Splicing RG6/QS

[redbrickhat]

I am trying to splice some RG6 Dual Shield and RG6 Quad Shield coaxial cable.

I have some questions:

A). For stripping RG6 Quad Shield, one web site says to remove the outer two layers of aluminum foil and braid, then fold back the inner layers of foil and braid.

Another web site says to cut off the outer 3 layers of foil and braid, leaving just the inner aluminum foil.

Would either of these work? Does folding back the aluminum foil and braid make much of a difference?

B) Would there be much signal degradation if I connected a stretch of RG6 Dual Shield to RG6 Quad Shield?

If they're both rated 75 ohms, there wouldn't be any wave reflections, right?

C) For coaxial cable, are there any safety hazards I should be aware of?

If I short the inner conductor to the outer layers of shielding, how many amps would flow? Enough to damage appliances like a cable modem or TV, etc.?

Thanks.

[Pete C.]

The stripping method is dependent on the connectors your are installing. Check the specifications for the connectors. The proper crimping / installation tool is also essential.

If the coax is properly terminated you'll loose around .5db of signal at the splice presuming you splice properly with proper F connectors and a proper F barrel. Nothing is free and every connection in the coax line will cause some signal loss. Sharp bends or kinks in the coax will also have a dramatic effect, particularly at higher frequencies.

On a typical CATV line there is no appreciable voltage or current present under normal conditions. Certain faults and other conditions can result in voltages and currents on the coax. Examples are an improperly installed tap on the CATV line that passes 60VAC line power to the house drop, grounding issues with the CATV line and or household wiring that introduce ground loop currents and voltage differentials and DC power injectors providing power to premises distribution amplifiers.

Pete C.

[Charlie Bress]

It is almost impossible to splice coax and not introduce a spot that is not

75 ohms.

If I were doing this, I would put a good connector on the two ends and then join them with a coupler.

The 75 ohm characteristic is a function of the diameters of the inner and outer conductors and a simple splice will introduce a bump that will reflect back part of the signal. When you use the appropriate connectors the diameters are determined by the connector maker and tolerances should be real close. This will also eliminate any concerns of a short.

Charlie