Coax in Wall

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NYAirOne

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What are your guys thoughts about running some coax inside of a wall? I'm setting up a new shack and if I pick the center spare room of my house I would probably have to bring the coax in from the attic and down a inside wall to reach where I want it to be. The outer spare room, I can make a access point inside of the closet that has the attic above it and bring the coax down through there and to my desk. There is a power outlet in the center room wall but I'm not sure yet which side of the stud it is on. I know it's going to be more work fishing it down the wall from the attic but is it not a good idea? Thoughts on this install. Thanks
 

mmckenna

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You won't be able to fish it easily down an exterior wall due to insulation and fire breaks. You can easily punch through from the outside. But then you have to deal with coax running up/down the exterior wall which may not sit well with the wife.
Running down an interior wall will be much easier.

I've done that in my own home. Not an issue. Drill the top plate and drop the wire down the wall. Put in an electrical "box eliminator" and a faceplate with your coax connectors.
 

n5ims

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A few things that should help make your job easier.

Extra long drill bits - They make them in various sizes both in hole size and length. I like the 72" long versions since that will go from the hole in the wall through the top rail board for that wall. Often these long ones are designed to bend easily (but may require a holder so you don't burn your hand from the friction) so you can stick it in the hole and bend it 90 degrees so you won't be on the floor trying to force the bit. Often they also have a hole in the bit for attaching the wire to help pull it into position. BES 1/2" x 72" High Speed Steel Flex Bit (altex.com)

Fish rods - they are designed to pull the wire where you can't easily go. They have many different types but generally they're the same basic design with the difference is the length. Often they're six feet long and screw together to make it go the length you need. It's best to get a kit that will do the job but when you do buy one that has matching individual or pairs so you can later extend it further if needed. They also have different ends to attach the wire since one type may not work for your situation while another will be perfect. BES 6' Replacement FiberFish Rod (altex.com)

Low voltage mounting plates - Instead of using electrical wall boxes you might have better luck with the special low voltage versions that simply line the hole in the wall. This will allow you to route your cable(s) more easily than forcing them through the holes designed for electrical wires. They make both single and double sized versions but the single should handle most of what you need unless you have loads of wires. Plastic Single Gang Mounting Plate (altex.com)

Wall plates - There are many options here, some are ready to use and others require you to customize them to your specific needs. You can get a standard blank wall plate and drill the hole to fit your coax or feed-through connector. This is the most complex way to do the job but if you're careful can be the best looking option. They make wall plates for network/CATV/AV use and depending on your needs may work well. They make plugs for standard "F" connectors used for cable TV use and standard BNC for AV use (often these are 75 ohm though!). You could even just push your cable through the hole and be done with it. What I like are the "bulk cable" versions. It allows several cables both large or small to fit through the hole and angle it down towards the floor to make routing easier. Vanco Bulk Cable Wall Plate (Single Gang) - White (altex.com)
 

NYAirOne

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Good info guys. Another thing I was thinking about is the electrical wire. Is that going to cause any interference or noise into the coax if it's near it?
 

chief21

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Good info guys. Another thing I was thinking about is the electrical wire. Is that going to cause any interference or noise into the coax if it's near it?
In order to minimize any noise from AC lines, you should always try to cross an AC line at 90 degrees rather than running the coax alongside the AC line. In most cases, this shouldn't be a problem since typical house wiring is horizontal (going from outlet to outlet) and your coax drop would likely be vertical (down from the attic).
 

dlwtrunked

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What are your guys thoughts about running some coax inside of a wall? I'm setting up a new shack and if I pick the center spare room of my house I would probably have to bring the coax in from the attic and down a inside wall to reach where I want it to be. The outer spare room, I can make a access point inside of the closet that has the attic above it and bring the coax down through there and to my desk. There is a power outlet in the center room wall but I'm not sure yet which side of the stud it is on. I know it's going to be more work fishing it down the wall from the attic but is it not a good idea? Thoughts on this install. Thanks

I think the easiest way is to drop the wire down along a sewage vent is you have one to the basement or crawlspace then up to the room you want through the floor.
 

NYAirOne

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I think the easiest way is to drop the wire down along a sewage vent is you have one to the basement or crawlspace then up to the room you want through the floor.
Good idea but the vents are both in a different location in the house from where I am going to put the coax and my house is a raised ranch so the ground floor ceilings are all finished with no access to the upper floor unfortunately.
 
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