Running coax inside the house

[WP4MZR]

Im looking for ideas on how to run coax(RG-8) from my roof to my room. The boss(wife) did not authorized me to drill a hole through an outside wall in our 2 years old house so I had to go with RG-58 through a vent pipe's rubber seal then down an inside wall.

Im thinking on buying LMR-200/240 and routed the same way as the rg-58 is right now but I would like to use LMR-400, just dont know how to bring it inside the house.

 

[n5usr]

Do you have any PVC vent pipes? You could drop the coax down INSIDE the vent pipe, then in the attic insert a tee or wye piece, and bring the coax out there. Cut a hole in a cap for the coax, plug the end of the tee/wye and seal it up.

The newer high-efficiency furnaces also use PVC vents, but they are often "concentric" - air is pulled off the roof down the outside of the tube, while combustion gasses are exhausted through the center. They usually split apart just below the roof, so if you want/need to use that, be sure to split it between the roof and the concentric portion. (And use the intake tube, not the exhaust!)

Just don't run too many lines, and plug up the vent! If the pipe size is already small, you may reconsider doing this at all.

Many houses have eave or gable vents that you can run a coax through - although perhaps your wife objects to seeing the coax at all, not just drilling a hole?

If you have some of the attic vent turbines, you may be able to drill a hole for the coax right at the base of the turbine. (Go in toward the center of the turbine, not down through the roof.) The coax will enter below the moving parts, into the attic. Best to put the hole on the downslope side, to minimize water trouble.

Always keep drip loops in mind to keep water from following the coax somewhere you don't want it!

 

[fineshot1]

Im looking for ideas on how to run coax(RG-8) from my roof to my room. The boss(wife) did not authorized my drilling a hole through an outside wall in our 2 years old house so I had to go with RG-58 through a vent pipe's rubber seal then down an inside wall.

Im thinking on buying LMR-200/240 and routed the same way as the rg-58 is right now but I would like to use LMR-400, just dont know how to bring it inside the house.

LMR 240 & 400 are both good choices. Hopefully you have the correct crimp connectors and tools for the task. Although it is possible to solder to these cables if you are real good at it - it is not recomended to solder due to the internal foam structure of the cable. High heat can distort and damage the internals of the cable so crimping this type of cable is best.
Good luck....

 

[mfuller1950]

What are your windows like, I used a piece of 2X4 with an SO-239 bulk head adapter, that way when the storms come up I can just disconnect from the inside, that was with me using pl259 plugs on the ends of the coax.

Just my .02 worth

 

[n5usr]

Ah, I forgot about the windows - I did a similar thing once in a rental house. I just opened the window, laid the coax through, put some wood strips just the same thickness as the coax to fill the rest of the width of the window and some insulation around the coax, then just closed the window on the wood strips.

I've also read about some people replacing a pane of glass in a window with plexiglas or such then putting bulkhead connectors in that.

 

[jonny290]

Right now I sneak my coax runs (7 + ground wire) through the corner of the window screen that I pried the seal up from, through the window, and make the seal with a rolled up towel.

If you want to be slick about it, grab a piece of aluminum or steel plate the width of your window, and start a'drillin. Seal the sides and bottom with silicone, for the top (contact the window) seal I like to take a length of vacuum hose, slit it lengthwise and put that over the top lip of the steel. If you do this, you have a nice common ground point for your station.

 

[WP4MZR]

Do you have any PVC vent pipes? You could drop the coax down INSIDE the vent pipe, then in the attic insert a tee or wye piece, and bring the coax out there. Cut a hole in a cap for the coax, plug the end of the tee/wye and seal it up.

Excellent...I spent some time up in my attic this morning, and realized that this little trick will also allow me to have the shortest cable run, as the vent pipe is right over where my radio is. This will also keep the coax hidden, and the boss happy.

 

[WP4MZR]

LMR 240 & 400 are both good choices. Hopefully you have the correct crimp connectors and tools for the task. Although it is possible to solder to these cables if you are real good at it - it is not recomended to solder due to the internal foam structure of the cable. High heat can distort and damage the internals of the cable so crimping this type of cable is best.
Good luck....

I will order the cable pre-made with "N" ends. Thanks for the advice.

 

[WP4MZR]

Right now I sneak my coax runs (7 + ground wire) through the corner of the window screen that I pried the seal up from, through the window, and make the seal with a rolled up towel.

If you want to be slick about it, grab a piece of aluminum or steel plate the width of your window, and start a'drillin. Seal the sides and bottom with silicone, for the top (contact the window) seal I like to take a length of vacuum hose, slit it lengthwise and put that over the top lip of the steel. If you do this, you have a nice common ground point for your station.

Cool, so this is like a grounding plate kind of like in cell sites? You could also install arrestors right on the plate. Sounds great but the boss will say something about it. I think Im going to start building a shack in the back.

 

[radio10-8]

Not 1 of in here suggested (had the B...) in telling the wife how important this little piece of wire is to me..here is what I did, i ran the wire down a vent tube out of a wall and into my desk, house is less than 6 months old. My wife of course freaked out until I told her that this wire is a back for the dish so you'll never miss another Oprah.

 

[crayon]

The boss(wife) did not authorized my drilling a hole through an outside wall in our 2 years old house so I had to go with RG-58 through a vent pipe's rubber seal then down an inside wall.

Smart girl.

Nothing ticks me off more than to see a hole in the side of a house for coax to be ran through .. like when the cable company punches one in ..

uggh

 

[hoser147]

Well I guess there is one lesson learned its to plan ahead if your going to build a new home preplan for access for hobby utilities. I ran mine down through a roof vent put a lil pvc sleeve in so as not to chaf the coax and you only see about 6 ft of coax from the mast to the vent. (attic vent). Good Scannin Hoser

 

[jonny290]

Well I guess there is one lesson learned its to plan ahead if your going to build a new home preplan for access for hobby utilities. I ran mine down through a roof vent put a lil pvc sleeve in so as not to chaf the coax and you only see about 6 ft of coax from the mast to the vent. (attic vent). Good Scannin Hoser

It's an excellent idea - with the way the Internet market is going right now, wireless is popular, so even if the buyers aren't hams, there's the attraction of having an excellent coax conduit for satellite or 802.11 wireless.

Prewiring houses with CAT5 and 75 ohm coax for networking and cable/DSS adds significant resale value to the house - might as well add a run of 2" conduit to the rooftop for more utility

 

[kb2vxa]

Living in a restricted neighborhood with HOA Nazis is unthinkable, it'll be a cold day in Hell before I'll marry one!

 

[N1508J]

Wife got the message

The wife usta fuss about all the transmission wires entering the house. The squabbles ended when I made a hangman's noose out of an appropriate length of RG8 and laid it on her side of the bed!

 

[hoser147]

That a boy!!!!:lol: :lol:

 

[WP4MZR]

The wife usta fuss about all the transmission wires entering the house. The squabbles ended when I made a hangman's noose out of an appropriate length of RG8 and laid it on her side of the bed!

LOL....

 

[kirka127]

The wife usta fuss about all the transmission wires entering the house. The squabbles ended when I made a hangman's noose out of an appropriate length of RG8 and laid it on her side of the bed!

I bet you miss her LOL

 

[N1508J]

Miss the wife

I bet you miss her LOL

Yep, I shor do miss the wife after I had to move out. But I thought I wise to do so after she placed her pappy's 45 Colt on my side of the bed.

 

[OceanaRadio]

Coax from a roof-top antenna

Im looking for ideas on how to run coax(RG-8) from my roof to my room. The boss(wife) did not authorized me to drill a hole through an outside wall in our 2 years old house so I had to go with RG-58 through a vent pipe's rubber seal then down an inside wall.

Im thinking on buying LMR-200/240 and routed the same way as the rg-58 is right now but I would like to use LMR-400, just dont know how to bring it inside the house.

WP4MZR: Texas is certainly suject to serious thunderstorms, so the concept of bringing coaxial feedline down a roof-vent should be unthinkable. Coax should always be routed to ground first (earth, dirt, 0' elevation to the house), shield-grounded to an 8' ground rod, and that rod bonded to the service-entrance ground rod and any other grounding system you have.

Once the coax is shield-grounded at a ground rod, all options are open as offered by other posters. To ignore the electrical code and lightning protection standards proscribed by the NFPA could result in something a lot uglier than a cable-entrance hole in the side of your house.

Good luck,

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, VA