50-ft coaxial cable recommendations?

[bellbound]

I need to run about 50-ft of coaxial cable from my TV down along the TV and along the baseboards under the carpet to the other side of a room to connect to a DirecTV receiver. Can anyone recommend a model/brand of coaxial cable for doing this? I will be using this with a new TV that I do not yet own, likely a 65-inch Panasonic plasma.

Thanks.

 

[Hutch1814]

I need to run about 50-ft of coaxial cable from my TV down along the TV and along the baseboards under the carpet to the other side of a room to connect to a DirecTV receiver. Can anyone recommend a model/brand of coaxial cable for doing this? I will be using this with a new TV that I do not yet own, likely a 65-inch Panasonic plasma.

Thanks.

I wouldn't recommend going under the carpet. You're going to 1-flatten that cable out and cause a short or 2-get it caught in the tack strip and cause a short can you not drill a hole and run it in a crawlspace or fish it down a wall? Why are you wanting to move it?

 

[Jimbo]

Is this feeding the TV from the D* recvr ?
If so, you won't be getting HD from it, using Coax.

 

[JerseyMatt]

I wouldn't recommend going under the carpet. You're going to 1-flatten that cable out and cause a short or 2-get it caught in the tack strip and cause a short can you not drill a hole and run it in a crawlspace or fish it down a wall? Why are you wanting to move it?

Read it again.. They want to go around the perimeter of the room. It's pretty inconvenient to walk the baseboards in a manner that would flatten the cable. Not only that, but the tack strips are rarely up against the baseboards - and rarely are baseboards all the way down to the subfloor.. It is usually possible to lift the edge of the carpet enough to fit cabling into the gap.

Is this feeding the TV from the D* recvr ?
If so, you won't be getting HD from it, using Coax.

Sounds to me like the room is being rearranged to accommodate this new TV, which would mean that the receiver is being moved..

Bellbound - 50 feet is no big deal, and it doesn't require any special/high end cable. However it DOES need to be RG-6. Home Depot sells a 50' pre-made RG-6 cable with ends already on it for like $15. Otherwise they also sell RG-6 by the foot and you can put your own ends on (don't use twist-ons). I would also recommend that if this is connecting to a wall plate at the original location, that you install a right-angle adapter.. Makes for a neater install and there's less chance of the connector breaking off if something falls on it.

 

[Hutch1814]

Read it again.. They want to go around the perimeter of the room. It's pretty inconvenient to walk the baseboards in a manner that would flatten the cable. Not only that, but the tack strips are rarely up against the baseboards - and rarely are baseboards all the way down to the subfloor.. It is usually possible to lift the edge of the carpet enough to fit cabling into the gap.

Sounds to me like the room is being rearranged to accommodate this new TV, which would mean that the receiver is being moved..

Bellbound - 50 feet is no big deal, and it doesn't require any special/high end cable. However it DOES need to be RG-6. Home Depot sells a 50' pre-made RG-6 cable with ends already on it for like $15. Otherwise they also sell RG-6 by the foot and you can put your own ends on (don't use twist-ons). I would also recommend that if this is connecting to a wall plate at the original location, that you install a right-angle adapter.. Makes for a neater install and there's less chance of the connector breaking off if something falls on it.

I see it all too often. With SWM a single hole in a cable will randomly make the receiver lose the satellite.

 

[Joe Diamond]

I need to run about 50-ft of coaxial cable from my TV down along the TV and along the baseboards under the carpet to the other side of a room to connect to a DirecTV receiver. Can anyone recommend a model/brand of coaxial cable for doing this? I will be using this with a new TV that I do not yet own, likely a 65-inch Panasonic plasma.

Thanks.

Without seeing the structure this will just be a suggestion. IF the exterior of the room is covered with vinyl siding it is possible to force a piece of that siding apart enough to run a cable out through the wall.....run inside the siding exterior to the building...and back in at the second location. You should not remover the entire piece of siding...just a few feet at the time..pull all the cable outside.....run in back of the siding a few feet at a time...reset some siding while pulling a little more...push all cable back in at the second location through an accurate drilled hole.......install fittings last.

IF this is for an HD run from a receiver to a HDTV you MUST use HDMI cable and will have to special order a 50ft HDMI cable IF you expect HD service. You must use a drill big enough to accept the HDMI fittings. About 3/4 would work.

As others have mentioned, drilling the floor and running under it would be easier.

With any of this, the cable is not as important as the technique.

Good luck,

Joe

 

[dishcomm]

I need to run about 50-ft of coaxial cable from my TV down along the TV and along the baseboards under the carpet to the other side of a room to connect to a DirecTV receiver. Can anyone recommend a model/brand of coaxial cable for doing this? I will be using this with a new TV that I do not yet own, likely a 65-inch Panasonic plasma.

Thanks.

Assuming your house ( it is a house ,yes?) is built on a concrete slab...
Do not run this cable under the carpet. Trust us on this.
Buy the cable in bulk after measuring the distance following the perimeter of the room. If there is a doorway or cased opening in your way, consider other options. Up and around the doorway. Perhaps a run up in the ceiling?.
Last resort, wireless transmitter.

 

[dishcomm]

Is this feeding the TV from the D* recvr ?
If so, you won't be getting HD from it, using Coax.

I assumed his coax connection is across the room.
In my installation days, it amazed me how people who lived in pre wired homes, would place their devices where the coax outlet WASN'T...
"Yes, I know the outlet is there but that just does not work for me"..."oh, THAT is what that is?!!!!!".....Yes I know the cable is brand new, but I want you to install new cable anyway. You are supposed to use the cable made for satellite. The builder told me the cable he put in was for cable tv. I don't want that".. "the cable in the house is the cheap stuff"...
"My kids will be able to reach the tv if it's that low"....
I have heard it all.

 

[dishcomm]

Read it again.. They want to go around the perimeter of the room. It's pretty inconvenient to walk the baseboards in a manner that would flatten the cable. Not only that, but the tack strips are rarely up against the baseboards - and rarely are baseboards all the way down to the subfloor.. It is usually possible to lift the edge of the carpet enough to fit cabling into the gap.



Sounds to me like the room is being rearranged to accommodate this new TV, which would mean that the receiver is being moved..

Bellbound - 50 feet is no big deal, and it doesn't require any special/high end cable. However it DOES need to be RG-6. Home Depot sells a 50' pre-made RG-6 cable with ends already on it for like $15. Otherwise they also sell RG-6 by the foot and you can put your own ends on (don't use twist-ons). I would also recommend that if this is connecting to a wall plate at the original location, that you install a right-angle adapter.. Makes for a neater install and there's less chance of the connector breaking off if something falls on it.

Holy crap....Dude, the tack strip is ALWAYS along the edge of the room. And it is NEVER in a straight line. I have seen far too many occurances where someone installed a cable under the carpet and along the wall only to find not one but several places where is crossed the tack strip.
Lifting the carpet from the tack strip requires the carpet be placed back using a knee kicker. Unless one knows what they are doing, this is not a good idea.
Those right angle connectors MUST be rated 3 ghz just like barrel splices, or they will not work. They are not necessary anyway. No one in my 12 plus years of servicing and installing has ever knocked a connector off the wall.

 

[JerseyMatt]

Uhh no dude. The tack strips are supposed to be 3/8-1/2" from the baseboard, NOT directly against the wall. And the baseboard is supposed to be 3/8" off the subfloor. Plenty of room to stuff a 1/4" cable in there without hitting tacks.

Oh and you do realize how many non-blue wall plates and barrel connectors there are out there that are working just fine, right? Techs replace barrels because it is a requirement, not because it actually fixes anything. Just like there is absolutely no difference between standard compression fittings and "3GHz certified" fittings besides the price.

 

[JerseyMatt]

No one in my 12 plus years of servicing and installing has ever knocked a connector off the wall.

Sorry missed this one.. Seriously? In 12 years you've never seen someone push a couch/chair/entertainment center up against a straight cable and fold it or break it to the point where it causes issues? You must not get a lot of work because I did DirecTV installs for 3 years a while ago, plus now I do a fair number of home theater installs and outlet moves and I've seen at least a few. Soooo.. Yeah.

 

[ts7]

Uhh no dude. The tack strips are supposed to be 3/8-1/2" from the baseboard, NOT directly against the wall. And the baseboard is supposed to be 3/8" off the subfloor. Plenty of room to stuff a 1/4" cable in there without hitting tacks.

I've done this many times with both coax and Cat5 in temporary or semi-permanent locations. If done carefully and properly there shouldn't be any issues and, as a home owner, I would much rather take my chances on a damaged cable than putting holes through my walls, floors or ceilings (I've done that many times as well and now have a lot of empty holes as technology has changed over time). Plus, if you are renting, the landlord might have some serious issues with you drilling holes!

I agree running under carpet through a traffic area is asking for problems as is trying to make right angles around corners or doors. This should also never be done with high voltage electrical wire for safety reasons.

I would not use this installation method professionally but I have had no problems doing it in my own house or helping out friends and family. Some tips, stiffer cable seems to work better and a a wide plastic putty knife makes wedging the cable easier with less chance of damage to the cable, carpet or baseboard. Just be careful not to pinch or kink the cable and watch for stray nails and improperly installed tack strips.

 

[caseyf57]

Uhh no dude. The tack strips are supposed to be 3/8-1/2" from the baseboard, NOT directly against the wall. And the baseboard is supposed to be 3/8" off the subfloor. Plenty of room to stuff a 1/4" cable in there without hitting tacks.

Oh and you do realize how many non-blue wall plates and barrel connectors there are out there that are working just fine, right? Techs replace barrels because it is a requirement, not because it actually fixes anything. Just like there is absolutely no difference between standard compression fittings and "3GHz certified" fittings besides the price.

Hello JerseyMatt,

The main difference between standard compression fittings and "3GHz certified" fittings besides the price is that the "3GHz certified" fittings is that the manufacturer tests the "3GHz certified" fittings and the process of testing every batch is the reason for the additional cost. Yes most of the fittings on the market will work but they have not undergone testing to guarantee that it will work at 3GHz. Most of my connectors are not 3GHz certified and the system works AOK.

 

[Jimbo]

I've done this many times with both coax and Cat5 in temporary or semi-permanent locations. If done carefully and properly there shouldn't be any issues and, as a home owner, I would much rather take my chances on a damaged cable than putting holes through my walls, floors or ceilings (I've done that many times as well and now have a lot of empty holes as technology has changed over time). Plus, if you are renting, the landlord might have some serious issues with you drilling holes!

I agree running under carpet through a traffic area is asking for problems as is trying to make right angles around corners or doors. This should also never be done with high voltage electrical wire for safety reasons.

I would not use this installation method professionally but I have had no problems doing it in my own house or helping out friends and family. Some tips, stiffer cable seems to work better and a a wide plastic putty knife makes wedging the cable easier with less chance of damage to the cable, carpet or baseboard. Just be careful not to pinch or kink the cable and watch for stray nails and improperly installed tack strips.

How do you keep the coax under the baseboard and go around the corner without making enough bend in it to cause problems ?
Hopefully the walls are at 90* angles and the baseboard to match !!!

Just asking .

That also doesn't work if the carpets been replaced and the baseboard was not removed at the time as well .... this happens often as many don't want to remove baseboard or don't KNOW enough to do it.

 

[ts7]

How do you keep the coax under the baseboard and go around the corner without making enough bend in it to cause problems ?
Hopefully the walls are at 90* angles and the baseboard to match !!!

You can't - it obviously works best for straight runs. However, often people have something in the corner like furniture or a plant that hides the cable for the little bit it is exposed when going around a corner. As I said, this is not intended as a permanent solution.

 

[dishcomm]

Uhh no dude. The tack strips are supposed to be 3/8-1/2" from the baseboard, NOT directly against the wall. And the baseboard is supposed to be 3/8" off the subfloor. Plenty of room to stuff a 1/4" cable in there without hitting tacks.

Oh and you do realize how many non-blue wall plates and barrel connectors there are out there that are working just fine, right? Techs replace barrels because it is a requirement, not because it actually fixes anything. Just like there is absolutely no difference between standard compression fittings and "3GHz certified" fittings besides the price.

"Supposed to be".....Umm DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
I work in an industry where I must remove carpeting all the time. There is no "supposed to". I have seen double runs of tack strips. I have seen missing tack strips. I have seen them stacked one behind the other. I have seen them an inch from the wall. I have seen them butted up against the baseboard.
Suffice to say their is no consistency.
As for the rest of your assumptions about accessories, I have forgotten more than you'll ever know.
If you don't believe me, take a consensus of the users with experience.

 

[dishcomm]

Sorry missed this one.. Seriously? In 12 years you've never seen someone push a couch/chair/entertainment center up against a straight cable and fold it or break it to the point where it causes issues? You must not get a lot of work because I did DirecTV installs for 3 years a while ago, plus now I do a fair number of home theater installs and outlet moves and I've seen at least a few. Soooo.. Yeah.

I would not state it unless from my experience, not true.
If you've seen it, so be it. Not once in all my experience have I ever used one of those right angle connectors. In fact if they were there, I took them out and set them aside.
I was not going to go back on a service call because a customer unwittingly used a non spec accessory.

 

[Hutch1814]

I would not state it unless from my experience, not true.
If you've seen it, so be it. Not once in all my experience have I ever used one of those right angle connectors. In fact if they were there, I took them out and set them aside.
I was not going to go back on a service call because a customer unwittingly used a non spec accessory.

He was talking about never seeing a cable that was crushed from a sub sliding something up against it

 

[Jimbo]

As for the Right Angle connectors ...
I have used them and they work very wekll and did the trick for us.
That said, it wasn't a case of being in a room.
I used them to get a good angle on my coax when I had my recvr in the compartment in the Motorhome next to the TV, the compartment wasn't quite deep enough for us to get all the cabling in there the normal way, so these came in handy.

 

[bellbound]

For clarification, the cable will only go under the carpet (on top of a concrete slab) in my house, in order to run along the side of the walls to get to the other side of the room. The reason I'm doing this is so I can put all of my equipment into a small cabinet and hide it behind my sofa.


I will need to run 50-ft of coaxial cable, as well as a slim profile HDMI cable and left, right and center speaker wire. I ordered cables from mono price and am waiting for them to be delivered, and am hoping the cables fit between the tack strip and the wall. Is this just a bad idea? Here are some pics.

Thanks!