How to Splice a Television Cable

Coaxial Cable with Barrel Adapter Attached

If you need to splice your television cable, there's no need to call an electrician. It's a simple task that you can do yourself if you have the right tools. Television cable is technically called coaxial cable, and the tools for this job can be found at your local hardware shop. Before you go to the store, make note of the type of cable you are splicing; RG6 is the most common for home applications. This information can be found printed on the outside of the cable, and will be useful in determining which tools to buy.

Things You'll Need

• Coaxial cable
• Coax cable stripper
• Coax compression connector
• Coax compression tool
• Coax barrel adapter
• Signal splitter

Instructions

Strip the Cables

1. Strip the rubber-like insulation off the ends of your television cables using the coax cable stripper. Though this can be done with a knife, the stripper will cut and strip the wire at the required depth. Position the tool as far up the cable as you want to see bare wires, squeeze the handle and gently cut and pull the wire insulation off the end of the cable.

2. Take the end of one of the stripped cables and insert it into a coax compression connector. Ensure that the small metal center, usually made of copper, is sticking out of the opposite end of the compression connector.

3. Compress the back end of the connector using your coax compression tool. This creates a solid connection which will result in the best signal output. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other cable.

Splitting the Signal

1. Screw the main cable (the one that comes from the wall) into the splitter. Your cable splitter will be clearly labeled with one "input" post and two or more "output" posts. The cable that attaches to the wall is the input. Take the free end of this cable and screw it to the post labeled "input." The posts on a cable splitter are male threaded, meaning the threads are on the outside. The ends of your newly finished coaxial cables are female, meaning threaded on the inside. They should screw together easily. The threaded portion of the coaxial connector spins freely so the cable itself will not spin and get tangled.

2. Screw one end of your second cable to one of the outgoing signal posts on the signal splitter. The second cable should be long enough to reach from the signal splitter to your device with some slack when all of your electronics are in place.

3. Attach the other end of your second cable to the desired device, your television for example. If this end of your second cable is bare cable, attach a coax connector to it before attempting to attach it to the desired device.

4. Attach a coaxial cable connector to a third cable to attach a second device.

5. Screw one end of your third cable to the second outgoing signal post on the signal splitter. Attach the other end of the cable to your second device.

Extending the Signal

1. Attach the incoming cable to one end of the coax barrel adapter. The barrel adapter is a small adapter with two male threaded ends. Your coaxial cables have female threaded connectors on their ends. They should screw together easily.

2. Screw one end of your second cable into the other side of the barrel adapter to complete the extension.

3. Attach a connector if there is no connector on the free end of your second cable.

4. Screw the free end of your second cable into your television, cable set-top box, or other compatible device. The connector on your device will usually be labeled "Signal IN," "Cable IN" or something similar.

Resources

• "Network Cabling Illuminated;" Robert Shimonski, Richard T. Steiner, Sean M. Sheedy; 2006
• YouTube: TV & Electronics--How to Splice Coaxial Cables