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General discussion

Monitor cable length

Jan 3, 2010 1:42AM PST

I have a Dell Dimension 8400 and would like to know how long I can extend my monitor cable. I would like to extend my monitor about 6 to 8 feet. Are there extender cables I can buy,


Thanks

Discussion is locked

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You extend until the quality degrades to the point
Jan 3, 2010 1:57AM PST

That you don't accept it. There are other solutions to go beyond the normal 12 or so foot limit so try a cheap solution first. Your post didn't reveal if the connect was VGA, DVI, HDMI or other so it's doubly hard to write more. Let's stick to 12 feet.
Bob

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Cable lenght
Jan 3, 2010 2:49AM PST

Thanks. It's a VGA

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Cable extensions
Jan 3, 2010 4:19AM PST

Yes, you can find these. Make sure what you get is RF shielded. Look for a bulge in the cable at both ends near the connector.

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(NT) Thanks
Jan 3, 2010 4:48AM PST
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Uh, that bulge . . .
Jan 4, 2010 9:58PM PST

is not shielding, it's an inductor. It prevents power spikes.

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Yep..ferrite donuts of sorts
Jan 5, 2010 4:22AM PST

I meant EMI shielding but the better ones will have RFI shielding as well. You'll know because they'll be of similar thickness to the VGA cable that attaches to the monitor. The cheapies will be thin like keyboard or mouse extenders. This is a problem I've run into at a school that used a long extension cable with a PC, monitor and LCD projector setup. The video was horrible. Replacing the 5 dollar cable with a quality one fixed it.

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Yup . . .
Jan 5, 2010 12:04PM PST

Florescent lighting with it's high frequency RF can play havoc with digital (and some analog) cables.

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Premium VGA Extension Cables - Ferrites + Copper Shielding
Feb 21, 2010 4:46PM PST

There are extension cables out there that are extremely affordable and come with ferrites and copper shielding. Personally, I use PI Manufacturing (www.pimfg.com). From what I looked at, they sell a 6ft for about $3 dollars (www.pimfg.com/Product/VGA-Cables). In terms of the previous posts, I think this is what they were talking about in terms of premium VGA type cables. As for your distance, 6-8 feet, there should be no degradation in quality at that distance.