How do I extend my cable?
Every day somebody emails us to ask "How do I extend my satellite LNB/terrestrial aerial/cableTV cable?" or "where can I buy a Sky cable extension?" or "I need a Freeview TV cable extension" or I need a Virgin extension cable".
All the information you need is on the relevant pages of our site but it seemed like a good idea to put some pointers on this separate page. However, you should click on the blue underlined links and read our technical information before purchasing anything!
Note: you must NOT run cable beneath a carpet unless it is in a solid channel that will protect it from being crushed. It only needs to be slightly oval to ruin your signal! Avoid kinks and crushing.
1. Should I extend or replace the whole cable?
As we say on our cable info. page, it's always better to replace the entire length of cable but it's usually OK to join it if you have no alternative. However, a poorly made joint might cause loss or degradation of some channels without affecting others, so read our instructions and do it properly.
Cable has a typical life outdoors, in sunlight and rain, of 5 years before signal loss becomes evident. For this reason, cable installed outdoors should be secured so that it is as easy as possible to replace. (Painting it with a good oil-based paint will help to protect it, as will running it inside a waterproof conduit. In contrast, running it along a rainwater gutter, where it stays damp AND exposed to ultra-violet, will shorten its life.) If your outdoor cable is more than 5 years old and unprotected, consider replacing rather than simply adding an extension. If it's more than ten years old, replace it regardless.
2. What cable should I use?
We stock only double-screened cable, which is suitable for Satellite, Terrestrial, Cable TV*, analogue and digital. If you save pennies by buying inferior cable elsewhere, you may find that it loses more signal and, worse, allows interference in or transmits interference out into adjacent cable or equipment. Please read the notes on our cable info. page and on this review page. You'll find the cheapest ready-made black cables here. The most popular cable is WF100 (which comes in 6 colours) but please do read all the notes.
*Cable TV is normally rented - not owned by you - so you may not be permitted to touch it. Adding cable will lower the signal level so you may need a technician to adjust it.
3. How should I join the cable?
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| Buy cable with 'F' plugs fitted (see links above) or fit an 'F' plug to each cable as shown here |
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| and use a Threaded "F" barrel coupler to join them. |
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| If you will be repeatedly connecting/disconnecting, fit a push-on 'F' adapter and grease it (see below) to minimise wear. |
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| If you need to swap the connection between two receivers, use an LNB switch. |
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| If the joint will be outdoors, or in a damp place, use plenty of silicone grease inside the plug where it will exclude air and moisture to prevent corrosion of the copper contact areas. |
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| and self-amalgamating tape to make the joint weatherproof. |
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| An alternative for RF cables or "fly-leads", which are not connected between the dish (LNB) and satellite receiver, is the simple "TV coupler". You can fit the cable with TV plugs. |
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| However, if the connection is carrying power for an amplifier or "magic eye", you must solder the plugs as described here or buy ready-made leads. |
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| Don't forget to order clips if you need to fix your cable to a wall or skirting board. |
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| See Can I use an extender plate? |
4. What should I use to extend the twin cable from my Sky-Plus or Sky+HD dish?
You can use single cable, as above, or twin cable. There are two types of twin cable:
WF100 twin, (black or white) which is high quality, low loss cable that resists kinking fairly well. You'll need two 10mm holes in the wall.
WF65 "shotgun", (black or white) which has fairly high losses. The total cable length should be kept to 20m maximum if this type is used, unless you increase the dish size to compensate for the signal loss. However, you can use much longer runs for aerial or RF connections since these use lower frequencies where losses are lower. This cable has the advantage of being narrow enough to fit through a single 10mm diameter hole.
Also see our INSTALLATION KITS
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| The Freeview Bible Everything you need to know about installing a Freeview box to receive Terrestrial Digital TV programmes in the UK. Installation guide - Details of many receivers
- What aerial to use and how to choose it
- Installing an aerial and cable
- 60+ pages
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- Moving my Sky Digibox.
