Satellite RF cables

[kermyb123]

I know this is an old thread...

On cables (I work in both the sat and cellular installation industires) as for your helix quote... I have a left over roll of about 100' - If you really think the going rate is 25k for 100' with N connectors, umm I'll do it for 10% of that and you can turn a 22k profit!

Where does some of this .. come from!

As for the issue, which I'm sure is resolved by now, for future readers I would suggest a SWiM modulated system from the LNB headend. DirecTV is the only sat provider offering SWiM at the moment, however, I have personally made runs nearing 200' using quality RG6U Quad using the SWiM system.

FYI SWiM is a single wire system that basically houses the switch and some other magical systems in the feed head where it throws down eight addressable "channels". the only real issue on length of cable is in terms of voltage drop from the home to the LNB since the unit requires about 21v. Once the signal is passed from the LNB to the single coax run; the run can be quite long and the install can use standard splitters in the home.

Hope this helps someone, I'm serious on the helix offer! I also have a 97 Jeep that books for $1.23M I'll take 10% for that too...

[trilogy]

Originally Posted by davmoo

I'm having a few minor issues with my satellite TV that boil down to that's what I get for using cheap RG6 (because I had, and still have, several thousand foot spools of the stuff laying around left over from a job for a client a few years back). So in preparation for going HD on the Dish Network I'm looking at running new cable from the dish to the house. Its about a 75 to 90 foot or so run.

After Googling around for a bit, the bee's knees in RG6 seems to be Belden 1694A. And if one wants to go really low loss and doesn't mind a larger RG11 cable that is not very flexible, and a larger price tag, Belden 7731A.

Anybody have any other suggestions I should be looking at?

Edit: And no, moving the dish closer to the house is not an option. Where the dish is now is the closest I can get it to the house without cutting down trees. And in any argument of Trees versus Dish, trees will win. I like my trees.

Old thread, but maybe this will help anyway.
RG-6 rated at 2.4 gigahertz is sufficient for ANY Dish Network or Direct TV cable run up to 150 feet- TOTAL line run. Ideally, RG-6 rated at 3 gigahertz is better, but the line length is still the same.
Officially runs of up to 200 feet are supported, but voltage drops across that length can create issues.
When dealing with the hi frequency digital information in Satellite systems it helps to visualize a garden hose. Voltage from the receiver to power the LNBF travels THRU the wire like water running thru a hose. The DIGITAL information travels back along the SURFACE of the copper (like ants running along the surface of the hose) to the receiver.
Any sharp bends in the line can create a capacitor, blocking certain frequencies from getting thru, and channel loss.
I can't speak to DirecTV, but with Dish Network, and the band stacked Dual Tuner DVR's that they have, the cable isn't the only thing that needs to be "right".
The connections/terminations on the cable need to be rated as well. SnapOn RG-6 fittings should be used, though crimp-on connections done with the right tool can work. The most overlooked part of the circuit are the barrels in the wall plates and the ground block. They MUST be rated for 2.4 gig at least. Barrel inserts are actually color coded. White or clear are rated to 950 megahertz (fine for analog cable). Yellow are rated around 1.5 gigahertz, blue (what Dish uses) are rated to at least 2.4, and the RED ones are even higher.
Cable, termination and barrels must all be rated to at least 2.4 for the system to be reliable.
Larger dishes/reflectors will not improve things.
If you have a DPP44 in the system it can increase the total line run to 200 feet or a bit more, but remember that it is a powered switch and must be inserted in the path properly.

[davmoo]

Originally Posted by trilogy

Old thread, but maybe this will help anyway.

It may be an old thread but it does still help. Thanks to Mother Nature and her effing snow, I still haven't done anything.

I knew connectors matter, but I wasn't sure of any specific recommendations. I'll seek out the SnapOn fittings you suggest.

[radman]

... having worked as a Bell ExpressVu technician in Canada (same technology as Dish Network) I second pretty much everything trilogy has said below.

We used to run dual shield RG6 and I never had problems due to cable selection for 100' runs.

Invariably dish positioning, poor cable stripping and termination technique or subpart accessories (grounding blocks and the F81 joiners in wall plates) were always to blame.

Couple of tips,

1. When terminating RG6 always use compression connectors, never crimp. I can't tell you how many service calls I had to make for crimp connections. Compression connectors can generally handle 40lbs of pull force, more than enough.

2. When terminating, it is important to ensure that no portion of the foil shield touches the centre core. This may seem like an odd point, but with dull stripping tools a sliver of the foil can sometimes wrap itself around the core, causing a short. You should see nothing but white dielectric between the foil and core.

Anyhoo, that's my too many cents.

RadMan

Originally Posted by trilogy

Old thread, but maybe this will help anyway.
RG-6 rated at 2.4 gigahertz is sufficient for ANY Dish Network or Direct TV cable run up to 150 feet- TOTAL line run. Ideally, RG-6 rated at 3 gigahertz is better, but the line length is still the same.
Officially runs of up to 200 feet are supported, but voltage drops across that length can create issues.
When dealing with the hi frequency digital information in Satellite systems it helps to visualize a garden hose. Voltage from the receiver to power the LNBF travels THRU the wire like water running thru a hose. The DIGITAL information travels back along the SURFACE of the copper (like ants running along the surface of the hose) to the receiver.
Any sharp bends in the line can create a capacitor, blocking certain frequencies from getting thru, and channel loss.
I can't speak to DirecTV, but with Dish Network, and the band stacked Dual Tuner DVR's that they have, the cable isn't the only thing that needs to be "right".
The connections/terminations on the cable need to be rated as well. SnapOn RG-6 fittings should be used, though crimp-on connections done with the right tool can work. The most overlooked part of the circuit are the barrels in the wall plates and the ground block. They MUST be rated for 2.4 gig at least. Barrel inserts are actually color coded. White or clear are rated to 950 megahertz (fine for analog cable). Yellow are rated around 1.5 gigahertz, blue (what Dish uses) are rated to at least 2.4, and the RED ones are even higher.
Cable, termination and barrels must all be rated to at least 2.4 for the system to be reliable.
Larger dishes/reflectors will not improve things.
If you have a DPP44 in the system it can increase the total line run to 200 feet or a bit more, but remember that it is a powered switch and must be inserted in the path properly.