Serious question, how do you handle old coax splitters in tight crawl spaces?

Back in 2018, I'd just cut the old splitter out and crimp on new connectors, which was a pain in a wet crawl space in Seattle. Now I keep a small bag of compression F-connectors and a Klein Tools VDV226-110 crimper in my kit, so I can re-terminate the existing lines right there. It saves me about 15 minutes per job and the connections are way more reliable. What's your go-to method for a quick, solid fix in a nasty crawl space?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_campbell4620d ago

Forget the barrel connectors, that's just kicking the can down the road like milesbailey saw. I always check if the splitter itself is even needed anymore before touching a tool. Half the time people cut cable and those lines are dead, so you can just cap the active one and be done. Saves a ton of crawling around for no reason.

milesbailey21d ago

My buddy had to deal with that exact mess under a house last year. He ended up just cutting the whole splitter out and using a barrel connector to join the lines back together as a temp fix. It was faster than redoing all the ends in the mud, but he said the signal loss was pretty bad.

leo_fisher21d ago

Barrel connectors as a quick fix are everywhere now. Seen it with plumbing, car repairs, even furniture assembly. People just want the problem gone fast. Your buddy's story about the signal loss is the perfect example. Shortcuts usually create a bigger headache later. We're all stuck in this cycle of temporary solutions.