# Twisted pair instead of coax for TV antenna cable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twisted-pair-instead-of-coax-for-tv-antenna-cable/546541 "2010-07-13T15:57:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twisted-pair-instead-of-coax-for-tv-antenna-cable/546541/1 "2010-07-13T15:57:56Z")
I have the antenna plugs but I am too lazy to go buy some coax cable. What would happen if I simply used some plain wire and soldered it on the plugs? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twisted-pair-instead-of-coax-for-tv-antenna-cable/546541/2 "2010-07-13T16:04:43Z")
it might work poorly and it might work ok. given a strong enough signal a paper clip will work as a tv antenna. modern tv tuners are looking for a incoming impedance of 75 ohms which tv antenna coax has. when other values appear it doesn’t work as well. other wire types will have other values. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twisted-pair-instead-of-coax-for-tv-antenna-cable/546541/3 "2010-07-13T17:05:33Z")
cat5/6 pairs have a Z0 near enough 120 ohms. If you parellel two of them (one signal, and one ground in each twisted pair) then you will have a 60 ohm transmission line that will probably work well enough for lots of things. The PVC dielectric will be significantly higher loss at V/UHF than the PE used in most coax though.