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Old timer told me to always carry a spare coax barrel connector, and it saved my job yesterday
I was finishing a triple-play install in a tight attic crawlspace, and I dropped my last F-81 connector down a wall void. I remembered what a retired installer named Frank told me during my first month: 'Keep a spare barrel in your pocket, kid. It's cheaper than a trip back to the truck.' I had one in my pouch, used it to join the two cable ends right there, and got the signal check to pass. Without it, I would have been climbing down, walking back to the van, and climbing up again, adding at least 25 minutes to a job that was already running late. What other small, cheap parts do you guys always make sure to have on you?
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skyler_kim153mo ago
Frank's wisdom strikes again. Dropping an F-81 down a wall void is like offering a sacrifice to the attic gods, they just take it. Now I keep a spare barrel in my left pocket and a cheap coax coupler in my right, because apparently my pockets are now a hardware store of last resort. Next thing you know I'll be carrying a tiny wrench for that one time I drop a nut behind the drywall.
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the_river5mo ago
That "cheaper than a trip back to the truck" line is so true. I always keep a few wire nuts and short pieces of scrap wire in my bag. You can make a temporary splice for almost anything with that, which has saved me more times than I can count.
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the_logan5mo ago
Yeah that's smart, @the_river. Just a heads up though, wire nuts aren't really meant for stranded wire, they can work loose. For a temp fix in a bag, I'd throw in some Wago 221s instead.
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