"DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno" wrote in message
...
He got most of it right.

As a former installer of a dual system (Cube) (Time/Warner)(Warner/
Amex)We had dual 'siamesed' cables and those used for "drops" had the
messenger strand.

However, ALL of it, indoor, outdoor, drop lines, and UG (underground)
ALL had a braided tin plated copper braid over the foil layers. The foam
core had a laminated immobile foil affixed to it, and then there was foil
and braid over that. I know because foil tears and braid does not, and
the fittings used in the industry get crimped on, and foil alone will not
endure those stresses over time, if not fail immediately.

But RG-6 can be bought in many different configurations. It is more
about the form factor and physical size and characteristic impedance.
RG-59 was the same impedance but slightly smaller but had a higher
capacitance per foot and could not be used on longer runs, whereas the
RG-6
could perform over greater distances Mainly due to a thicker core to
shield spacing making for a lower parasitic capacitance per foot.

And you got most of that right. The RG number is mostly the physical size
of the cable. The reason rg-6 size is used is for lower losses at higher
frequencies. It is less expensive and able to be bent and handled in a
house easier than the rg-11 size.

The main loss in the cable up; to about 1000 MHz is the resistance loss of
the conductors. By making the center conductor larger there is less loss.
The foil is used to provide a very good shield to keep the RF inside the
cable, and the braid is mainly to provide a way to crimp it for a good
electrical connection.