Moving a Sky cable

Raistlin · 05-09-2007, 10:42

Morning All

Currently have Sky installed,but could do with changing the point that the cable comes through the wall into the house.

Happy with drilling a new hole and poking the wire through, just don't know the following:

1. What type of connector do I need on the end of the cable where it plugs into the Sky box?

2. Do I need any special tools to attach the connector to the cable?

3. How easy (or not) is this to do? Am I likely to run into any problems at all?

4. To save me the trouble of doing it, does anybody know how much Sky are likely to charge for this?

Thanks

altis · 05-09-2007, 11:09

1: this is an F-type connector

2: to do a descent job, yes, you'll need a special crimp tool

3: if you can follow instructions, it's easy!

4: no idea

If you don't need to extend the cable then you'll probably be able to wiggle the connector through the holes - it's not very big - and coil up any spare cable. If you need a longer bit of cable then you can get an extension from B&Q or Maplin.

Some more details in this thread:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/62...tor-modem.html

Raistlin · 05-09-2007, 11:19

Thanks for that, at the moment the cable comes through the wall and has a connector like in the pictures in that thread attached to the end. This is then connected to another connector which joins it to a third. This third is then on the end of the wire that leads to the Sky box.

I'm not sure that the connector that's on their at the moment can be pulled back through the old hole, or that I will then be able to poke it back through the new hole (at least, not without damaging the connector).

This Page seems to suggest that the connectors can just be screwed on, is this a different type of connector or have they just done a shoddy job?

**Chris** · 05-09-2007, 11:23

You can get screw-on f-connectors, but they don't make as good a contact with the cable as properly crimped ones. You risk picture quality issues.

If you're not happy doing this yourself, any satellite/aerial installer in your local yellow pages will be able to do it - you don't need to get Sky involved. In fact, I'd recommend that you don't.

Raistlin · 05-09-2007, 11:31

The problem is that dipping into the Yellow Pages these days is a bit like riding into Dodge City - except you can't distinguish the cowboys quite as easily.

altis · 05-09-2007, 11:33

Ideally, you want to minimise the number of connectors and bits of cable involved. This is because they can introduce reflections and upset the signal as well as being a potential source of faults.

Raistlin · 05-09-2007, 11:33

Is this the tool that I need?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CoAxial-Crimpi...QQcmdZViewItem

altis · 05-09-2007, 11:47

Note that you'll need to make sure you buy a crimp tool that is compatible with your connectors. I have used those hexagon crimps before but the result is not very pretty! I'd go with Snap-n-Seal or SealTite which are also waterproof so you can use them outside.

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/search/re...tt=snap-n-seal
http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/search/re...3&Ntt=sealtite