In article , Windmill spam-no-
lid scribeth thus
tony sayer writes:

In article , Windmill spam-no-
scribeth thus
tony sayer writes:

Was unhappy to discover when hooking up the Avo that not only does the
cable have just copper-coated-steel inner conductor, but that the outer
braid over the foil can't be soldered because it is (I think) aluminium
braid.
Which sounds to me like an accident waiting to happen.

I think you'll find most all the cable TV nets in the UK use ally foil
cables there not quite as bad as you might think terminated properly..


Yebbut this wasn't just aluminium foil; the braid was also aluminium
and so wouldn't solder.
Re-checking the cable specs, I see that it does say 'aluminium wire
braid over foil'.
Either I didn't spot that, or they've produced a more detailed
description in the years since I ordered the reel of cable.



Invariably they crimp that sort of cable. You can use screw on F types
with it.

I don't think theres a soldered connection most anywhere in the local
cable network!..

I'm now thinking that the cause of my problems may well be that it's
difficult to get a good connection to aluminium.

Well if you saw the crimp connectors they use;!..

A terrestrial antenna usually won't need power, so this stuff might be
fine for that, but dish motor and LNB could take going on for 1/2 amp.

This is another case of 'what I think I know is now wrong'.

Once upon a time, RG6 cable had copper inner conductor and tinned
copper braid outer, and that's what I thought I was ordering.
But this junk has copper-coated steel inner conductor and aluminium foil
outer with aluminium braid wire over that.

Well if you have a duff connection then you have a duff connection, have
a look at the joints in the system and make sure there're well wrapped
in self welding tape! and theres no water ingress anywhere along the
cables if the outer sheathing has been damaged or slit etc....


Maybe there's still some hope, though, short of replacing all the
cable.

You say that screw-on F type connectors can be used with it.
Is there some special approved method of making the connection?
Maybe folding back the foil as well as the braid over the outer
insulation, instead of remving the foil and leaving only the braid as I
did, and then screwing a suitable-sized connector over that?

You can do that, have a practice..
--
Tony Sayer