SidiS

How many feet of coax can I run before needing a distribution amp?

Tower Guy

How strong are the signals in your area?
How big is your antenna?
Where is the antenna mounted?
How many TVs will the signal be split to?

highdefjeff

There are too many variables to say for sure. You will likely need to run your cable and see what results you get.

Attenuation for RG-6 is approx. 10db/100ft.

Is there a specific reason for asking?

One thing to remember is this:

Engineering basics related to cable say use the 3 "S"s.
1. shielded -always use shielded cable
2. short - always use the shortest cable to do the job
3. single - and avoid using connectors to extend cable length

It will be a factor in your installation if you ignore these simple rules. It is especially important to avoid connections by using a single cable.

Rg Each F-81 barrel connector that you put in a run will attenuate (lessen) your signal by approx. 1 db. What is worse than that is that there is no shielding at connections allowing ingress of EMI that will also affect your signal quality. Avoid connectors.

Hope this helps.

IDRick

Hi Jeff,

I like your 3 S's. Very good tip!

Your cable loss estimate is a bit too high. See: Antenna Basics

Typical loss for rg-6 cable ranges from 1.5 to 6 dB per 100 feet of run and varies with channel frequency.

Best,

Rick

Jim In Seattle

highdefjeff wrote:

... "One thing to remember is this:

Engineering basics related to cable say use the 3 "S"s.
1. shielded -always use shielded cable
2. short - always use the shortest cable to do the job
3. single - and avoid using connectors to extend cable length ..."
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I suggest adding another 's' to the list. Seal the outdoor antenna fitting with silicone (RTV) to weatherproof it and to keep water out of the coax!
Jim

IDRick

Geez, what would someone from Seattle know about rain... Oh wait!

Great addition Jim!

Jim In Seattle

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Rick,
Not including tonight (more rain is expected) Seattle has had just over 9" of rain this month alone, whereas during an average November we have 5 1/2". Perhaps its time to build an ark.
Jim

Update: It's raining again!

Jay

That's more rain than we get all year long here in Phoenix.

SWHouston

Here in Houston, we have a different way to measure that.

It's in Feet Rising, not Inches Falling.

Have a good Day!
S.W.

FOX TV

But..Couldn't that figure be different among different manufacturers at different frequencies? I have a Belden cable catalog, and I will try to remember to look it up and see what they say it says for their brand of RG-6.