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c/cable-installersuma_nelsonuma_nelson3d agoProlific Poster

TIL my coax crimp tool was set up wrong for years

I was finishing a job in a new apartment building in Charlotte last Tuesday, and the customer complained about pixelated sports channels. I re-terminated the outlet, same issue. My boss came to check and asked to see my crimper. He flipped it over, pointed at the die, and said 'You've been using the RG6 setting on RG59 cable this whole time.' I felt so dumb. The numbers were worn off, but I never checked. I must have done hundreds of installs like that, thinking my connections were tight. We swapped the die, re-did the fitting, and the signal cleared right up. Has anyone else had a tool setting blind spot that took way too long to notice?
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2 Comments
brookerobinson
That story from @sarah198 really hits home, I always thought checking the tool itself was overkill until a similar mistake cost me a whole afternoon.
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sarah198
sarah1982d ago
My old foreman told me a story about a guy who used a dull blade on his coax stripper for an entire year, just pressing harder every time. He went through so many fittings before someone watched him work. It's crazy how a tiny tool detail can mess up so much work without you even knowing.
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