Having a cable of the right length will make any electronics installation go smoother. While it's certainly worse to have too little cable to reach your components, having too much cable can result in having an excess of cable sitting behind your television or other electronic components. Fortunately, shortening a cable isn't a difficult task.
Instructions
1. Determine the type of connectors you have on your cable. Coaxial cables used for television connections, like the RG-6 cable, are usually terminated with F-type connectors (see Resources). If your application is for something other than television, a variety of other connectors may be used (although this is not common). See Resources for a source for a variety of coaxial connectors.
2. Cut your cable to the length you need. It's best to install the cable first and trim as necessary when you're done. Then cut off the excess you don't require. If your cable already has connectors, obviously you'll have to cut one of them off. But making an omelet does require breaking some eggs, doesn't it?
3. Strip the cable to the specs recommended by the manufacturer for the connectors you'll be using. You'll find these instructions on the packaging or documentation for your new connectors. Exact instructions vary according to the style and brand of connector.
4. Crimp or twist on your new connector. Again, this depends upon what style and brand of connector you'll be using.
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