Installing *C in an apartment?

[OregonDrew]

My apartment doesn't allow drilling holes in the walls or roof, so I pretty much determined i'm using a tripod for the dish. But I want advice on running the cable. There isn't a single hole in the wall for coaxial cable that goes all the way through, they are all in the walls, if my apartment building does have a crawl space then it's in someone else's apartment, because I sure don't have one. I have been told I can at least mount the cable to the wall to run it somewhere, and that I can use "flatwire" to go under door jams or windows. My front door does have a jam I can go under, but that's it. My apartment is two story and i'm on the bottom floor, there's eight apartments in my building. As far as i've been able to survey the place without looking like a peeping tom, I have yet to find the main cable disconnect for the apartment building. I don't even know if it's legal for me to access it anyway. If I do use flatwire, does anybody have any recommendations as to running the cable once it enters my house, like how to conceal it when it crosses my hall?

 

[Frenchophile]

running RG-6 is easy, but...

My apartment doesn't allow drilling holes in the walls or roof, so I pretty much determined i'm using a tripod for the dish. But I want advice on running the cable. There isn't a single hole in the wall for coaxial cable that goes all the way through, they are all in the walls, if my apartment building does have a crawl space then it's in someone else's apartment, because I sure don't have one. I have been told I can at least mount the cable to the wall to run it somewhere, and that I can use "flatwire" to go under door jams or windows. My front door does have a jam I can go under, but that's it. My apartment is two story and i'm on the bottom floor, there's eight apartments in my building. As far as i've been able to survey the place without looking like a peeping tom, I have yet to find the main cable disconnect for the apartment building. I don't even know if it's legal for me to access it anyway. If I do use flatwire, does anybody have any recommendations as to running the cable once it enters my house, like how to conceal it when it crosses my hall?

Running cable is relatively easy. you just put it at the junction of the wall and ceiling and secure it with clips that usually have pre-installed nails. then, run it down along the wall to your receiver. as far as concelaing it, you can use white RG-6 and white clips so it's not so conspicuous. You aren't going to be able to truly "hide" it easily

but my bigger question is, where do you plan on mounting your antenna. Tripod is ok, if you have it in a secure location, such as a balcony.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

I agree, a Tripod might be easy pickings for someone who really wants one without buying it.....

I have used a large plastic tub filled with concrete and with a post in the centre, this is much harder to move after getting it aligned and less of a target for a thief.

There are short flat pieces of RG6 type cable so you do not even have to drill under a door or a window.

 

[OregonDrew]

I'm gonna put my tripod in a bark shrub bed. I don't live in a dangerous town and I live in the better part of it, plus there are others with dishes at ground level on tripods around me, so no problem. Does anybody know if it is legal for me to access the little metal cable box thing for the apartment building I live in a connect it to there so I don't have to run wires inside?

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Up here in Canada it is illegal to access that box. It should be OK to cut your cable where it enters the Suite on the outside and splice it to your new Sat Feed though.

 

[Frenchophile]

if there are other antennae with tirpods in the building, why not ask some of your neighbors what they did?