Anyone know cable TV (coaxial) wiring?

[JoyMonkey]

I need a little help.

I just moved into a new apartment, and it's only got one cable TV connection coming into the apartment.
I'd like to snip the cable and connect a splitter so I can put an additional TV in the bedroom, but I'm not sure what I need or how to do it.
Do I need an expensive crimping tool to attach the F connectors to the cable? Or is there some other way?
What's the general procedure? I needs me telly!

[CIA_Guy]

Am I missing something here?  Isn't that what splitters are for?

No need to cut.  Connect a short coax to the wall outlet...connect that to a splitter (or amplified splitter if you've got a weak signal)...the splitter is like a Y-adapter, so you have two feeds off of it that are just like the one on the wall.  Each of those has the cable signal on it...run a coax from each of those to the two TVs.

Before you ask -- you can get the splitter at any Radio Shack (and probably at Wal-Mart).

[shmokes]

   Heh....   The thing is, when you actually want to hook up the splitter outside to leech free cable from your neighbor's line you have to snip the wire, cos there's no end to hook the splitter to.  If it were coming into your house you'd just hook up a splitter, of course.

At any rate you will need a crimper, but they are super cheap.  You can get one at Radio Shack for like $7.  Even their expensive one is like $25.  That's really not much at all considering you'll save the cost in parts in your first month of free cable.

Good luck.

[Stormy151]

Yeah, if you're just putting it in another bedroom, you can buy pre-cut/terminated lengths and a splitter and be up and running in 5 minutes.  If you have to cut it, that's a whole other ballgame.

You have to strip coax twice.  Basically you have to strip back the outer insulation, exposing the braided shield, then you strip the dielectric (the translucent clear plastic stuff) to expose the center conductor.

The center conductor is easy enough, however you'll want to crimp the sleeve to the braid, otherwise you won't ground the shield.  If you nick the braid while stripping the outer insulation, the fibers of the braid will break, then the shield won't work.  So- when you're stripping it, just lightly score the outer insulation without cutting through it, then flex it back and forth until the insulation breaks, that way you won't nick the braid and weaken it.

[JoyMonkey]

I'm not trying to steal cable, I swear! My apartment doesn't have wall outlets, just one long cable that comes into the apartment and runs through a couple of rooms (see below). So the cable needs to be snipped and split, or I'd have a mess of cable going everywhere.

Thanks for the info Stormy! Hopefully it will make some sense to me when I snip the cable.
So do you think I could strip the cable using a utility knife and then use these "Twist-On" connectors? Or are they crap?

[Santoro]

I have wired miles of cable/sat.

The twist-on connectors are indeed cr@p.  I use these:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=278-236
because they are of similar quality to the cable company's ones.

Get yourself this wire stripper:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1&catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=278-248
This does the double-stripping for you.  It is expensive, but trust me, worth every penny.

and this crimper:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=278-238
Is heavy duty and relatively cheap.

Use RG-6 cable rather than RG-59 coax to avoid loss.

Just put a splitter where it enters the house and make cables to go where you want.  

[GamingGreg]

I agree that if you're going to do a lot of coax wiring, you'll want tools like Santoro mentioned.  However if you just need it for this, then you can get by with something like this.  It can cut, strip and crimp, all in one (however not as well).  Your local hardware store should have one for a few dollars.

Also, I second that you use RG-6 (not RG-59), and using crimp connectors (not the twisty kind).

[JoyMonkey]

I agree that if you're going to do a lot of coax wiring, you'll want tools like Santoro mentioned.  However if you just need it for this, then you can get by with something like this.  It can cut, strip and crimp, all in one (however not as well).  Your local hardware store should have one for a few dollars.

Also, I second that you use RG-6 (not RG-59), and using crimp connectors (not the twisty kind).

I've got one of those crimpers/wire strippers (use it all the time for wiring control panels). But I don't see how I can crimp one of those F connectors using it?

[Stormy151]

You can strip it with a utility knife, just don't push hard.  You'll want to cut the outer insulation without cutting all the way through it.

There are lots of fancy tools for stripping cable, but it's not like you're going to be doing it a lot, and your application doesn't require precision.  You're trying to watch TV, not terminating a cable for an aircraft antenna.

[GamingGreg]

I've got one of those crimpers/wire strippers (use it all the time for wiring control panels). But I don't see how I can crimp one of those F connectors using it?

I really depends on the multi-purpose stripper tool you're using.  Some of them have a few spots with different size oval holes (not the ones used for stripping) between the handles,  that can be used for crimping (not the best crimper however).