How do I check which RG6 runs go where?

1514 Views 27 Replies 11 Participants Last post by veryoldschool, Sep 11, 2008

whitepelican

Discussion Starter · Sep 11, 2008

To try to be more precise, I have 10 (maybe 11?) RG6 runs home-runned throughout my house from a central spot in my basement. I am installing an SWM-8, and I need to break out which runs will be used with the SWM and which for the three legacy ports (as well as which ones will be used for Time Warner Cable). What is the cheapest, quickest, easiest way to determine which cable is going to each room from the breakout point in the basement?

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

veryoldschool

· #2 · Sep 11, 2008

"I'd think" a Ohm meter would be good.
Either terminate [75 Ohms] or short the cable and them go back to the central spot and measure, then mark.

Git

· #3 · Sep 11, 2008

For about $40, you can buy a "Coaxial Mapper" like this one:

It comes with four connectors that you screw onto the ends of your cables. You go to the other end, screw on the main unit and it tells you which of the four cables you have. Works great

Test-Um CX 200

This isn't going to be the cheapest solution, but would probably be the easiest

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carl6

· #4 · Sep 11, 2008

If you have a meter, that would work. If you don't have one readily available, you could always put a regular TV signal (cable or antenna) on the coax (one at a time) then hook up a small portable tv and check if the signal is there. You can buy tone generating/tracing equipment (a box that sends a tone and a "wand" that receives/detects it) and tone the lines out. Lot's of possibilities - a little imagination can go a long ways. Be careful though, unhook all coax from everything before you either short or attach other equipment to any of them.

Carl

veryoldschool

· #5 · Sep 11, 2008

Git said:
For about $40, you can buy a "Coaxial Mapper" like this one:

It comes with four connectors that you screw onto the ends of your cables. You go to the other end, screw on the main unit and it tells you which of the four cables you have. Works great

Test-Um CX 200

$40 for four terminations and an ohm meter.

:lol:

2dogz

· #6 · Sep 11, 2008

If this is an existing setup, just turn on all the TVs, then disconect a line and see who complains.

If new wire, a cheap volt ohm meter from Sears or the Depot your best bet. $20-25.

Now you know to tell the installer to label them. Next time.

whitepelican

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 11, 2008

veryoldschool said:
"I'd think" a Ohm meter would be good.
Either terminate [75 Ohms] or short the cable and them go back to the central spot and measure, then mark.

Yikes. I'm an idiot. Don't tell my folks that they wasted all that money on my BSEE degree.

veryoldschool

· #8 · Sep 11, 2008

whitepelican said:
Yikes. I'm an idiot. Don't tell my folks that they wasted all that money on my BSEE degree.

No you're a double EE and I'm a tech.

Thank God you're not a PhD, or I'd have to come over and do it for you. :lol:

Git

· #9 · Sep 11, 2008

veryoldschool said:
$40 for four terminations and an ohm meter. :lol:

With your ohm meter, which costs how much?, you have to test each cable individually. I would assume that the ends of his cable are already terminated - so how does he deal with shorting the ends of the cable?

For a little bit more money that the cost of an ohm meter, he gets the tester and four connectors that are color coded. When you plug the tester in, it tells you which cable you have by color, brown, red, orange or yellow.

Everybody wants CHEAP, EASY and QUICK. However in real life, you usually have to settle for two out of the three. The Test-Um unit is EASY and QUICK

veryoldschool

· #10 · Sep 11, 2008

Git said:
With your ohm meter, which costs how much?, you have to test each cable individually. I would assume that the ends of his cable are already terminated - so how does he deal with shorting the ends of the cable?

For a little bit more money that the cost of an ohm meter, he gets the tester and four connectors that are color coded. When you plug the tester in, it tells you which cable you have by color, brown, red, orange or yellow.

Everybody wants CHEAP, EASY and QUICK. However in real life, you usually have to settle for two out of the three. The Test-Um unit is EASY and QUICK

If I was doing this for a living, this might make some sense.
A cheap VOM can be used for more things.
"To do it my way": disconnect all cables. short/terminate one, check it from the other end & mark it. repeat.

charlesml3

· #11 · Sep 11, 2008

Git said:
With your ohm meter, which costs how much?, you have to test each cable individually. I would assume that the ends of his cable are already terminated - so how does he deal with shorting the ends of the cable?

You can get a cheap-o ohm meter at Lowes or Home Depot for under $20. He probably already has one anyway.

Yes, he has to test individually. 11 cables. Big deal.

If they're terminated he needs : 1 coax barrel connector. One short piece of RG-6 terminated on one end. Strip the other end. Wrap the center conductor to the braiding. Screw it onto one cable.

On the other end, set the meter for conductivity and test each cable until the resistance goes to zero (or close to it). Label each end, repeat.

-Charles

whitepelican

Discussion Starter · #12 · Sep 11, 2008

Gentlemen, the issue is settled. It's all completed. VOS gave me all the help I required. Thank you all for your suggestions, though. I'll be back soon with more questions on setting up an SWM-8 to give you folks something else to argue about.

veryoldschool

· #13 · Sep 11, 2008

charlesml3 said:
You can get a cheap-o ohm meter at Lowes or Home Depot for under $20. He probably already has one anyway.

Yes, he has to test individually. 11 cables. Big deal.

If they're terminated he needs : 1 coax barrel connector. One short piece of RG-6 terminated on one end. Strip the other end. Wrap the center conductor to the braiding. Screw it onto one cable.

On the other end, set the meter for conductivity and test each cable until the resistance goes to zero (or close to it). Label each end, repeat.

-Charles

If you really wanted to get "fancy", you could use 100, 200, 300, 400 Ohm resistors [marked of course] and then do "four cables at once", to reduce the walking. :lol:

Git

· #14 · Sep 11, 2008

Hey Very Old School

Please let me apologize to you. I am sorry that I took the time and effort to try to help out WhitePelican, complete with pictures and a link. I am not sure what I did that would cause you to "mock" my posts, but I guess it makes you feel better to put other people down, so be it. I guess after almost 14,000 posts on a message board, you tend to get a little crabby...

veryoldschool

· #15 · Sep 11, 2008

Git said:
Hey Very Old School

Please let me apologize to you. I am sorry that I took the time and effort to try to help out WhitePelican, complete with pictures and a link. I am not sure what I did that would cause you to "mock" my posts, but I guess it makes you feel better to put other people down, so be it. I guess after almost 14,000 posts on a message board, you tend to get a little crabby...

Clearly you haven't read many of my posts nor know much of what I do feel or do.
I didn't intent to mock your "help", but to offer "simpler" means.

whitepelican

Discussion Starter · #16 · Sep 11, 2008

veryoldschool said:
If you really wanted to get "fancy", you could use 100, 200, 300, 400 Ohm resistors [marked of course] and then do "four cables at once", to reduce the walking. :lol:

Please stop. Now you've gone and reminded me that I no longer know my resistor color codes.

veryoldschool

· #17 · Sep 11, 2008

whitepelican said:
Please stop. Now you've gone and reminded me that I no longer know my resistor color codes.

that's what the meter is for. :lol:

2dogz

· #18 · Sep 11, 2008

whitepelican said:
Please stop. Now you've gone and reminded me that I no longer know my resistor color codes.

Or check one of those $125 textbooks that Mom and Dad paid for.

veryoldschool

· #19 · Sep 11, 2008

2dogz said:
Or check one of those $125 textbooks that Mom and Dad paid for.

now now let's not "start" picking on him. :lol:
[BTW I hope he knows this is all in fun]

2dogz

· #20 · Sep 11, 2008

And get a Sharpie and label those lines. Else a year from now you'll be cursin' yourself asking why the heck you didn't.

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