Question about Bringing Coax into Attic

[Foxbat]

I'm going to be re-cabling my Dish setup soon, and I was wondering what an installer's opinion would be of bringing the RG-6 into the attic via a roof vent. Obviously, I'd have a ground block that I'd be passing through close to the vent, say mounted on the mast of the dish itself. The dish is located about 2/3 of the way along the roof (tree issue), and going to the edge of the roof just to come back the other way seems like 25' per run of coax I could eliminate if I could just come in a few feet from the dish. Also, this roof edge location is a good 8-9 meters off the ground, so I'd need a good extension ladder.

Thoughts?

[SimpleSimon]

As long as you really do ground it properly, I see no problem with it.

[scooper]

THat's what I've done for my dish cables - 4 cables over the side of the roof, into 2 ground blocks, then into the roof vents to my SW21s.

[Foxbat]

Thanks for the input. The roof vents I'm talking about aren't the soffet vents, but the ones on the roof's surface, about two feet below the peak. I'd take a picture, but it's raining, again, and dark...

[Redster]

Remember that if you run the cable in that way, you will get water too. The cover on the vent blocks most rain but the water may run down the cable and drip inside.

[boba]

For roof vents come in through the bottom flashing. The sides are covered by the shingles but you can usually slide cables up from the bottom, water runs downhill so coming up from the bottom virtually eliminates water entry.

[Mike500]

I'd go out and get a piece of 1-1/4" PVC conduit, a couple of same size 2 hole clamps, a service entrance head, and a vent flashing.

Go into the attic, using a 1-3/4" hole saw. Start it flat with the sheathing right next to a rafter. As it it cutting part way through, tilt the hole saw, until it is plumb. Outside; using a large putty knife or a dry wall taping knife, carefully lift the shingles around the hole. Remove any roofing nails at least a foot radius around the hole. Place the flashing over the hole, and cut a circular "U" out to match the flashing raised area plus 1 inch all around, starting at or below the center of the hole. Slide the flashing under the shingles, matching the raise area. Shove an 18 inch long piece of pvc conduit through the flashing and the hole in the sheathing. Inside the attic, strap the condiut to the rafter. Outside, nail down the bottom corners of the flashing and replace any nails taken out that held the shingles. Glue on the cable entrance weatherhead.

This is the correct and truly professional method of doing this. It sounds complicated, but is really isn't.

[Foxbat]

I figured that Mike500 would have the right way to do this. I had thought about a service entrance, but I was thinking galvanized pipe and how I didn't like another "target" up on the roof. PVC is a better choice, plus I can go right to my 2" interduct and into my wiring closet.