DIY IN HOME WIRING | duncancable

The information in this section is provided by Duncan Cable for the purpose of maintaining quality service to all its cable subscribers. While it is unlawful for anyone to tamper with or make unauthorized connections to Duncan Cables active equipment or cables, many homeowners, contractors or builders may wish to install their own in-home cable TV wiring. These guide lines and instructions will help answer your questions and ensure that the wiring you install will perform properly for years to come.

Selecting the correct coaxial cable for Cable Television use.

It may all look the same from the outside, but that is definitely not the case. Inside is what really matters, with specifications like shielding and bonding varying between manufactures. Coaxial cable is manufactured for many different purposes. If there is any doubt, don't hesitate to call us. We will be glad to answer your questions personally.

1. RG-6 type cable with a 67% shield is most commonly used for cable tv in-home wiring and is the minimum requirement for Duncan Cable. It should be UL approved and have the letters "CATV" printed on the jacket.

2. The dielectric (white material around the center copper core) should be a foam material, not solid plastic. The dielectric should be wrapped in a foil material and bonded to the dielectric.

3. On the outside of the foil there should be a good quantity of wire braid material, at least four wires per braid. This shielding is important in making sure outside signals do not cause interference with our cable signals and vise versa. The diagram to the right may provide further help.

Planning and Routing the cable in the home.

The preferred method is to make sure each TV outlet will have a dedicated line from our service point on the outside of the home direct to each television outlet on the interior of the home. This will ensure that each television set receives a balanced level of signal. It is important to keep in mind that signal levels are reduced each time a cable line is split. Special consideration must be given to this issue to avoid loss of final picture quality.

Here are some important tips that will help reduce possible problems.

1. Run each cable from Duncan Cable's service point, to the desired outlet location, by the shortest possible route in order to keep the cable as short as possible, which will minimize loss.

2. Do not make sharp bends in the cable. Try to maintain a bend radius of a least 2 1/2 inches.

3. Do not kink or pinch the cable in any way. Avoid the use of staples, but if they become necessary make sure they do not puncture or dent the outside jacket of the cable.

4. Keep cable runs away from heating elements, heating ducts and hot water pipes. The heat will deteriorate the inside of the cable which will eventually cause reception problems.

5. Do not run cables under carpets which would be across a door way. Heavy foot traffic will damage the cable. Make sure to keep the cable away from carpet tack strips that may puncture the cable jacket.

6. Leave approximately 1 to 2 feet of extra wire at the entry and outlet points so Duncan Cable will be able to make the necessary final connections.

7. Do not attempt to install cable end connectors . Most reception problems are caused by improper installation of these connectors. This operation will be performed by Duncan Cable when the service or outlets are activated.

Duncan Cable will gladly answer any questions you may have regarding the installation of in-home wiring. Although this seems like a very simple process, many factors you may be unaware of can cause problems with reception, not only at your location, but also at other points throughout our system. As more complex services are offered over our cable network, the more sensitive it becomes to small problems with simple cable and connection faults. The process and technologies used today to supply television cable and internet service are much different from telephone and electric services. In fact, these new processes are vastly more complex than they were just a few short years ago.

We are always available to assist you and answer your questions. Please don't hesitate to call us.

802-464-2233