Coaxed
This may look like a perfectly ordinary coaxial socket, but it represents an enormous amount of pride and achievement on my part. When we moved into our house, there was an existing TV aerial in the loft, but it wasn’t particularly good for Freeview reception. So, sweating copiously in the sauna-like atmosphere of the loft, I wired in a new aerial that was more suitable for digital reception. I was quite proud of that, but I wasn’t going to stop there. In the office, we have our eyeTV hooked up to the iMac, and it was still using the rather pathetic indoor aerial which wasn’t really up to the job of getting a reliable signal, so I wanted to split the signal from the new loft aerial and run a cable down to the office.
As ever, I consulted the font of all DIY knowledge (my Dad), on the best way to go about this. Obviously, I needed to fit a Y-splitter to the downlead for the aerial, which meant unwiring my previously installed cable and fitting various bits of cable with coaxial socket or plug connectors. But then there was the issue of how to route the cable down one floor to the office. Dad’s opinion was that drilling a hole in the ceiling and just running the cable down was the easiest way to go, but I was keen to try to drop the cable inside an internal plasterboard wall, and fit a wall socket for a neat finish. Now, he’s a perfectionist on every task he undertakes, so this is probably the first and last time that I’ll be the one suggesting something that involves more work than he advises; usually, I’m the one taking the path of least resistance. That made me a little nervous. Dad is usually right about these things, and he reckoned it would be difficult to thread the cable through the wall cavity.
Anyway, today I gritted my teeth, girded my loins with a metaphorical tool belt, and got on with it. It has to be said that my first two attempts to drill through the correct spot in ceiling board in the loft to hit the wall cavity were not overly accurate. On both occasions I could see daylight, which I knew wasn’t good news. So we new have a couple of holes in the ceilings of my office and Mr. Bsag’s studio to repair. Ooops. The third time was the charm, and I was into the cavity. Threading the cable down was surprisingly easy, and it seemed to be falling down to the bottom without snagging on anything. Then I just had to cut out a hole in the wall to fit a flush-fitting wall box for the socket. Amazingly, the cable was right behind the hole (I got my measurements right this time), so I didn’t have to fish around blindly to find it. Wiring the socket in was easy now that I’ve had some practice with coaxial cable, and the whole thing looks amazingly neat for something I’ve done. Even better is the fact that it actually works; we now have great reception on the eyeTV, and less clutter in the office. Hurrah!
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About 8 or 10 years ago, I read an anecdote on a newsgroup about a fellow who didn't want to be bothered with all that work. (I don't recall now if this was for a ham radio antenna or a TV antenna.) He checked out the attic space between the roof and the first-floor room where he wanted the cable. Nothing in the way, so he loaded his shotgun with a plug shell, went up on the roof, and fired a feed hole clear through to the room below. (Not recommended for those claiming to be sane.)
by DaveA @ 07/10/2006 8:10 pm • Permalink •
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I wonder if your Dad will take heart from your success and suggest the "neat" solution rather than the "in my daughter's skill range" solution next time
Ok ok I'm being a cynic, sorry... can I just say you were probably fortunate with the stud wall? Nice job though - congratulations!
by martin @ 07/10/2006 11:11 pm • Permalink •
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Where did you buy your Balun Transformer....
by Jonathan Briggs @ 08/10/2006 4:10 am • Permalink •
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I blew all the kitchen fuses last night with my DIY prep (prep! not even the DIY). Me and misses called a halt and went off for a couple of bottles of wine instead. I think she should be fair though previously I'd fitted endless fixtures without mishap.
by Ian @ 09/10/2006 7:11 am • Permalink •
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If you ever have to do it again, stick a magnet on the end of the cable, then use a speaker type magnet(big powerful) to find the cable.. But luckily it was easy to find this time, but it's not always like that. Looks good!
by craig sawyer @ 10/10/2006 6:11 pm • Permalink •
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