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Author Topic: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House  (Read 880 times)

KJ4DMO

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2022, 01:29:02 PM »

what radios are currently in your shack?

Currently have a IC-7300 and a Yaesu 7800 mobile UHF/VHF dual bander.
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WB6BYU

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #16 on: January 25, 2022, 01:49:18 PM »

I use closets whenever possible.  I currently have
the shack beside one, with ladder line running
outside through a pair of holes, and an antenna
mounted in the ceiling over the inside of the door.
(I don’t have access to that part of the attic, so I
just cut a hole in the wallboard and pushed it up
through the blown-in insulation from the bottom.)

If I ever move my station to the room on the other
side of the closet back wall, I have a hole through
that comes out behind a bookcase where I can
run cables.

Of course, that assumes that you have closets in the
places. 

One problem with running vertically through a wall is
that there should be a 2x4 “fire block” that runs
crosswise between the studs in the middle of each section.
You may need some 4’ extensions for your drill bits
to get through it, unless it can exit the wall higher up.

WA3SKN

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #17 on: January 25, 2022, 02:37:13 PM »

I recommend getting the antennas outside. However...
Since it is a short run, I would use ladder line or twinlead and use a tuner to get there.  Even for 440 MHz.
Look into rg174 or RG316 coax unless you are running power.
Is there a closet nearby?  How long a run will it be?  And run multiple coax as you will find more antennas are in your future... you just don't know it yet!

-Mike.
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KL7CW

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #18 on: January 25, 2022, 09:38:05 PM »

I also have used the coat hanger trick many times at home and other places to explore before you do major excavation.  A relative of mine drilled a hole in a wall to run a cable.  He hit a water pipe and it caused extensive damage before he could find the shut off valve.  I always explore with a coat hanger since there may be hidden ducts, wires, pipes, or hidden fire breaks preventing easy vertical routing of a cable.  Another trick is to cover up an excavation with a fake heat vent, fake (or real) speaker grill, or something else.
     Another trick I have used is to take a long piece of metallic electrical conduit, and cut 2 or three "teeth" (notches) in the end and sharpen them.  Chuck up the conduit and you have a ten foot drill bit.  You may be able to get through a few 2x6 's before it needs sharpening IF you are LUCKY.  There are also very long drill bits available in electrical supply houses, and even sometimes in box and hardware stores.  Some are 2, 3,
 feet or probably even longer, but they tend to be expensive.
          I have run electrical conduit outside of buildings in a few cases where I did not want to disrupt or spoil the inside of buildings.  Also, often I run my ham stuff outside then enter the house somewhere it does not get an automatic veto from my wife.
         Also do some research, there are coax and other cables which are not black.  Sometimes white is available. 
           I am not a professional sheet rocker, or schooled in texturing or painting, but with a bit of practice I have cut out many holes in the walls of my Church to run eithernet, power, and microphone cables all over.
    With a little practice most people cannot even find where I put in patches.  practice a bit in a closet, garage, etc. before you try this in your formal living room.
             Rick  KL7CW
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N1IG

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #19 on: January 26, 2022, 02:02:39 AM »

you could remote to the IC7300 via a Raspberry Pi.  I don't know how you could do the same with the 7800 without using something like the remoterig, which is pricey.

it might be worth spending $100 for a flexible inspection camera, since drilling walls seems to be in your future.
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WA9FZB

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #20 on: January 27, 2022, 09:03:23 AM »

Another vote for using the space around the plumbing "stack" that goes alongside the drain pipe.  In many areas, the plumbing drains (especially those for toilets) are too wide to fit into a 2X4 stud wall, so the walls containing these pipes are often "double-stud" walls, built with either 2X6 studs or even two 2X4 studs together to afford space for the drain tile.  This means that you have all that extra space to fish your cables from the attic to any of the lower floors.

My house is two stories plus a basement.  My shack is on the second floor.  My antenna is a ground-mounted vertical in the back yard.  The coax runs underground from the antenna base to the foundation of the house.  It then passes through the foundation in conduit into the basement.  From the basement it is "fished" up to an access panel for the upstairs bathroom's plumbing areas, which is located in an upstairs closet.  Coax then goes through two closets into the shack, where it is concealed in a surface-mount "conduit" to get to the operating bench.  That was my solution.  If your antenna is in the attic, I am sure that your house's plumbing vent stack goes all the way to the roof, so you should be able to drop a weighted string down alongside that stack all the way to the basement.  From there, you can snake or fish it up into the first floor shack any number of ways (through cold air ducts, through holes drilled in walls or floors, etc.)

It is a lot easier to do these things when you own the building, but even if renting, there are numerous ways to run cable without irreparable damage.
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KA4VNM

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2022, 08:00:56 AM »

The cold air return for the furnace is the best route I have found. I have 4 coax runs to my attic that way. All you need is something heavy enough that you drop down in the air space around the return. Its code that it has to have space in most states.
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W9IQ

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #22 on: February 28, 2022, 08:30:04 AM »

The cold air return for the furnace is the best route I have found. I have 4 coax runs to my attic that way. All you need is something heavy enough that you drop down in the air space around the return. Its code that it has to have space in most states.

In many states, it requires the use of plenum rated cables. If you are so inclined, plenum rated coax is available.

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

AC2RY

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #23 on: March 02, 2022, 08:42:24 PM »


Currently have a IC-7300 and a Yaesu 7800 mobile UHF/VHF dual bander.

IC-7300 is fully controlled via network. Software is not free, but not expensive either.
You likely have a computer next to your radio (for logging purpose etc.), it can be used to host controlling app. Then you will be able to reach it via home LAN from your office.

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K0UA

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #24 on: March 03, 2022, 10:02:48 AM »

The Remote Hams software is totally free. You have to register with their server. You can operate your 7300 over your own LAN. You will need a microphone, preferably a headset with microphone for your remote PC, and of course a PC to act as a server at the 7300.
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73  James K0UA

AC2RY

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2022, 12:04:39 PM »

The Remote Hams software is totally free. You have to register with their server. You can operate your 7300 over your own LAN. You will need a microphone, preferably a headset with microphone for your remote PC, and of course a PC to act as a server at the 7300.

Unfortunately there is a cost https://www.gigaparts.com/rs-ba1-version-2-ip-remote-control-software.html
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K0UA

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Re: Ideas for Running Coax to Attic in Two Story House
« Reply #26 on: March 05, 2022, 09:06:29 AM »

The Remote Hams software is totally free. You have to register with their server. You can operate your 7300 over your own LAN. You will need a microphone, preferably a headset with microphone for your remote PC, and of course a PC to act as a server at the 7300.

Unfortunately there is a cost https://www.gigaparts.com/rs-ba1-version-2-ip-remote-control-software.html

No, there is NO cost for the Remote Hams software. I am not talking about using Rs-ba1 software, I am talking about using Remote Hams software.

http://download.remotehams.com/
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73  James K0UA
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