TV cable chopped off

wanderer

While trimming off some garden plants I accidently cut off the TV cable. Is there any thing I can buy (like the perma plug) to connect the 2 bits together?

imho

My husband cut our cable as well and joined them up but signal wasnt as good on tv afterwards

needaspirin

I would personally strip back the ends of the coaxial cables and twist the centre wires together using pliers. Then wrap with waterproof tape. I would then twist together the outer mesh wires and seal the whole thing with more tape.
So that it comes together easily the inner wire must be cut shorter than the outer to allow for twisting the outer together.
Do not allow any strands of the outer cable to remain in contact with the inner thicker wire or signal will be poor.

Or you can use connectors like this:

You can buy connectors from Maplin here: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=tv%20connector&source=15 but the bits will cost £4.67
You could probably find them all in one pack in the £1 shop.

You would still need to seal the assembly with plenty of waterproof tape afterwards.

zax47

If it's cable TV (Virgin etc.) then ring them and they will come fix it - happens all the time!

Failing that then joint it yourself -PROPERLY! Get two "F" connectors (These here) which have a screw thread and an F type back to back connector (Like this) to join them. Don't just twist the wires together - you'll get a crappy high resistance joint and rubbish pictures. Cover the lot in water proof "self-amalgamating" tape.

DVardysShadow

Strangely, in a TV cable, the signal actual travels in the insulation - much as the broadcast signal travels through the air, which is of course an insulator. The shape is designed to make sure that the signal travels smoothly without echoing back. So if you do a DIY repair which just involves twisting wires together, it is bound not to works as well as the original cable. zax47 suggest F connectors. this is the right way to go.