[Ric]

I received a good deal on two RCA UTV's (posted in the Directv forum). I am not a super handyman but I can hold my own. I have ever had to pull wires through finished walls and ceilings (I want to avoid drilling holes and running wire from outside my house). Is there a site with tips and tricks, lessons learned, etc. that anyone is aware of for running my second lines to the receivers. I start punching holes everywhere trying to find my wire I'm running and my wife'll go nuts.

My main tv is on the second floor (against an outside wall) and my other is in the basement (on an inside wall). Both are sheetrocked. I am thinking that I can just attach two lines to the existing one in the basement and use that existing one to pull the other two through. I think.

For the other tv, there is a floor above it and that lines runs through the attic (I think) across the house, and then back down an outside wall to the main wiring panel so I don't think the above solution works. The wall and ceiling under it's floor is finished with the only access to floor space below that TV across the house about 35 feet. Is it possible to fish another cable line through for a beginner without destroying my house or am I relegated to just run it along the outside of the house and drill through the wall (hope not).

 

[Guest]

Pay a professional or run the cable outside. Your question suggests little knowledge of house construction. Your outside wall better have insulation in it, you shouldn't be able to pull cable if it is insulated.

 

[xcableguy]

Do not try to fish an outside wall.

 

[Mike500]

Originally posted by xcableguy
Do not try to fish an outside wall.

It can be done, but only by those who are well experienced.

 

[Neil Derryberry]

I don't see a problem with using your existing cable to pull a new one through, assuming that you can get to the cable run for the outside wall somewhere in your basement on that outside wall. I've been a network engineer for 8 years now, and nothing has changed about the difficulty of pulling cable... it is a b*tch to do, but if you are diligent and careful, it isn't a problem.

Be sure to tape a pull string to the set of cables you are pulling up... this way you can "reverse" the pull if you need to. Try and keep the bundle of cables as small as possible. Email me if you'd like some more suggestions.

 

[Ric]

Thanks for the suggestion for the string. Fortunately I have about a foot clearance between the basement ceiling and the floor above so as long as nothing snags a vent or insulation on the way through, I should be oK.

Will probably just end it up having the installer drill a hole through the wall for the tv beside the outside wall instead of trying to run it through the wall. I insulated that wall before the sheetrock was put up and it was a pretty tight fit and new holes would have to be drilled in the studs between the floors.

 

[Karl Foster]

What I did is put a long piece of PVC pipe between the beams in my basement to make sure there were no obstructions, then pushed the cable through the pipe. Worked great.