TV Cable

D

Doc

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Joined
May 2, 2005
RO Number
17228
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533
I spent $100 at WM for a yellow Marinco TV cable thinking that for that money I would be able to coil and uncoil it easier than the standard black coax from other places. It should be supple and easy to deal with.

Wrong. It is just as kinky and I cannot coil it or uncoil it without much twisting and trying again to make it behave.

I remember when marine telephone cords had a cable TV coax wrapped with it. It seemed to be easy to work with.

What can I buy if anything?
 
People still buy those cables?
I have 3 of them I think where they have the cable and phone in one line.
I didn't think anyone still used these as noone uses the phone and most boats have satellite.
Mine is pretty thick and coils pretty good as it's not just the cable.
Return that one, pay for shipping and you can have the one I have if I can find it in my basement!
 
Coaxial cable has a solid wire at its center. That makes the cable stiff and there's not much you can do about that. If you make too small of a radius bend, the center cable might push through the insulation and touch the shield. This causes signal degradation. Don't coil it up too tightly.

I once had a dock neighbor who wrapped his extra coax around his cleat and couldn't understand why his TV reception was bad.
 
Yes they are a PITA. I wind it on my arm and attach two clamps to hold the loops. Not pretty but it works.

A very useful addition is to add those push on ends to the screw ends.
 
I used to make my own out of coax with the multi strand center wire. I would just tin the tip of the multi strand that stuck out of the plug so it would fit into the socket on the TV. Coiled nicely and seem to work just fine.
 
New cable systems have tight specs on cable for signal leakage since they are now transmitting wider band signals including using the "protected" aircraft communications and navigation frequencies. To meet the tighter specs most require double shielded cable that is a lot less flexible.
 
Meanwhile, Doc spent $100 for a piece of yellow coax with some common fittings on it at West Marine. If I were Doc, I'd return it.
 
quote:
Originally posted by chriscraft67

Meanwhile, Doc spent $100 for a piece of yellow coax with some common fittings on it at West Marine. If I were Doc, I'd return it.

Click to expand...


Yep, a complete waste of money, just go to any store that sells regular coax and buy a length for next to nothing.
 
My guess the only differences in that cable from a regular one are the color, "marine", and the price.
 
I didn't realize that all coax has a solid wire core. When I bought my boat all the original cables, etc were still still under one of the seats. My coax is a white cable that is very flexible, similar to any stranded cable, with nice weather protected (molded) ends on it. (?)
 
RG179 is a much smaller diameter and has a stranded center as well as similar specifications to RG6. PERHAPS, it could be substituted for RG6 from the dock to the boat. I think I might give this a try since it would be very easy store and coil any excess. It has roughly a half inch bend radius, too. I'll report back if this works.
 
The white cables with the molded ends could be had from Radio Shack. Not cheap but a whole lot less than $100. They're quite flexible too and while I've never cut one open they do appear to have a solid core.
 
With everything being wireless nowdays, you would think someone would come up with something that could plug into the connector at the pole and transmit to a router in the boat without a cable.
 
They have, it's called a rabbit and has been out for years.
 
Yellow one is going back to WM tomorrow.

I looked at the white one at Radio Shack and it is only 25 bucks. May buy it.

In the mean time my old black one will have to fill it.

Thanks everyone
 
I looked up rabbit and did not find anything like what I described. Do you have a link?
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer

I looked up rabbit and did not find anything like what I described. Do you have a link?

Click to expand...

LOL

Keep in mind the tip of the connector is the center core of the cable I'm not sure how you could put an F connector on a stranded cable without using adapters. I would stick to standard RG6 and goes bad cut the end or and replace it. You can buy twist on ends at Radio Shack I install cable wiring so I have the tools to put a proper end on but it you don't a twist on works just fine.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer

I looked up rabbit and did not find anything like what I described. Do you have a link?

Click to expand...


Seems the device I was thinking of is not made anymore and was meant to send a vcr signal, but I think they say that because they don't want to advertise a way to avoid having another cable box. But since cable box controls the signal, it may not work either.

http://support.radioshack.com/support_video/doc47/47629.htm
 
I have a house that dates to 1739. The living room TV requires drilling through a couple feet of rock or sending the signal wirelessly. I have and installed such a device. I used to have one of the brand name "Rabbit". I'm not sure if that's the one I installed. They work. They're two way so you can use you existing clicker.
 
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