[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I used twist-on F-connectors back before I got a good crimper. They’re still in my system, ten years later. They will work fine for coaxial cable, as long as they’re installed on the cable properly, and as long as you know and respect their limitations.

First, I’ve had them fail when used in attics. So avoid that. Apparently they don’t do well with the constant changes in humidity and temperature (although I have no explanation why crimped connections wouldn’t have the same problem).

Second, I’ve seen them fail in situations where the connection is handled a lot. If you’re say, an equipment reviewer who’s always shuffling new gear in and out of your system, you should probably avoid using twist-on F-connectors.

Aside from that, they work fine in “set it and forget it” installations, such as in-wall cable TV outlets, and even in an equipment rack that’s only occasionally disturbed.

With any coaxial cable, proper installation of the F connector is what makes or breaks it. If the connection is bad, it’s usually apparently immediately, visibly, on the screen.

Prof. wrote:

But seriously (and I'm not calling Shirley!) do you think you are getting any better video quality, using those brand names than what I'm getting with my ghetto cables?

The only concern I have about your installation, is the quadshield you used. Really, quadshield is only needed if you happen to live in really close proximity to a high-powered broadcast tower. I guess extra protection never hurts, but from what I understand RG-6QS typically has a steel center conductor that’s copper plated. That’s fine for the RF signals the stuff was made for, and it probably isn’t affecting your installation one way or the other, but personally I just prefer solid copper for my audio and video signals. I generally prefer RG-59 mainly because it’s more flexible and easier to work with, and works just as well as RG-6 for line-level video signals.

Regards,
Wayne