An old farmer taught me something about running cable back in 2003

I was working a rural job out near Springfield, installing a satellite dish for this older guy who lived way off the main road. He came out to watch me work, and after a bit he pointed at my coil of coax and said 'son, you're fighting that wire instead of working with it.' I laughed it off at first, but he was right. I was bending the cable too tight around corners and putting stress on the connectors. He showed me how to let the cable find its own gentle curve by hanging it loose before securing it. That one tip saved me from a ton of signal loss calls over the next few years. I still think about that when I'm running a long line through an attic. Has anyone else had a customer give you advice that actually stuck?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_seth3d ago

Nah, I gotta push back on this one. Letting cable flop loose before securing it can actually introduce more issues with signal degradation if you don't account for interference from nearby power lines or metal ducts. I'd rather zip-tie it tight and smooth from the start than risk a nightmare later.

jamesmason3d ago

Actually used to be on the same side as you on this. Took a few failed runs and having to go back in to redo everything before I gave the loose method a fair shot. Now I swear by letting it hang and settle before fastening, less signal noise overall.