Cabling rules

[snuckleton]

I've seen a number of posts where a responder will point to bad cables or a bad splitter as the likely cause of a problem.  I have a cable run that looks suspicious to me and I am wondering if it should be replaced.:

• it is new RG6 about 30 feet long
• it is stapled with bare metal staples
• the staples significantly deform the cable itself
• the cables are NOT randomly spaced but instead are evenly placed on each ceiling joist that the cable crosses

I'd like to hear from one of the Techs on the forum as to whether I should be concerned about this run.

[Keyboards]

Not a tech, but an electronics engineer for years (too many to count ).  I would be possibly concerned with the staples deforming the cable as that changes the characteristic impedance of the cable (nominally 75 ohms) and can cause issues with reflections at different frequencies.  The lack of random spacing should not be an issue with RG-6 - particularly if it is quad shield.

[CharlesH]

I can do nothing but echo the above post. Staples are not the best holders but usually fine to use if you ask me...better to use those plastic holders with a nail at either side.  Naturally if it aint broke don't fix it, but if you begin to have missing channels and pixelation you'll know here the problem is lol.  I wouldnt have used staples though. Just my take.

[snuckleton]

Thanks for the comments.

[athynz]

I'm not a tech though I am an electrican but I can't add much either - I know for electrical wiring (romex) the bare metal staples are fine - unless the installer somehow staples through the romex - but for coax when I do an install I use the plastic "staples" with the nail on one side as well. I'd use the old engineer's adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it" though from a workmanship point of view I'd be concerned about that run. If all is working well,  I would not worry about it much but if things start going on you, that would be the first place I'd check even prior to a splitter.