Should I be able to feel the electricity coming through the coaxial cable line?

[TonyG]

I just ran a cable line to my room so I can use it with my TV and video capture card but when I went to plug the cable line in I zapped my self with electricity. It does this with both the ground and the little wire in the center. Does anyone know if there should be this much voltage coming through the cable line? I am nervous about plugging the cable line into my video capture card until I know for sure

TonyG

 

[Passions]

Stick your tongue on it to make sure it is voltage.

 

[Pastore]

dont listen to bobby, he will just get you killed

 

[stonythug]

Like you know a better way than licking it Beast

 

[N8Magic]

Yes, there should be voltage coming through it. Just go back down to the basement and make sure you didn't staple it to the hydro wires, etc.

 

[gittyup]

I always thought coaxial was strictly low voltage? Something doesn't sound right! Be careful.

 

[N8Magic]

It is low voltage. You can still feel it however.

Phone lines for example are 52V DC. Grab one of those and touch something grounded. It won't hurt you, but you will get a good zing. Don't touch a phone line when ringing however. It jumps to around 100V AC. (to power the ringers in the phone)

 

[crab]

haha my friend once tried to strip some telephone wires with his mouth...live ones...ive never laughed as hard as I did then..

 

[CliffC]

No you should NOT feel ANY electricity! I've installed too many sats. and cable hookups to know you should feel no current!

If you do feel current something is wrong somewhere.

And so you'll know. The braided wire is the ground, the foil is the shield, and the white foam around copper is what carries the channels. That's why if you smash the cable you'll lose some but not all channels, it's kinda like a reducer valve when smashed.

Somethings not grounded somewhere it sounds like.

 

[Soybomb]

I used to work at a cable tv place in production (read: i did alot of wiring). Yes indeed you can feel voltage if you're touching the right part of the cable and a ground, plug it in and enjoy it.

 

[The Stigenator]

I have been told by the Charter Communication guy who came by to install teh cable modem at my place, that it does carry a slight currnet, upto 50V.

Be Careful.

 

[konichiwa]

Yeah, if you're touching it and a grounded source you'll get a little buzz. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Windogg]

I've gotton some good zaps from the phone system at work when relocating lines.

 

[snut]

same thing happened to me last time, i zaped my self with the cable line, pulling it out my tv card

 

[Azraele]

I'm no electrician but I do know that you're not supposed to be able to feel the current. Sounds like it might not be grounded right??? At any rate, it's definately unsafe!

 

[ArkAoss]

I've been wiring outlets and cable and phone since I was 10, usually, you don't connect at the branch, until you've got the end box finished. Either with phones, network cable, outlets, or cable, make the box first. then join it to live at the branch, that way the initail surge can disipate over the run to the new terminal.

 

[TonyG]

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and plugged the cable into my video capture card and all is fine. I figured if I messed up the card I would return it to OD and get another one since I bought it Saturday lol.

Thanks
TonyG