Coax tools?

[xela]

Do I know anyone who has and would be willing to lend me the necessary tools to terminate RG6 with crimp-on F-type connectors? And maybe show me how to use them properly?

What are you really trying to do?

Chris asked me to help out with the communications wiring part of his remodeling. I gave the electrician a layout plan and specs; the electrician ran the cable — and now I'm going to terminate it. I'm all set so far as the network wiring is concerned: been there, done that, have the tools. But I have approximately zero experience with the cable TV stuff. Initially, after fishing around a little on the web, I planned to use screw-on F-type male connectors, which I would in turn connect to the back side of female-female couplers in keystone jacks. But everyone I've talked to with any experience tells me the screw-on connectors are unreliable. So I'd like to use crimp-on male connectors (or if such a thing exists, crimp-on female keystone connectors). But I don't especially want to buy tools I'm unlikely to ever use again in my life. And a lifetime of experience using tools has taught me that I get up to speed quickest when I have a chance to watch someone who knows what they're doing demonstrate using the tool.

Thanks in advance!

(Let me just add, because I suspect some of you have learned, as have I, that it doesn't go without saying, that I understand the ethics of borrowing tools. My dad was a construction worker, and one of my earliest memories is of watching him in the garage, cleaning a tool he'd borrowed from a friend — a tool that hadn't been exactly spotless when he borrowed it. "Always try to return a tool in as good shape as you borrowed it. Better, if you can. That way, your credit's always good.")

Comments

[n5red.livejournal.com]

I would be quite willing to loan you mine, but it is geographically impractical.

The low voltage wiring at my house is 4x cat5 & 2x quad-shield coax to each location. I'm using the Leviton quick port system and 6 port faceplates all run back to a 42" structured wiring center. Currently it has 2x 10/100 8 port ethernet switches that I need to replace with a single 16 port gigabit switch. I just haven't gotten around to building the new mounting bracket it will require.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but yeah, distance.

I'm not sure what a "structured wiring center" is, but I'm doing structured wiring: we're putting a telco rack in the basement, and doing home runs of all the cables to there. (A purist (which I would be in other contexts) would argue that it's not really structured wiring, since we're not doing horizontal runs to a wiring closet on each floor and vertical runs only between the wiring closets. To which my response is "it's a house, not an office building.")

[n5red.livejournal.com]

Structure Wiring Center is marketing speak. Looks like they have renamed it to Structured Media Center. The box I am using is http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10657&minisite=10028. Lots of handy snap in accessories as well. I have it installed in one wall of a closet, very neat.

I can go on about what I have done, but only if you are interested.

[danj17.livejournal.com]

somewhere, i have good coax tools.. a quick look failed to locate them. if you get no other positive responses, i'll go digging. they're around here somewhere...

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought of you, but couldn't remember either the quality of your tools nor even whether they were for the right kind of cable. It's not urgent — we have a few weeks before we move in, and realistically I'll probably still be working on this for the first week or so after the move. I'm just trying to get everything lined up.

[jered]

I have some RG6 tools and vaguely remember how they work, plus I think there are instructions. I'm home with a cold right now; give me a call if you'd like to borrow them. (If you give me a call I'll try to go find them, as I'm not exactly sure which room they're in right now and don't want to get off the couch yet.)

Do you know if your guy ran double-shielded or quad-shielded coax?

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Thanks — I'll take you up on that. But it's not urgent, let alone urgent enough to get you off the couch for when you're sick. I just figured putting out feelers early would improve my odds of not ending up having to buy the tools. My actual need is on the order of two to four weeks off.

According to the internet,it's quad shielded. Or more specifically "RG6/U quad shield CATV CL2-18-gauge CCS center conductor. First shield bonded APA foil, second 60% aluminum braid, third APA foil, fourth 40% aluminum braid.'

[jered]

OK, if can bring a sample of the cable with you when you come over to get the tools I'll show you how it works. The ease of use varies from cable to cable -- I have some double-shielded where the connectors go on like butter, and quad-shielded where they're very difficult. The hard part is there's a thin metal collar that needs to push into the cable, and the quad-shielded I have is tighter than the double.

When are you free?