# RG-6 near electrical cables



## Randell Tarin

I'm running RG-6 for a satellite feed in new construction. Is there any problem with running it over and around electrical cables? 

I wasn't sure if there would be any interference created EMF of the current carrying cables or if the sheilding on the video cable would be sufficient to protect it.


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## jerryh3

Try to keep it at least a few inches away. If you have to cross the two, do it at a 90 degree angle.


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## ktkelly

12" minimum seperation is recommended.


More is better. 90 degree at crossing points is correct.


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## fburke

You shouldn’t have any issue unless it’s near a motor or some other type of high power. 
if you are concerned make sure you use a QUAD shield cable. Most cables have a foil then the braid than the outer jacket….a QUAD shield has 2 layers of braid and foil. You will need the correct fittings for the cable…90 % of cabling issues is the fittings and being incorrectly cut and sized.


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## chris75

Randell Tarin said:


> I'm running RG-6 for a satellite feed in new construction. Is there any problem with running it over and around electrical cables?
> 
> I wasn't sure if there would be any interference created EMF of the current carrying cables or if the sheilding on the video cable would be sufficient to protect it.




Its not a code violation, and I dont know how long and close they would have to be to actually, if at all, give you a problem.


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## DIYtestdummy

RG-6 is shielded and runs its own power (very small voltage). You should have no interference at all. The only problem I can see is with tight bends - I don't know the specific tolerance with RG-6, but just to thumb it I'd say no less than 4.5 times the diameter of the cable.


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## Yoyizit

Randell Tarin said:


> I'm running RG-6 for a satellite feed


So the freqs running down the cable are far removed from 60 Hz.

I think it's unlikely because of the freq. separation but if you do have any interference I guess it would be bars running slowly through the pic. 
This might be fixed by isolating the RF ground from the power ground, depending on if the install instructs allow this.


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## ktkelly

Well, I guess you should just run your video cable right along with all the electrical wiring and not worry about it....


Of course, when the wall are rocked and painted, you move into the home and find out that you DO have interference, it won't be an issue because many here have told you it won't be.....


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## Yoyizit

*I am officially off this forum, but. . .*

you bring up the topic of risk-aversion.

If my advice is to be carved in stone I would respond more carefully or not at all, because I am not risk-neutral or risk-prone.

On another forum a guy wanted an electronic controller to prevent wheelies in a drag race. 
It occurred to me that some simple circuit we all designed could be responsible for the injuries/deaths of bystanders. 
He found his own solution and we bowed out. Happy ending.

Let's say the HomeOwner tests this parallel running of cables under many circumstances and they all work. Then he/she covers it over with sheetrock, brick veneer, whatever, and some day he/she finds it doesn't work anymore, for whatever reason. 
The cost to repair is X dollars. Before it was zero dollars.

Let's say the HO's exhaustive testing covered 3/4ths of the cases, so there is a 1/4 chance that there is some case in the future that will come back to bite the HO.

Convenience now or a 1/4 chance of trouble later? The HO's convenience now is worth money possibly spent in the future. How much?

A coin is flipped: heads, the HO goes to the trouble to test for the remaining 1/4 of the cases. Tails, he/she runs the cables in parallel.

Now, keep increasing the cost of later repairs, $X, from zero dollars on up.

When it makes no difference to the HomeOwner which way the coin lands, then that is the present value of the possible future cost of $X, today, to the homeowner. If it's less than the predicted future cost of wall destruction/recontruction then the HO should run the cables in parallel.

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Decisi...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223842538&sr=1-3

I write better posts when I've had a few.
:thumbsup:
At least, I think they are better.


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## MikeVila

For what it's worth. I just ran RG6 coax. into my wall right next to electrical wire to mount a coax. wall plate and have had no issues.


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## orangeproav

*RG6 near electrical*

Randall

*Listen to ktkelly!!!*

I can't believe the bad advice you got from some here. There is definitely an interference issue with running RG6 in parallel with electrical. The shielding is not to protect the cable form EMF, it is to maintain the proper impedence and prevent loss of signal traveling down the cable.

Depending on the type of electrical wiring you have, interference can propagate standard a couple inches from the electrical. If you have twisted electrical cable, it is less. If there is any type of bootleg ground (somewhere that neutral and ground are swapped in an outlet-happens more than you'd think) that interference skyrockets.

If you have low quality connections between the TV and anytype of DVD player etc, your problem gets even worse, as they induce voltage that causes rolling bars, etc.

As for the comment on bending, bends that are too tight typically cause "ghosting", you know, the shadow of the picture slightly offset, whereas grounding and EMF issues cause hum bars.

I hope this helps.

Mark C


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## rlukas79

fburke said:


> You shouldn’t have any issue unless it’s near a motor or some other type of high power.
> if you are concerned make sure you use a QUAD shield cable. Most cables have a foil then the braid than the outer jacket….a QUAD shield has 2 layers of braid and foil. You will need the correct fittings for the cable…90 % of cabling issues is the fittings and being incorrectly cut and sized.


this

I am a lowvoltage systems installer and have installed many CATV systems. We only use QSRG6 for this reason.


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## The Cable Guy

Randell Tarin said:


> I'm running RG-6 for a satellite feed in new construction. Is there any problem with running it over and around electrical cables?
> 
> I wasn't sure if there would be any interference created EMF of the current carrying cables or if the shielding on the video cable would be sufficient to protect it.


For satellite there should be no problem...but like has been recommended, try to maintain at least a few inches separation (recommended is 6"...and definitely try to run quad shield RG-6...tri-shield RG-6 will work, but quad shield gives an extra layer of protection). Unlike what others have said, do NOT cross the RG-6 with the power, even at 90 degrees. Skin effect comes to mind along with other issues...read up for some in depth explanations of ingress, skin effect, and signal leakage (all are problematic) here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable 

If you are running for cable, then you need to get as far away from those power lines as is physically possible if running them between the same stud, make sure you are using compression F connectors (NOT that cheap *ss Radio Shack crimp on or twist on connectors!!!), and tightening the connectors to finger tight plus 1/6th turn at any wallplate, barrel, groundblock, diplexer, or splitter in order to prevent any possible ingress (ingress isn't too likely with new and well shielded cable, but you don't want any chance of introducing ANY voltage or signal interference into lines for cable...it'll cause you a ton of headaches, and has the possibilities of sending stuff back up the return path, which could effect everybody nearby you who is also a cable customer).

Also, make ABSOLUTELY SURE you're system is grounded per NEC codes! Use 10 gauge wire to bond to the house ground...any accidental voltage leakage into your cable lines can quickly become a disaster.

Hope this helps.


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## The Cable Guy

DIYtestdummy said:


> RG-6 is shielded and runs its own power (very small voltage). You should have no interference at all. The only problem I can see is with tight bends - I don't know the specific tolerance with RG-6, but just to thumb it I'd say no less than 4.5 times the diameter of the cable.


RG-6 is limited to a 2.5" radius bend...any more will cause serious attenuation and signal loss (not to mention it runs the risk of breaking the center conductor...a good rule to remember is "Low can't jump, high can't swim"...meaning lower frequencies will NOT pass through a broken or severely scored center conductor, and higher frequencies do not do well with any sort of water damage). With the way that both satellite and cable are sending signal up coax these days, you need ALL of the cable (braiding, dielectric, and center conductor) to be in good shape in order to pass all your signal through properly.


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## First2429

I would run it at least 12 inches from any power source. If you are crossing power don't run right on top of it. Leave some space. As far as the bend radius of cable grab the cable about 3 feet apart make a large loop with it slowly pulling the ends tighter. Once they cable starts to spread apart from being in a circle. That is your bend radius. Its usually a 10-12 diameter circle using rg-6 coax. Just a sugestion is to run the cable seperate from the electric. It is easier to do know than latter. It may be more work but there's nothing worse then having to repair drywall to get your TV to work. Also I would suggest using solid copper cable as compare to copper cladded as it will give you better results.


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## d4nieL

A 5-inch separation should suffice. There is no code on running cable beside the power, HOWEVER if voltage gets onto the cable it can cause a HUM bar in your picture so it is always good practice to separate power and cable.


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## fabrk8r

Old posts never die, they just get a lot of new wrinkles.


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## tonystewart1

I have installed Sat and Cable TV for 10 years and my best advise it to keep your coax as far away from electical as you can. You have no idea how many wall fishes I have had to do to get rg-6 away from electical lines. Huge pain in the you know where.


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