Extending RG6 cables

[Stuart Sweet]

I have to extend my cable runs inside the house by about 6'. I have two clean RG6 cables left over from cable company installs, both with compression connectors. I would like to simply add a male-male "barrel" connector to connect them to the existing runs.

Other than, don't buy the barrels at Rite-Aid, any advice? I have easy access to a Fry's, Circuit City, Best Buy, and am driving distance from Monoprice.com (for those of you in the middle of nowhere, feel free to throw something at me).

FYI signal strengths on the current cables are in the high 90s across the board (I feel something else thrown at me) so if I lose a little signal strength I would probably be ok.

[directvfreak]

Don't buy gold plated ones. It actually does nothing or can even hurt the integrity of the signal.

[JeffBowser]

Get the barrel connectors with the blue center (2.5 ghz rated). They will be a little more pricey, but will meet spec.

[Michael D'Angelo]

I have to extend my cable runs inside the house by about 6'. I have two clean RG6 cables left over from cable company installs, both with compression connectors. I would like to simply add a male-male "barrel" connector to connect them to the existing runs.

Other than, don't buy the barrels at Rite-Aid, any advice? I have easy access to a Fry's, Circuit City, Best Buy, and am driving distance from Monoprice.com (for those of you in the middle of nowhere, feel free to throw something at me).

FYI signal strengths on the current cables are in the high 90s across the board (I feel something else thrown at me) so if I lose a little signal strength I would probably be ok.

I don't know how fast you need them but here is a pack of 5 on Ebay. They are 3ghz barrel connectors and they are less then $3.00 with shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-COAXIAL-BARREL-RG6-RG59-F-TO-F-CONNECTOR-COAX-COUPLER_W0QQitemZ140145886320QQihZ004QQcategoryZ39 803QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Steve Robertson]

I use the barrels and have no problem at all

[falken]

I have to extend my cable runs inside the house by about 6'. I have two clean RG6 cables left over from cable company installs, both with compression connectors. I would like to simply add a male-male "barrel" connector to connect them to the existing runs.

Other than, don't buy the barrels at Rite-Aid, any advice? I have easy access to a Fry's, Circuit City, Best Buy, and am driving distance from Monoprice.com (for those of you in the middle of nowhere, feel free to throw something at me).

FYI signal strengths on the current cables are in the high 90s across the board (I feel something else thrown at me) so if I lose a little signal strength I would probably be ok.

I used the fancy gold plated acoustic research ones from Best Buy, did not see a decrease in signal strength at all. I would just avoid plastic ones and you should be fine (ha ha, bad joke).

[falken]

Don't buy gold plated ones. It actually does nothing or can even hurt the integrity of the signal.

Okay... it was all they had! :lol:

[Stuart Sweet]

Excellent advice, thank you all!

[carl6]

I have found no difference when using standard white centered or high frequency color centered barrel connectors. I've had success with anything I've thrown in there.

Carl

[armophob]

Treat yourself and buy a compression tool with a stripper and make your own cables. You could get it all with the cable for under $35.
Enjoy the freedom of making your own cables. Why mickey mouse your cables together with awkward and unsightly after market connectors.
Go to the Home Depot and enjoy life.

[boba]

I have found no difference when using standard white centered or high frequency color centered barrel connectors. I've had success with anything I've thrown in there.

Carl99% of the time you will be safe using the white centers but it will burn you every once in a while. I remember a service call in the early days of Dish Pro I called Tech support I was so frustrated with a job that just wouldn't get all transponders on a 301 receiver. after trying all of their stupid suggestions I found a ground block with a white center replaced it and problem went away. A few cents saved on a low frequency ground block cost the customer big bucks and gave me some gray hairs. Of course I also made money for several hours of work.

[harsh]

I would like to simply add a male-male "barrel" connector to connect them to the existing runs.I would highly recommend the use of female-female barrels.

[JeffBowser]

Aye, don't screw with non-rated barrel connectors. While they may be just fine, if you do end up with a problem, you don't need the additional variables to add to the complexity.

[veryoldschool]

Two cents:
Blue, pink, or white centered barrels 99% of the time will work fine. For the 1% of the time that they don't: it's just a bad connector.
Maybe I should make a barrel with a green center and then I could tell everybody they're better than the others [like monster]. :)

[JeffBowser]

You are correct, but for the tiny price difference, you can be assured of getting a connector that is rated to handle the freqencies in question, versus one that is not.

Two cents:
Blue, pink, or white centered barrels 99% of the time will work fine. For the 1% of the time that they don't: it's just a bad connector.
Maybe I should make a barrel with a green center and then I could tell everybody they're better than the others [like monster]. :)

[veryoldschool]

You are correct, but for the tiny price difference, you can be assured of getting a connector that is rated to handle the frequencies in question, versus one that is not.
First to agree with you [done].
Second to explain the insides of the connectors: they're the same. I know these [any color] aren't tested before shipping. The manufacturing process may be better to "insure" a higher yield, but that's about it. Frequency performance comes down to: physical dimensions and the dielectric used.

[JeffBowser]

That is interesting - I had always thought that the higher rated connectors had two features different - greater interior contact surface, and higher tension (gripping power").

First to agree with you [done].
Second to explain the insides of the connectors: they're the same. I know these [any color] aren't tested before shipping. The manufacturing process may be better to "insure" a higher yield, but that's about it. Frequency performance comes down to: physical dimensions and the dielectric used.

[veryoldschool]

That is interesting - I had always thought that the higher rated connectors had two features different - greater interior contact surface, and higher tension (gripping power").
That would be what is called "pin retention" which is part of what makes a "good" connector, but doesn't have anything to do with frequency [or shouldn't with "enough"].
As for the colors: just take a look at the connectors used on the receivers, multi-switches, dish, SWM, etc. Color is only used to mark one connector from another [power].

[JeffBowser]

Well, as for color, in this case of cable connectors, the mfg's use it to indicate their rated frequency, a shorthand way to make identifying characteristics on a device that does not lend well to an imprint. Your insight is interesting, though - if in fact the higher rated connectors are not made slightly different that their older cousins, you have an equal chance of getting a good one or bad one regardless. Figures.

[Milominderbinder2]

LC,

You should be fine. I cannot believe you are that close to monprice. I just got another cable order from them today!

I would buy the barrel connectors from monoprice.

- Craig

[falken]

LC,

You should be fine. I cannot believe you are that close to monprice.

He is rather lucky for that. According to mapquest it is a 31 hour drive for me, 2133 miles. Guess i'll have to keep on having mine shipped. :)

[Stuart Sweet]

Thanks again to everyone!

[veryoldschool]

Thanks again to everyone!
Now you know none of us ever come here to help. :lol:

[Teronzhul]

Two cents:
Blue, pink, or white centered barrels 99% of the time will work fine. For the 1% of the time that they don't: it's just a bad connector.
Maybe I should make a barrel with a green center and then I could tell everybody they're better than the others [like monster]. :)

You are TOO LATE!

I have some with green centers. They come in the slimline dish boxes. 1 per dish.

So HA!

[RobertE]

Believe it or not, I've had a good number of service issues with "white" center connectors. Be it wall plates, plain barrels or ground blocks. Swap them out with new ones (we have blue centers) and everything works. Coincidence? Who knows, don't really care as long as swapping them makes the problem go away and the customer happy. :)

[Stuart Sweet]

He is rather lucky for that. According to mapquest it is a 31 hour drive for me, 2133 miles. Guess i'll have to keep on having mine shipped. :)

Yup, 15 minutes if there's no traffic, and you can do next-day pickup at the counter with no shipping charges!

[HDTVFanAtic]

Yup, 15 minutes if there's no traffic, and you can do next-day pickup at the counter with no shipping charges!

but you pay tax


I will also point out, though I was a big supporter of compression connectors, I now know a number of high end commercial satellite installers (not dbs people) that have moved away from compresison connectors. It seems compression connectors only use several strands of the braid/ground and if the cable is flexed many times that has the real possibility of breaking off and rending the cable useless- thus requiring another service call.

I am still using them at my house - but watching closely the shift in thinking about these connectors.

[aim2pls]

but you pay tax


I will also point out, though I was a big supporter of compression connectors, I now know a number of high end commercial satellite installers (not dbs people) that have moved away from compresison connectors. It seems compression connectors only use several strands of the braid/ground and if the cable is flexed many times that has the real possibility of breaking off and rending the cable useless- thus requiring another service call.

I am still using them at my house - but watching closely the shift in thinking about these connectors.

DAH ........welcome to the real world .... a proper crimp will also produce a better mechincal connection ... a BAD crimp is well BAD, this is the cause of the "move" to compression ..it's tough to screw up