Use a Good Direct Burial Feed Line for Your LNB

[el bandido]

The connectors for RG11 are a bit different than connectors for RG6. Attached is a .pdf file that describes in detail the connectors I am using. The main difference between RG11 and RG6 is the center conductor on RG11 is too big, so the RG11 F connector has the center pin built into it. RG11 connectors vary in price, from around two dollars to over nine dollars for a single connector. I chose the EX11N716 connector for some of my cables because they appear to be of good quality and they should last many years in the weather.

Care must be taken when installing RG11 connectors. The cable does not need to be crushed, so use a good set of side cutters or a cut off wheel to cut the cable to the correct length.
A coring tool designed for the cable should be used to prep the cable end before the connector is installed. Preparing the cable for a connector is a two cut process. The right amount of center insulation needs to be removed, and the right amount of outer cable needs to be removed in order for the connector to be installed correctly.
After the end of the cable has been has been prepared, fan the outer cable shield back and install the connector by twisting the connector on the cable and pushing down firmly on the connector at the same time.
The connector should be checked with an ohm meter before it is crimped. Check for a dead short between the center conductor and the metal on the outside of the connector. Then check for a good connection between the center conductor of the cable and the center conductor of the connector. Also check for a good connection between the shield of the cable and the metal on the outside of the connector.
Compress the connector with the correct crimping tool, then retest the connector. If no problems are found, install the second connector using the same methods as the first connector.

Good RG11 parts are not cheap. The picture below shows a couple of things to avoid. Look closely at the end piece of RG11 and you will see that it is crushed or egg shaped. This piece of RG11 was cut with lineman pliers. You want to avoid these kinds of cuts at all costs because these cuts will cause connector problems.
Also in the same picture is an EX11 connector with a stub of RG11 attached to it. This connector was not tested before it was crimped and is now trash. This connector was not pushed far enough down on the RG11, causing the center conductor to have an intermittent connection! (That bad connector is about three dollars I get to put into the trash.)

At present, I have changed out both c and ku RG6 feed lines for one fta receiver. These feeds were fairly short, with one run being about 100 feet(ku) and the other about 90 feet(c). The signal at the receiver now is more comparable to the signal received at the dish antennas with a short RG6 cable attached. There is a small but noticeable signal increase overall for both of these feed lines as compared to the RG6. I would use this type of RG11 cable for feed line runs of about 200 feet. I would want something better than RG11 for anything longer than 200 feet. EB


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