Had a homeowner in Philly tell me I was "making a mess" with my coax runs last Tuesday

I've always been a run it tight and fast kind of installer, zip ties and hookups done in 20 minutes. This older guy watches me for a bit and says I'm gonna make his cable fail in a year cause I'm bending the lines too sharp near the splitter. I mean, I've been doing it this way for 7 years and never had a callback, but he showed me a pic of his old install that did fail right at the bend. Do you guys really take the extra time to sweep every corner gentle, or is that just overkill for a basic cable drop? I'm wondering if I should change my technique or if this guy was just being picky.

2 comments

2 Comments

gibson.sean21d ago

Bending them too sharp near the splitter is a real thing, I've seen it mess up signals after a year. Doesn't matter if you've never had a callback, that old guy had proof on his wall. Probably worth taking 2 extra minutes to sweep those corners gentler, just to be safe.

dylanwilliams21d ago

Wait, doesn't the real risk come from the bend being too close to the connector, not the splitter itself? I've had guys show me where the impedance mismatch happens right at the compression fitting if you bend it within like 2 inches of the end. The splitter part matters too but mostly if you're putting strain on the whole line. Maybe that old guy's proof showed something different though.