Finding DirecTV Coax Cable

Simplest? Signal generator and tracer.

donn0128 wrote:
Simplest? Signal generator and tracer.

Can I use a signal generator and tracer to find the middle of a line. I have both ends but I need to find the wire in a bundle.

I have disconnected all of the lines from the switch box and I get continuity on only two cables. I have a 50/50 chance of splicing the correct cable.

Your non-satellite wires are all connected through the over-the-air antenna power booster. You may not be able to separate them out, unless you disconnect everything inside the booster.

You don't care about your over-air-air cables or the associated booster as the satellite antenna has separate dedicated runs. Assuming that you actually do see 2 separate coax cables (plus a power cable) leaving the antenna on the roof, you can disconnect one coax on the roof and jam a piece of aluminum foil into the gap which will span the center conductor and the outside collar. Now, go inside with your multi-meter and look for a coax with a dead short. Once you have that coax, repeat the process on the 2nd roof antenna output. You now have both cables and you can do with them as you please. There are, of course, tools available to do the same thing (power at 1 end and signal at the other) but this is the "less than $1" solution.

Winnebago don't have the 2016 diagrams on line yet, but here's the link to the 2015 diagrams. If you scroll through the site, it will tell you the colours and codes they have printed on all wires. Also diagrams to tell roughly where they run. If the 16 is much different than the 15, phone Winnebago
Winnebago wiring

Winnebago Resources

Ken

If all else fails I would take the 50/50 chance (my luck it would be the wrong one) and cut one. The worst that could happen is I would have to repair two ends and use a coax connector. Doubt if that would harm the wrong coax enough to notice. Good Luck.

On second thought, is there a way to do a splice on one of the two in the middle and then make the switch in connections at both ends of the two coax (if the wrong one was cut) so the correct one becomes the spliced run?

Pick up a 50 foot spool of 20 gauge wire. Put an alligator clip on one end of the wire and clip it to the nut of the wire you want to splice. Pull the 20 gauge wire to where you want to splice. Scrape a small piece of the insulation off the suspected cable to expose the shield. Use your multi-meter to check continuity between the 20 gauge wire and the exposed shield. You may need to disconnect all ends of both cables to prevent common grounds from giving you a false positive.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
You don't care about your over-air-air cables or the associated booster as the satellite antenna has separate dedicated runs. Assuming that you actually do see 2 separate coax cables (plus a power cable) leaving the antenna on the roof, you can disconnect one coax on the roof and jam a piece of aluminum foil into the gap which will span the center conductor and the outside collar. Now, go inside with your multi-meter and look for a coax with a dead short. Once you have that coax, repeat the process on the 2nd roof antenna output. You now have both cables and you can do with them as you please. There are, of course, tools available to do the same thing (power at 1 end and signal at the other) but this is the "less than $1" solution.

C'mon everyone! Bill's method is the easiest and cheapest way to tell which cable is which. I do this all the time. Some of the other suggestions are well just plain out there....

Harbor Freight sells a set of colored coax endcaps and tester for about $20 more or less. I have had mine for a couple of years, so I do not remember actual cost. Just disconnect coax cables and put on an endcaps. Go to the other end of cable and connect tester. Color of light will indicate which endcap is on the other end.

Guys, guys, guys, he is trying to identify the cable in the MIDDLE of the run. You are all having him identify the ends of the cables. To identify the MIDDLE of the cable, a signal generator is the only non-invasive way.

And, yes, a signal generator will identify the coax in the middle of the run.

www.amazon.com