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Found that pre-stretching coaxial cable avoids kinks every single time

I was on a job last week and kept dealing with coaxial cable that would kink up (you know, like when it bends too sharp). It was slowing me down a lot, and I was getting frustrated. Then I remembered something an old timer told me about stretching the cable a bit before you run it. I tried it, and wow, it went in smooth as butter. No more kinks, no more having to go back and fix things. It seems so obvious now, but it took me a while to put it into practice. This little trick helped the whole install feel way easier.
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3 Comments
ivan840
ivan8408m ago
My old boss showed me this with RG6 in crawl spaces. I mean, it’s not just about the install day. If you don’t pre stretch, the cable keeps its springy memory and can actually push connectors loose over months. I’ve had to redo outlets because a tight loop in the wall slowly fought the compression fit. A good pull takes that fight out of it for good. Makes the whole run behave.
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brookef73
brookef731d ago
How much do you actually stretch it? Just a light pull or something more?
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the_simon
the_simon1d ago
People get so worked up about stretching techniques. It's just a basic movement, not rocket science. Doubt it matters much in the grand scheme.
1