Belden RG6 quad with Digicon connectors

[Arubaflower]

I just purchased some DS6Q (green) Digicon quad connectors. I am about to also buy some Belden 7916a RG6 quad coax. However, I just read a post that said the 7916a cable is slightly smaller than typical quad and it uses standard Digicon connectors not quad connectors.

Is this correct? Will the quad connectors not work at all?

I purchased the connectors from Ebay so returning isn't an option. I am hoping I am not stuck with 100 unusable quad connectors and then have to spend more money on standard connectors. :(

[Mertzen]

Why spend extra money on quad anyway. Cell phone tower on the roof? Ten microwaves in the basement?
D* doesn't require it, nor does E*.

[Arubaflower]

Why spend extra money on quad anyway. Cell phone tower on the roof? Ten microwaves in the basement?
D* doesn't require it, nor does E*. Because I need to run new solid copper lines anyway so they might as well be quad. Moreover, quad is the recommended cable from what I've have read from people here.

[2dogz]

I just purchased some DS6Q (green) Digicon quad connectors. I am about to also buy some Belden 7916a RG6 quad coax. However, I just read a post that said the 7916a cable is slightly smaller than typical quad and it uses standard Digicon connectors not quad connectors.

Is this correct? Will the quad connectors not work at all?



I too remember that post about 7916 quad being thinner. Happen to have a new box of 7916 and both blue and green Digicon connector so I decided to give it a try. Well, this quad cable is no wimpy stuff. It was tough to get the green quad connector on completely. It was impossible to get the regular blue connector on, even with pliers. My recomendation, use the green quad connectors.

Maybe that post was thinking of Belden 7915a Duobond Plus cable which is a high performance tri shield and a bit thinner.

I imagine people that recommend you use quad shield are folks wiring their own house. With the price difference of one or two thousand feet being minimal, they say what the hell, go for the good stuff, even if it is usually overkill. Installers use thousands of feet a week, so those extra pennies per foot start to add up into real money and they use just what is required (except maybe at their own homes:) ).

[Johnnie5000]

It was impossible to get the regular blue connector on, even with pliers.

Try using a flaring tool (http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=214) instead. Better for the cable than pliers and using the flaring tool almost feels like you're cheating.

[2dogz]

Try using a flaring tool (http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=214) instead. Better for the cable than pliers and using the flaring tool almost feels like you're cheating.

Tried flaring. Thickness of cable plus the braid folded back is just too much. You'd have to trim some of the braid off and that would be cheating.

Thanks for link to handy dandy tool. I like the threaded female end. Don't use pliers, tears up connector. Just the curse word factor, burning fingertips, and it was only an experiment.

[Arubaflower]

I too remember that post about 7916 quad being thinner. Happen to have a new box of 7916 and both blue and green Digicon connector so I decided to give it a try. Well, this quad cable is no wimpy stuff. It was tough to get the green quad connector on completely. It was impossible to get the regular blue connector on, even with pliers. My recomendation, use the green quad connectors.

Maybe that post was thinking of Belden 7915a Duobond Plus cable which is a high performance tri shield and a bit thinner.

I imagine people that recommend you use quad shield are folks wiring their own house. With the price difference of one or two thousand feet being minimal, they say what the hell, go for the good stuff, even if it is usually overkill. Installers use thousands of feet a week, so those extra pennies per foot start to add up into real money and they use just what is required (except maybe at their own homes:) ). Thank you so very much for checking on that for me.

If it was difficult for you to get the green on I fear what my father and I are up against. But I went ahead and ordered the 7916a cable and some Cable-Pro installation tools: Linear Compression Tool CP LCCT -1-P10 compression, coax stripper, and flaring tool. I think we're set to give it a go.

Yes, it seems it is the do-it-yourselfers that recommend the good stuff. But as I told my father last night when he was leaning towards letting the installers handle it, I'd rather spend money to buy the good stuff than pay an installer put in standard stuff. For his last cable run that was put in less than two years ago, my Dad paid $70 and all the installer did was diplex into an old RG-59 antenna line, run the cable behind the refrigerator and crimp a connector to the end. No new RG6 line. No compression connector. He followed the path of least resistance without concern for quality. Now every time the refrigerator compressor comes on (the TV is in the kitchen), there is interference on the TV. For less than $70, I just purchased 500ft of the 7916a RG6 solid copper quad and can replace all the cable runs for what we paid for that crappy one. Money better spent IMO--assuming we are successful getting those pesky connectors on. :)

Thanks for your help.

[Tiger62]

I too remember that post about 7916 quad being thinner. Maybe that post was thinking of Belden 7915a Duobond Plus cable which is a high performance tri shield and a bit thinner.


You may be referring to a post that I made. I THOUGHT that the 500' of cable that I had installed was the 7916a, and that's why I made the comment about using regular RG-6 connectors. When I just now read this thread, I decided to go and look at the box of remaining cable and it is indeed 7915a. Sorry I posted inaccurate information. The 7915a uses RG-6 connectors. I have no experience with the 7916a cable.

[K4SMX]

Because I need to run new solid copper lines anyway so they might as well be quad. Moreover, quad is the recommended cable from what I've have read from people here.
Please see the Blue Jeans Cable article:

Video Cable Shielding--What Works, Why, and the Myth of "Quad-Shield" Cables (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/shielding.htm)

[2dogz]

If it was difficult for you to get the green on I fear what my father and I are up against.

Aaaah , wasn't that tough. Twist and push, twist and push. Good tight fit, what you want. I was putzing with the cut depth on the stripper, being my first try using this cable. Have to do a few to gets things down right, then you're off flying.

[RobertE]

I recommend quad shield cable as much as I recommend Monster cables. In other words NEVER.

Unless you live under a transmission tower, you are just wasting money.

[dave29]

I recommend quad shield cable as much as I recommend Monster cables. In other words NEVER.

Unless you live under a transmission tower, you are just wasting money.

:lol: agreed:lol:

[Arubaflower]

Aaaah , wasn't that tough. Twist and push, twist and push. Good tight fit, what you want. I was putzing with the cut depth on the stripper, being my first try using this cable. Have to do a few to gets things down right, then you're off flying.This Digicon installation guide (http://www.arrisistore.com/digicon/Digicon-F-Connector-Installation-Guide.pdf) makes it look deceptively easy. Even still, I purchased 100 of those green suckers even though we really only need about 20. My Dad said, "What in the world (he used another word) are we going to do with 100 connectors?!" I anticipated we'd go through a few until we got it right. Dad said, "Not that darn (he used another word) many." After now hearing they can be a little difficult to put on, I definitely feel more comfortable knowing I have 80 extra to play with. :lol:

[billcushman]

In post #9, K4SMX has posted an excellent article giving the basics of good shielding. Please read that article carefully to clearly understand it. Quad shield is a cheap and fairly good solution for many applications. Superb shielding costs a lot more money. Belden 1694A is a cable with a 95% copper braid plus a double wrap of foil. This cable costs a lot more because it contains a lot of copper by weight, but you get what you pay for. It is not a Monster cable type high profit item. The best shielding costs. Markertek has the best price I have seen on cut lengths of Belden 1694A. For most installations it is not necessary, but if you are in a situation where RF ingress gives problems, spend the money and solve the problem. Be sure and use Black cable for outdoor use. Other colors are OK for indoor applications.

[Arubaflower]

I recommend quad shield cable as much as I recommend Monster cables. In other words NEVER.

Unless you live under a transmission tower, you are just wasting money. I know all about $100 Monster cables and prefer my $2 ones which work just fine. But good gracious guys. I hardly think at $65 for 500ft of quad amounts to highway robbery such that it is that big of a deal to buy. I compared the prices and there isn't that big of a price difference from what I've seen.

[Arubaflower]

Be sure and use Black cable for outdoor use. Other colors are OK for indoor applications. Why is Black colored cable better for outdoor use?

[BattleZone]

This Digicon installation guide (http://www.arrisistore.com/digicon/Digicon-F-Connector-Installation-Guide.pdf) makes it look deceptively easy.

The key for installing connectors on QC is that you need to adjust your stripper tool to cut through the outer 2 layers of shield, so that the portion you pull back against the outer jacket is just the inner braid. Most folks don't realize this, and try and try to stuff the connector on with far too much shield material getting in the way.

It takes some adjustment to get the tool set just right, and takes a bit of time getting the jacket pulled back neatly, but it is what has to happen if you want to get those connectors installed correctly. It still takes me about twice as long to install a connector on QS than on standard DS cable.

[2dogz]

The key for installing connectors on QC is that you need to adjust your stripper tool to cut through the outer 2 layers of shield, so that the portion you pull back against the outer jacket is just the inner braid. Most folks don't realize this, and try and try to stuff the connector on with far too much shield material getting in the way.

It takes some adjustment to get the tool set just right, and takes a bit of time getting the jacket pulled back neatly, but it is what has to happen if you want to get those connectors installed correctly. It still takes me about twice as long to install a connector on QS than on standard DS cable.

Good tip. Voice of experience here.

[Arubaflower]

The key for installing connectors on QC is that you need to adjust your stripper tool to cut through the outer 2 layers of shield, so that the portion you pull back against the outer jacket is just the inner braid. Most folks don't realize this, and try and try to stuff the connector on with far too much shield material getting in the way.

It takes some adjustment to get the tool set just right, and takes a bit of time getting the jacket pulled back neatly, but it is what has to happen if you want to get those connectors installed correctly. It still takes me about twice as long to install a connector on QS than on standard DS cable. Thanks for pointing that out. I bought the Cable Pro stripper because it said it comes precalibrated. I didn't notice that the calibrations are for standard not quad cable. Now I see Step 5 is what you are talking about with regard to quad cable. Alrighty then. No telling how many of the 100 connectors we are going to have left after all of this. Thank goodness for bulk quantities.

[dave29]

I know all about $100 Monster cables and prefer my $2 ones which work just fine. But good gracious guys. I hardly think at $65 for 500ft of quad amounts to highway robbery such that it is that big of a deal to buy. I compared the prices and there isn't that big of a price difference from what I've seen.

its not so much the price, it that in my opinion rg6quad is unnecesary. btw, i pay $58 for 1000ft of standard rg6 scc

[Arubaflower]

its not so much the price, it that in my opinion rg6quad is unnecesary. btw, i pay $58 for 1000ft of standard rg6 scc If I had read a thread like this one when I initially started my "what cable to buy" research I might not have gone with the 7916a quad. But overwhelmingly, posts (here and elsewhere) indicated that 7916a was one of the highly recommended cables. There were very few naysayers saying otherwise so that is what I went with. But I hear ya fellas (loud and clear). Quad isn't necessary. I got it.

I am not sticking up for quad. Personally, I don't know quad, never met quad, and after this install, I hope to never see quad again. :lol: I have about as much knowledge with coaxial cable as I have driving a tractor trailer on the ice road in the frozen tundra. I have no dog in the coaxial fight. I just went with what folks recommended. You will note that by the time I started this thread I had already purchased my quad connectors, and not finding $65 particularly exorbitant for the coax, I proceeded on down my quad road. Your advice, while helpful, came a little too late for me. However, I hope for the next coaxial newbie that comes along, they read this thread and easily determine that they should buy the cheapest better-not-be-quad cable they can find. :)

Thanks guys.

[BattleZone]

While I agree that QS is unnecessary most of the time, I personally believe it is a good idea to use it anytime you are doing a permanent install, because you never know when someone might put a transmitter near you at some point down the road and cause interference. If you are wiring externally where the cable is easy to replace, no big deal. If you are putting it in the wall or otherwise where it will be difficult to access, then a bit of overkill today may save a lot of hassle tomorrow.

This is coming from someone who likes to build a bit of overkill into any system, just in case. It has saved me before.

[Mertzen]

Why is Black colored cable better for outdoor use?

It stems from ole times where only black wire had UV protection.

[2dogz]

If I had read a thread like this one when I initially started my "what cable to buy" research I might not have gone with the 7916a quad. But overwhelmingly, posts (here and elsewhere) indicated that 7916a was one of the highly recommended cables. There were very few naysayers saying otherwise so that is what I went with. But I hear ya fellas (loud and clear). Quad isn't necessary. I got it.



Relax, you've bought nothing but good quality stuff. As they say, opinions are like a**holes, everybody's got one. :)

Only issue I see from your posts may be that cable running behind the fridge. Converting from OTA/CATV analog to D* digital signal may fix it. Changing to RG6 quad may fix it. But fridge compressors can be a tough nut, and you may have to just reroute the cable away from it.

Now let's get those cables installed and watch some TV. Pass the popcorn.

[tweaked]

I just purchased some DS6Q (green) Digicon quad connectors. I am about to also buy some Belden 7916a RG6 quad coax. However, I just read a post that said the 7916a cable is slightly smaller than typical quad and it uses standard Digicon connectors not quad connectors.

Is this correct? Will the quad connectors not work at all?

I purchased the connectors from Ebay so returning isn't an option. I am hoping I am not stuck with 100 unusable quad connectors and then have to spend more money on standard connectors. :(


For what it's worth, I recently replaced all my coax runs with Beldon 7916A cable. In my case, I'd opted for (Thomas & Betts) Snap-N-Seal quad connectors.

I found that it was vitally important to assure that the outer foil layer is cut away with the two layers of braid being all that's folded back on the outer jacket. Also, careful alignment and insertion of the cable into the quad connector's a necessity for a smooth, clean and snug fit. If the center conduct and dielectric are strait and lined up just right when the cable's inserted into the connector, it will go on smoothly without a whole lot of twisting and elbow grease. It's easy to bugger up the inner foil layer that covers the dielectric if you're not careful. You'll know it's not going on right if a whole lot of force and twisting's required to get it on (and then off as the inner foil layer will have been distorted). It took me a few times to get the technique down, but the quads I'm using work fine.

I can't imagine a non-quad connector would even come close to fitting properly on 7916A cable. I'm guessing the Digicons are very similar in design to the SNS quads and if that's the case, they'll work fine.

[Arubaflower]

Only issue I see from your posts may be that cable running behind the fridge. Converting from OTA/CATV analog to D* digital signal may fix it. Changing to RG6 quad may fix it. But fridge compressors can be a tough nut, and you may have to just reroute the cable away from it.

Now let's get those cables installed and watch some TV. Pass the popcorn. Yep, rerouting the cable away from the refrig is exactly what we are going to do. I hooked up a brand new Samsung 22" HDTV to the line and about five minutes after the channel scan the screen went black and the TV died. Can't say for sure if it was the line because the current CRT TV there works. But there was a heck of a lot of interference coming to the HDTV. Just moving my hand around the line caused the screen to mess up. Maybe the TV tuner was bad. Can't say for sure. I have a replacement TV on its way, but before I hook it up there will be a new quad line there to help protect it. When I say that installer did a piss poor job putting in that line I am not kidding.

We'll running the line from the attic above frig in the kitchen. The receiver will have to be placed on top of the frig but at least the cables won't be running behind it anymore and won't be diplexed and crimped into a RG-59 antenna line. This is our cable plan: