Update: Saw a huge difference after switching to solid copper drop wire

I replaced about 200 feet of copper clad steel on a run in Austin last week and the signal loss dropped by almost 8 dB. The old stuff had been up for maybe 5 years and was corroded near the connectors. Has anyone else seen that big of a jump just from changing the wire type?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylermurray2mo ago

Ngl I'd be happy just to not short out my connectors for once.

drew9062mo ago

Wait, are you actually shorting out your connectors or just bending the pins? I see people mix those up all the time. Bending pins back with a toothpick is way different than actually shorting something with a power spike. Shorts usually happen when you plug stuff in while the system is live or if you drop a screw on the motherboard. If you're just fighting with tiny connectors and bent pins, that's more of a patience problem than an electrical one.

mark_cooper1mo ago

Are you using metal tools to adjust your connectors? I had to learn that the hard way myself. A plastic spudger or even a toothpick makes a huge difference compared to a metal screwdriver. Also, always double check your PSU is unplugged before you touch anything. Even a little static can mess up your day if you're not careful. Getting a magnetic screw tray stopped me from dropping screws onto the board and shorting things out.