Make Your Own High Quality TV LEAD

This video shows you how to make your own high-quality TV aerial or satellite flylead, which can connect between your wall socket and your television receiver.

Many of the factory made flyleads are of inferior quality which can themselves cause loss of TV signal and pixilation and the high-quality versions, which can be purchased are often a lot more expensive than they need to be. This video will show you how to make your high quality TV lead for only a few pounds to exactly the correct length.

Tools You Will Need To Prepare Your Own TV Aerial Flylead

1x Stanley Blade, utility knife or coaxial preparation tool
1x Side cutters

Parts You Will Need to A TV Aerial Flylead

2x Coaxial IEC plugs
Coaxial cable

Step By Step Guide To Make Your Own TV Aerial Lead

1) Separate the coaxial IEC plug into its individual four parts. These are a Screw cap, a main coaxial outside body, an inner core connector and a claw.
2) Over the top of the coaxial cable. Insert the screw cap onto the end of the coaxial cable that you wish to terminate. The threaded side must point towards the end of the cable.
3) With the coaxial stripping tool or utility knife. Around 1 inch or 25mm away from the cable end, make a small incision around the PVC jacket of the cable. Be extra vigilant not to cut out all the way though as you do not want to cut into the coaxial braid & screen itself.
4) Remove the cut PVC sheath revealing the cable braid and screen.
5) Fold the cable braid back over the top of the PVC outer sheath and secure back with the metal claw. It helps to give this a twist to keep all of the individual cable strands in place.
5) If using a double screened cable like in the DIY video, with the coaxial stripping tool cut away the cable screen and remove revealing the internal dielectric material.
6) Around 3mm or 1/10 of an inch away from the metal claw, with the utility knife cut away the dielectric revealing the centre conductor/ inner core.
7) Make a slight bend in the inner core around half way.
Insert the inner core connector of the coaxial plug itself over the centre conductor/ inner core. The kink in the cable will help make a good contact of the inner core connector of the coaxial plug.
8) With the coaxial cutting tool (scissors or side-cutters) cut the cable inner core flush with the end of the inner core connector of the coaxial plug.
9) Slide on main coaxial outer body over the inner core connector of the plug.
10) With the screw cap, screw this hand tight over the main coaxial outside body or the plug.
11) Repeat steps 1-10 on the other side of the coaxial cable.

You are now ready to insert your TV aerial fly lead into your TV and wall plate. If you have a male wall plate which doesn't allow the coaxial plug to be inserted. You will either need to change the wall plate or insert a coaxial coupler onto the socket.

Tools You Will Need to Make A Satellite Fly-lead (F type)

1x side cutters
1x utility knife or coaxial cable preparation tool

Parts You Will Need

2x F Connectors (Screw on connectors are used in the video)
Coaxial Cable

Step By Step Guide For Make Satellite TV Lead

1) With the coaxial stripping tool or utility knife. Around 12mm or half an inch away from the cable end make a small round incision outermost layer (cable sheath) of the cable. Be careful not to cut out all the way though as you do not want to cut into the coaxial braid itself. Remove the cut cable sheath revealing the cable braid and screen.
2) Fold the cable braid back over the cable sheath.
3) If using a double screened cable like in the video demonstration, with the coaxial stripping tool cut away the cable screen and remove revealing the internal dielectric material.
4) With the utility knife, cut the dielectric material leaving around 3mm of insulation in place.
5) Screw the F plug into position over the top of the folded back cable braid. Keep twisting the until the dielectric is flush with the inside beginning of the threaded part of the plug. You should be left with 2mm of the centre conductor protruding the end of the plug. This is also known as "the stinger".
6) If you have any more than 2mm of the centre conductor protruding the end of the plug, trim back to 2mm using the cable cutting tool.
7) Repeat steps 1-6 on the other side of the coaxial cable.

You now have a high-quality satellite TV fly lead that you use to connect your satellite TV or satellite receiver, like a Sky or Freesat box and most DAB radios.

For more videos on how to make F connectors and coaxial plugs please see the videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjMiCgyeFm4&t=3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HAfDfpZ_Gc&t=72s