coax cable - RG9?

tipperary

Hi all

just met the electrician on site today, marking locations for sockets, switches etc. For the TV/satellite he suggested RG9 cable. I haven't heard of this before and am wondering is this the best cable to go with. I have no problem paying a bit extra for a good quality cable as I want to be as 'future proof' as practical.

byte

I'm presuming he meant RG6.

I suggest you use better quality cable, like CT100/TX100/WF100/etc (can have various names depending on manufacturer). Basically this type cable has copper braid, and also copper tape as shielding. RG6 usually has a sort of foil covered tape instead of copper, making it cheaper, but a bit more lossy than the "copper on copper".

northdublin

ive not heard of an rg9, i have however heard of rg6 which is used a lot in tv and satelite installations. its a decent coax due to it having foam insulation as opposed to air-spaced type. it has what i think is an aluminium layer between the outer braid and the insulation to help stop signal loss and keep unwanted signals out. it usually comes in 100 metre rolls and is not that exspensive.
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/205186431/1000FT_RG6_Dual_Shielded_Coaxial_Cable.jpg

another cable to consider is sat-100/ct-100.....similar construction and both 75 ohm
ps ive not heard og rg-9 but that doesnt mean its not available

Hoagy

I think RG9 is a 51 ohm cable, not suitable for general TV use.

byte

northdublin wrote: »

ive not heard of an rg9, i have however heard of rg6 which is used a lot in tv and satelite installations. its a decent coax due to it having foam insulation as opposed to air-spaced type. it has what i think is an aluminium layer between the outer braid and the insulation to help stop signal loss and keep unwanted signals out. it usually comes in 100 metre rolls and is not that exspensive.
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/205186431/1000FT_RG6_Dual_Shielded_Coaxial_Cable.jpg

another cable to consider is sat-100/ct-100.....similar construction and both 75 ohm
ps ive not heard og rg-9 but that doesnt mean its not available

While CT100 and RG6 have similar builds, the likes of CT100 is considered the standard for satellite installations, as it has less loss on high frequencies. RG6 is less effective on high freqs, which is why I recommend the copper-on-copper CT100 (CT100 isn't really made anymore, but it's generically used to identify the cable type). It's also for this reason that RG6 is much cheaper than CT100.

Jnealon

Could it be RG59 ??

tipperary

thanks everyone for your help.

have instructed the electrician to change to CT100 cable for the TV points.

Stoner

if you are concerned, check the cable as it goes in, who knows he might just say "sure CT100", but stick whatever he has in the van in.

FX Meister

I think RG9 is 51 ohm and it's used more for cctv.

fishdog

I think RG9 is 51 ohm and it's used more for cctv.

Correct. It is not double screened and has a smaller conductor than RG6. This is probably why it is so much cheaper. As the other posters said CT100 or RG6 will be fine.

byte

tipperary wrote: »

thanks everyone for your help.

have instructed the electrician to change to CT100 cable for the TV points.

Wise decision.

Also might be a good idea to have at least 4 drops to the main sitting/living room. 1 for terrestrial, 2 for possibility of Sky+(HD), and 1 for return feed to distribute to other rooms. If you are considering extra satellite receivers or suchlike in other rooms, allow for extra cables in these also, save hassle in the future.

northdublin

byte wrote: »

Wise decision.

Also might be a good idea to have at least 4 drops to the main sitting/living room. 1 for terrestrial, 2 for possibility of Sky+(HD), and 1 for return feed to distribute to other rooms. If you are considering extra satellite receivers or suchlike in other rooms, allow for extra cables in these also, save hassle in the future.

this too is my philosiphy......why run one cable when you can run 3 0r 4 and save hartache later on.

watty

yes CT100 style foam core cable. At least two drops per room and 4 in main room.