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How to fit 'F' Connectors to coaxial cable
  Published:2012-06-20 14:12:28   Views:

First ensure that you have the correct F connector to suit your cable. There are several sizes and they all look the same!
 
(All F connector nuts are the same 11mm AF. Only the cable entry size is different.)
Note: we select our 'F' plugs to fit the cable that we sell. We can't comment on other plugs or cable that we don't sell.About 25 mm from the end, use a knife to cut around the outer plastic covering. Be careful not to cut the braided copper wires inside!Pull off the plastic cover. Separate the braided copper wires then push them back over the black insulation.
 
Cut off the exposed metal foil shield.
Cut off the white plastic insulation to expose the inner wire core, leaving about 3 mm of white plastic insulation. This reduces the risk of the braided copper wires touching the inner wire core which must never happen!Now for the previously unpublished trade secret!Apply silicone grease to all the exposed copper at the end of the cable.Alternatively, push the cable end into a jar of petroleum jelly so it soaks into the copper braid. This will help weatherproof it and make screwing the plug on much easier. (Silicone grease is better as it doesn't oxidise and go brown).
 
The grease coats the inner copper wire and the outer copper braid, preventing moisture and oxygen from causing corrosion. The electrical connection is unaffected because there's more than enough pressure for the contact metal to bite through to the copper.

(Our 'F' plugs are chosen to be a tight fit and may be very difficult or even impossible to screw on if you don't use grease.)Some "professionals" will not use grease because they don't want the connection to last beyond the guarantee period (they want you to call them out after a year) or because they simply don't realise that it helps.

Screw an 'F' connector as far as the inner white plastic, holding it with a piece of cloth or leather or pliers to protect your fingers.The copper strands must be cut off and this means that sharp ends will protrude. You can wrap these with self-amalgamating tape or heat shrink tube indoors.