Coax cable compression fittings

Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
It's time to talk tools again. Today's subject is coaxial cable compression fittings and those tools used to terminate them. I recently stepped into the 2nd decade of the 21st century and bought a video streaming dongle, Google Chromecast, for my less-than-smart TV. It requires an HDMI port, an internet source with wireless modem, and a source of AC power. I installed it quite easily. However, a subset of Murphy's Law seems to have kicked in – "Any easy installation can and will disturb something that previously works."

I had previously relied on a Wifi-ready smart Blu-Ray player for Netflix and the like. It's software is getting older and clunkier, and no updates are coming from Panasonic. I still use it for discs, but less and less for streamed movies. For most TV, I rely on an over-the-air antenna, which unlike the newer hi-tech stuff, still works as well today as the day I first installed it. If anything, there are more digital TV channels in my area than 10 years ago. I never had cable TV, and never plan to have it.

This somewhat wordy introduction brings me to my problem. After I installed the dongle behind my TV set, the antenna feed got buggy. The video and audio would rapidly cut in and out so much that it was unwatchable. Tightening the antenna connection didn't change anything. If I switched the TV's video source from the antenna to the dongle or the Blu-Ray player, the problem disappeared. So the TV is ok, but the antenna connection went bad.

Fearing I had broken something behind the TV's threaded antenna connector, I brought it into a local repair shop. The owner plugged in his local antenna, and it worked fine. The guy said, take your TV home, no charge! (See below.) He further said "He was certain I had disturbed the connection between my antenna cable and the compression fitting. Try replacing the F connector."

To make a long story short, I did just that, and it all works again, as good as new. In a hurry, I bought a kit that seemed to be made for DIYers not pros, Klein Tools Coax Installation & Testing Kit VDV002-818. It includes a compression tool, a coax cable stripper, ten RG6/RG6-QS F compression fittings, and a tester. At the time I ordered it, the price was $45. It works as advertised. The directions were in plain English. The rotary stripper needed no adjustments; it only could prepare the coax cable exactly as needed for the Klein brand fittings. (The tester was useless for me. It requires access to both terminated ends of a coaxial cable. The other end of my cable is in the attic, attached to the antenna. I wasn't about to go up there just to use that tester.)

I had always avoided buying one of those tools. They are expensive, and I have only a limited need. But something else bothered me and kept me from buying one until now. There is a wide variety of such tools for sale, as well as a wide variety of compression fittings. Many people who have tried doing this themselves have encountered frustration. I get the distinct impression that these compression fittings don't all comply with a standard way to strip and prepare the coax cable. The Klein fittings I got required a ¼" exposed inner wire, and 5/16" exposed outer shield. The rotary stripper that came in the kit did just that and only that. Apparently, some brands need similar preparation and others require different lengths of exposed outer braid and inner wire. I wonder if this is the source of compression fitting trouble many people seem to have?

Who might know about this?

The electronic repair guy I mentioned is a gem and deserves another plug. (About half a year ago, he repaired an audio amp I have.) He normally charges $45 just for diagnosis, but he waived that for my TV :). I urge anyone in the Maryland/Washington DC area to take your repair business to this guy:

Electronics Service Center
12216 Parklawn Dr., suite 112
Rockville, MD 20852
http://www.esc-website.net/
301-881-8637​
 
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Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
The price on that Klien combo is $68 now. I got the Parts Express stripper and compression tool for around $45 plus whatever F connectors and RCA connectors that I needed. I've bought the connectors at various places including Home Depot and they all worked with the compression tool plus the stripper could be adjusted for RG-59 (for audio only). It was a bit of a struggle learning to use the stripper for RCA and jamming the connector onto RG-6QS but if you look at it long enough you start to figure it out. I use a piece of tape to mark how far the wire needs to go into an RCA connector.

I think the connectors are all basically the same. So far all have worked fine with the PE compression tool. It has different heads for F, BNC and RCA connectors. Klien is a big name with sparkies and I would expect top quality from them. Although the tool does only seem to do F connectors.
 
Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
The price on that Klien combo is $68 now.
That much? I swear I paid $45 on Amazon. I ordered it last Friday and got it the next day, sooner than expected. Similar price at Home Depot but with 6% sales tax.
I got the Parts Express stripper and compression tool for around $45 plus whatever F connectors and RCA connectors that I needed. I've bought the connectors at various places including Home Depot and they all worked with the compression tool plus the stripper could be adjusted for RG-59 (for audio only). It was a bit of a struggle learning to use the stripper for RCA and jamming the connector onto RG-6QS but if you look at it long enough you start to figure it out. I use a piece of tape to mark how far the wire needs to go into an RCA connector.

I think the connectors are all basically the same. So far all have worked fine with the PE compression tool. It has different heads for F, BNC and RCA connectors. Klien is a big name with sparkies and I would expect top quality from them. Although the tool does only seem to do F connectors.
I looked at the PE tools and decided against it. Delivery took longer, and I don't need to make RCA or BNC connectors. I also hoped it would work the first time without any learning curve.

Amazon is full of cheaper Chinese made kits, such as this one, which looks just like the Klein tool in a different color. I decided to pay for the Klein name, most likely also made in China, hoping I would get it to work right on the first try.

The instructions that PE posted, https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/installation-guides/360-047-parts-express-installation-guide-40009.gif, clearly show the requirement for 5/16" both for the exposed shield and for the inner wire, different for the Klein fittings. That's what made me start wondering.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. How tough can this be considering the advanced skills of the average cable guy?

Maybe the Klein connectors I bought are the one type of F connector that is different from all the others.

 
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Ponzio

Ponzio

Audioholic Samurai
Ur story got me drifting to my 1st professional electronics job with RCA in 1983. As all RCA apprentices did in those days u started off installing outside TV antennas and then if u passed muster that first year u graduated to home TV repairs before doing repairs in the lab. Luckily in '86 DuPont contracted with RCA to install a PBX (private branch exchange) phone system at their HQ, fearing industrial espionage on their Bell lines. When they asked for volunteers I couldn't jump fast enough at the opportunity. The idea of replacing burnt tubes & power supplies for the rest of my life had lost it's charm. While TV repairs slowly became obsolete, the soon to be breakup of Ma Bell extended my career in the communications field until my forced retirement in 2011.

Proving again that even a blind chicken once in a while will find a kernel now and then. :D
 
Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
I tested my F connector last night, watching the Olympics without interruption. Of course, it was Ice Dancing night, and I kind of wished my antenna connection was still rendering things unwatchable.

What follows is a very old rant about some Olympic sports…

I have a big problem with so-called sports where judges call the scoring and determine who wins and loses. There is much too much opportunity for corruption. I also wonder about those sports that feel the need for individual costumes. Why don't we see one-piece stretch suits in ice dancing and figure skating, like those in Alpine or Nordic skiing or bobsled racing? I could go on… Ok, just one more. Performance enhancing drugs in curling? Really o_O?
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
That much? I swear I paid $45 on Amazon. I ordered it last Friday and got it the next day, sooner than expected. Similar price at Home Depot but with 6% sales tax.
I looked at the PE tools and decided against it. Delivery took longer, and I don't need to make RCA or BNC connectors. I also hoped it would work the first time without any learning curve.

Amazon is full of cheaper Chinese made kits, such as this one, which looks just like the Klein tool in a different color. I decided to pay for the Klein name, most likely also made in China, hoping I would get it to work right on the first try.

The instructions that PE posted, https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/installation-guides/360-047-parts-express-installation-guide-40009.gif, clearly show the requirement for 5/16" both for the exposed shield and for the inner wire, different for the Klein fittings. That's what made me start wondering.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. How tough can this be considering the advanced skills of the average cable guy?

Maybe the Klein connectors I bought are the one type of F connector that is different from all the others.

I use this Crimper.


Mine is branded Steren, but they seem not to have that one on their site. The one above is Quest. I have had mine for years and it work great. That one I have posted looks identical to mine.

Have you got your Chromecast unit up and running?
 
Ponzio

Ponzio

Audioholic Samurai
I also wonder about those sports that feel the need for individual costumes. Why don't we see one-piece stretch suits in ice dancing and figure skating, like those in Alpine or Nordic skiing or bobsled racing?
Should we be worried about u? :D It seems u put a lot of thought into this ... maybe too much. I keed, I keed.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
I use this Crimper.

Mine is branded Steren, but they seem not to have that one on their site. The one above is Quest. I have had mine for years and it work great. That one I have posted looks identical to mine.

Have you got your Chromecast unit up and running?
That type of tool is for the connectors with a set of rings or a smooth ferrule, but those are called 'crimped' connections. They're no longer the standard type. I have a crimper like that, which I use for BNC ends when I install cameras, but nobody (service providers and cable manufacturers) uses the crimped ends for much of anything else.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Ideal has strippers with either two or three blades, used for RG59, RG6, RG58 and another type that I don't remember because it's almost never used. The three blade version is for quad shielded cables and again, it has four settings, depending on the cable type. Most big box stores sell them and while I like some of the Ideal items, I'm not a huge fan of their F connectors, having terminated a large number of cables in one session- the chromed ends make it incredibly hard to get a good grip and after a long day with connectors like that, I wanted to cut my hands off.

Some compression tools have extra dies, for BNC and RCA ends. I use one because I still make up RCA cables in custom lengths and install analog security cameras, which use BNC. It's nice to be able to do all three without spending $200 for tools.
 
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