Question about the actual tensile strength of that old RG-6 we all find in attics

I was reading an old spec sheet from a supply house and found out the copper-clad steel center conductor in some of that vintage stuff from the 90s can handle over 150 pounds of pull force before it snaps, which explains why it never seems to break when you're yanking it through a tight space.

3 comments

3 Comments

thomas_gonzalez1mo ago

Oh wow, that makes total sense. I mean, I've yanked on that old stuff so hard trying to free it from a staple, and the connector always gives out before the wire does. It's crazy to hear the actual number, 150 pounds is no joke.

-1

karen_nelson401mo ago

Right, @thomas_gonzalez, but have you ever had the wire snap instead?

nancy3511mo ago

Actually, the connector failing first is a good thing. It's designed to be the weak point on purpose. If the wire itself snapped under tension, you'd have a much bigger problem to fix. Karen's question about the wire snapping is spot on, because that's the failure you really don't want. The 150 pound rating is for a clean pull on new wire, not yanking old stuff stuck in a wall.