotator connecting the upper and lower mast. The studs were removed and replaced with 18-8 threaded rod. Two clamps were used to be able to align the thrust bering and antenna. If I could use 18-8 Stainless, I did. I should have had the rotor brackets powder coated. i could not replace the OEM brackets that attach the rotor to the antenna mast. Anti-seize compound was used on everything.
I
There are two eyehooks. One may have been used for lifting. A carabeiner couuld be hooked from the roof to the eye hook.

I had help fastening the horizontals to the wall. I was inside the attic. The siding is aluminum.

There's a Channel master CM7777 pre-amp.

To help install the antenna, a two-piece collar is clamped to the mast just under the antenna. When the guy came to trim the tree with a bucket truck, he was able to "pluck" the antenna off the mast and give it to me. I made some changes while the crew was trimming the tree. When he left, he plopped it back on.

The one thing I did not do right was putting in a ground rod for the antenna. Under the antenna is a driveway and a footer that could be cracked in a basement. There is a porch to the right. A ground rod would get really messy. There is a ground connection that will keep static off the mast,

 

[gary350]

I got rid of my CM7777 pre-amp it did not work well at all. My WG8200 antenna is aimed at 10 acres of 65 foot tall trees. When I lived at the other house pre-amp was not needed there were no trees blocking the very good signal. Now I have a Radio Shack pre-amp it has a gain control & FM trap. My son lives 7 miles farther away from the transmitters his antenna is on the 2nd floor in a bedroom facing the glass window he has a pre-amp and gets about 10 more channels than me. I need a 75 foot tall tower to get antenna above that forest of trees but I can't complain I am getting a very good signal.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I got rid of my CM7777 pre-amp it did not work well at all.

I did some measurements and I didn't like it either. I'm going to try this https://kitztech.com/KT200.html The Kitztech KT200.

There are so many versions of the Channelmaster Amp with the same model number/ Stupid.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I did some measurements and I didn't like it either. I'm going to try this https://kitztech.com/KT200.html The Kitztech KT200.

There are so many versions of the Channelmaster Amp with the same model number/ Stupid.

You need to be aware of what amplifiers actually do, and what they are good for.

At UHF/VHF the limiting factor is noise from the front end of the receiver - where at lower frequencies it's external noise.

As always, we're talking 'signal to noise ratio', so the aerial picks up the signal, loses most of it running down the cable, and is then swamped by the noise of the receiver.

To improve this you can fit a mast head amplifier - the front end of this amplifier then becomes the limiting factor, rather than the receiver - and because it's mounted VERY close to the aerial (probably ON the aerial) the incoming signal doesn't get lost as much running down the cable. This amplifier increases the signal strength, so that when it gets down the cable to the receiver there's much more of it.

Basically what you're doing is 'moving' the front end of the receiver close to the aerial - there's little or no point fitting an amplifier near the TV itself - as many customers who don't have a clue do.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

yep. The CM-7777: https://www.summitsource.com/Channe...TV-Amp-Aerial-Booster-Part-CM-7777-P7765.aspx

The problem is, I have another amp (0-18 db) with an attenuator within 30' of the CM, then about 75' to the distribution point. Currenty, there is one splitter to two 40' lengths of cable. All RG6QS. I was distributing to 8-12 locations. i should not need that second amp.
I think the signal level is 80dbmv at the distribution point which is where it should be. I don't remember what 0-18db amp is set at.

It's a VHF/UHF system. Single feed from the antenna. The other coax runs the rotator.

 

[gary350]

Which antenna pre-amp is best? I need to buy another pre-amp.

My son has a Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT pre-amp he receives about 10 more channels than me and he is 7 miles farther away from the transmitters. His antenna is identical to mine I built it. He has it on the 2nd floor about 20 ft high up inside the bedroom standing in front of the window aimed at the transmitters. My 2 antennas are aimed at a forest of 60 ft tall trees I need a 70 ft tall tower but I am receiving a very good signal for the 60

channels that I receive. This is a picture of my sons antenna I built tripod legs for his antenna so it will stand in front of the window. He gets a good signal through the glass window.

The only difference between his antenna and my antenna is, I have cross over wires connecting the two 4 bays together with 1 balun at the center of the cross over wire, his antenna has a balun on each 4 bay with 18" long coax on each 4 bay to a T combiner to the TV.

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=boost%20xt&qid=1612786813&sprefix=boost%20xt&sr=8-3&fbclid=IwAR2vXsQmvrHZjUEJYBPXHQvuxYG8pj1aJhxVXAhkVw3OY_Q_M0peM-0LZmM

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Which antenna pre-amp is best? I need to buy another pre-amp.

I bough the Kitztech preamp -200 because of the ultra-low noise figure. i was going to buy the -500, but I was talked out of it by kitztech because it does not have low VHF performance.

I've neither mounted or tried it. By tried, I mean at least measure it's gain.

I plan to install a Blonder_Tongue_BIDA-5800 75A-43 distribution amplifier with the same set-up I had before using four 24db 4-ways taps.

After I do that, I get a custom filter built because the VHF frequencies are much stronger than the UHF,

I don't have a cell tower nearby. There is a couple towers about 3-4 miles away,

I don't know if I have to be concerned about LTE interference, I don't see the characteristic pattern of periodic minimal pixelizations.

 

[gary350]

I took 3 balun apart, 300 ohm to 75 ohm, circuit is the same in 2 of them for the exception of 2 capacitors in 1 of them.

WHAT is the NAME of the ferrite device shaped like number 8 with 2 holes???

I never realized the backs of the balun snaps off so easy then snaps on.

Circuit drawing same as shortwave radio handbook with 2 turns of wire on 1 balun & 3 turns of wire on balun with capacitor, turns on all 4 wires.