Re: Detecting where a coax cable goes to

["BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

You can even just use an alligator switch to short the center conductor
to the side and check for 0 ohms.

From:Charlie Bress
cbress@xxxxxxxxxxx

> <bruno.lerer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1137886728.287403.99300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> I have what I think is an unsual question which I couldn't find an
>> answer to: in my attic there is a coax splitter with several coax
>> outputs to coax cables which snake into the ceiling and disappear in
>> the boweles of the house. They are all of the same color and have no
>> identifying marks.  In the house itself, there are coax jacks in
>> several rooms.
>>
>> And now the question: is there a way to determine, without buying
>> expensive equipment, which cable in the attic leads to which room?
>> Since not all coax jacks in the rooms are connected to a tv, it's not
>> just a matter of disconnecting one cable after another from the
>> splitter and seeing which tv loses its signal.
>>
>
> Let's assume there are no other splitters involved.
> Forget the battery method.
> Go to RadioShack or equivalent and buy a  75 ohm terminator.
> If you don't own a test meter, get the cheapest one you can find that
> measures resistance.
> Disconnect all the sets that are attached to the cable system
> Put the terminator on one wall outlet.
> At the splitter disconnect, all the cables.
> Take the meter and at the splitter end find the cable that measures
> about 75 ohms between the center pin of the cable connector and the
> outside of the cable connector.
> Tag both ends of that cable.
> Move the terminator to the next wall outlet and repeat.
> Having an assistant who can move the terminator around and
> communicate to the attic is a great time and effort saver.
>
> Charlie