Coax and cat5

[Glen Butler]

What are the best tools for coax and cat5? Is there a benefit to using either crimp or compression coax connects? I don't want to make the drive to my electrical wholesaler, so I was looking at the BORG at the Klein tools.

[paul cottingham]

Use the compression connectors for the coax. The crimp ones will give you nothing but grief over time. For cat5, if you are making patch cables, buy them. They are much better with an integrated boot, and with stranded, rather than solid wire. If you arlooking for punch down tools, i like the ideal one. Buy a jacket stripper. It will save you tones of time, and hassle, especially for coax.

[Glen Butler]

That's good to know. I guess the crimp coax wiggle and loosen over time? I guess for cat5 I need a push down tool (i think they are called a 110 tool?) more than I would need a patch cable tool.

[paul cottingham]

A punch down tool, yes. Use it to terminate jacks, and buy patch cables. Get a good one, the crappy ones aren't worth the plastic they are made of.