CABLE DIRECT'S
Television Cables & Connectors
Television Cable Categories
Audio
Video
RF
Video & Television Cables
RF Cable and the F Connector
Cable Selection: RG-6 or RG-59
Television Cable Categories
There are three basic categories of cable for connecting
televisions, VCR’s, satellite receivers, and other video and TV equipment.
They are Audio, Video, and RF
(radio frequency).
Audio
Audio cables carry the audio signal (sound). Connectors
for audio are usually RCA or mini-phone connectors.
Video
Video is low frequency and contains only a single
visual channel and no audio. RCA connectors are used for composite video
in consumer equipment . BNC connectors are generally used with professional
equipment. There is also the YC (S-Video) type of cable. The YC cable is
actually 2 cables in one, each carrying a component of the video (one luminance
and the other chroma). When using video cables, separate cables are required
for audio.
RF
The third type of television cable is the RF (radio
frequency) cable. This is the type of cable that is used to connect your
TV to cable television or to an antenna. RF is high frequency and can carry
multiple TV channels (VHF & UHF), and each TV channel can carry both
the sound and the picture information. The "TV Out" on a VCR
(or satellite receiver) is an RF output; this is used for viewing on your
TV's Channel 3 or 4. Only one RF cable is needed to connect a VCR to a
TV. The RF connector used in television is the F connector.
Video & Television Cable
All video and television (RF) coaxial cables have
an impedance of 75 ohms. RG-59, RG6, and RG-11 are examples of 75 ohm cables.
The designation of a cable is based on its dielectric (insulation) diameter
not its outside diameter.
Dielectric Diameters O.D. (outside diameter)
RG-59 .146 inches
RG-6 .180 inches
RG-6A .185 inches
RG-11 .280 inches
RF Cable and the F Connector
The F connector is the standard RF connector used
on TV’s, VCR’s, Satellite equipment, splitters, and other television distribution
equipment. There are 2 basic F connectors found in home use. The F-59 is
used for RG-59 cable and the F-56 is used for RG-6 cable. Outdoor, extra
heavy duty, and plenum(fire resistant) cable are examples of cable types
that might not work with a regular F connector. Since the dielectric diameter
is fixed for a type of cable, the main obstacle to the use of a particular
F connector on a specific cable is the thickness of the jacket. Note the
dielectric diameter(O.D.) is the same as the inside diameter of the F connector.
Cable Selection: RG-59 or RG-6
RG-6 is the recommended cable for home installations
especially when it is going to be used for satellite. However not all RG-6
is suitable! Suitable cable should be a cable made for high frequencies
(UHF or better), it should have a 100% aluminum shield, and a solid copper
center conductor. Do not use RG-6 cables that are optimized for studio
video use (heavy copper shield and no aluminum foil). Care should be made
when installing cable as twists and crimps which can be tolerated for regular
television (VHF) use can ruin the high frequency characteristics of the cable
needed for satellite. SAT cable is a cable that has been sweep tested to
verify there are no manufacturing defects that can hamper performance at
satellite frequencies.