macgyverisms and brainstorms.
 

Every now and then a need for a tool not on hand occurs, or
a required part isn't available for a repair. Then the
proverbal light bulb appears over one's head (homage to
Edison no doubt). Today I was running some RG8/U into my
attic crawl space to access a conduit into my shack. I drilled
a hole into the roof overhang and pushed the cable into the
hole. As Murphy would have it, the end of the cable being pushed
into the hole was the end wound onto the core of the spool, so the
cable was very 'springy' resulting in it all bunching up right
at the hole inside the attic. When I climbed into the attic
I couldn't reach the cable, it was sitting in a coiled up bunch
at the wall. No way I was going to be able to crawl the distance
and reach out to grab the cable.

Now for the macgyverism ....
I found a 6 foot piece of left over 1/2 pvc pipe and a 3" U-bolt.
I attached the u bolt to the end of the pipe with electrical tape
and used the new tool to reach and hook the coax.

Ok, I'm sure we've all come up with these macgyverism's from time
to time. Anybody care to share their brainstorms...?

I'd have pushed the coax into the 6 foot 1/2" PVC pipe. Then I'd have
inserted the PVC into the hole under the eves and into the attic. From the
attic I'd have retrieved the end of the 1/2" PVC and slipped it off the
coax. Thus, ending up with the coax in my hand and ready to pull and feed
into the conduit. Not sure that the hole under the eves would have allowed
1/2" clearance - but might have worked. Just a variation on your theme.
Roger, KL7Q

"Ken Scharf" wrote in message
. ..
Every now and then a need for a tool not on hand occurs, or
a required part isn't available for a repair. Then the
proverbal light bulb appears over one's head (homage to
Edison no doubt). Today I was running some RG8/U into my
attic crawl space to access a conduit into my shack. I drilled
a hole into the roof overhang and pushed the cable into the
hole. As Murphy would have it, the end of the cable being pushed
into the hole was the end wound onto the core of the spool, so the
cable was very 'springy' resulting in it all bunching up right
at the hole inside the attic. When I climbed into the attic
I couldn't reach the cable, it was sitting in a coiled up bunch
at the wall. No way I was going to be able to crawl the distance
and reach out to grab the cable.

Now for the macgyverism ....
I found a 6 foot piece of left over 1/2 pvc pipe and a 3" U-bolt.
I attached the u bolt to the end of the pipe with electrical tape
and used the new tool to reach and hook the coax.

Ok, I'm sure we've all come up with these macgyverism's from time
to time. Anybody care to share their brainstorms...?

Stand by for the next episode of How to do it yourself.

Roger and Ute Brown wrote:
I'd have pushed the coax into the 6 foot 1/2" PVC pipe. Then I'd have
inserted the PVC into the hole under the eves and into the attic. From the
attic I'd have retrieved the end of the 1/2" PVC and slipped it off the
coax. Thus, ending up with the coax in my hand and ready to pull and feed
into the conduit. Not sure that the hole under the eves would have allowed
1/2" clearance - but might have worked. Just a variation on your theme.
Roger, KL7Q

"Ken Scharf" wrote in message
. ..

Every now and then a need for a tool not on hand occurs, or
a required part isn't available for a repair. Then the
proverbal light bulb appears over one's head (homage to
Edison no doubt). Today I was running some RG8/U into my
attic crawl space to access a conduit into my shack. I drilled
a hole into the roof overhang and pushed the cable into the
hole. As Murphy would have it, the end of the cable being pushed
into the hole was the end wound onto the core of the spool, so the
cable was very 'springy' resulting in it all bunching up right
at the hole inside the attic. When I climbed into the attic
I couldn't reach the cable, it was sitting in a coiled up bunch
at the wall. No way I was going to be able to crawl the distance
and reach out to grab the cable.

Now for the macgyverism ....
I found a 6 foot piece of left over 1/2 pvc pipe and a 3" U-bolt.
I attached the u bolt to the end of the pipe with electrical tape
and used the new tool to reach and hook the coax.

Ok, I'm sure we've all come up with these macgyverism's from time
to time. Anybody care to share their brainstorms...?



1/2" pvc is somewhere between 3/4-7/8" in dia, and I only
had a 5/8" drill bit to get into the attic. So pushing the
pvc into the attic wasn't going to work. I had thought of
that though. At one time someone made a thin wall sleeve for
the purpose of lining holes in exterior walls to push coax
through. If you drill through CBS walls and hit a hollow
pocket you will have a problem getting the coax through
if it curls up inside the pocket, hence the sleeve.
The local ham radio outlet didn't have any of the sleeving
though. (Wonder where I saw it...?)

Ken Scharf wrote:

1/2" pvc is somewhere between 3/4-7/8" in dia, and I only
had a 5/8" drill bit to get into the attic. So pushing the
pvc into the attic wasn't going to work. I had thought of
that though. At one time someone made a thin wall sleeve for
the purpose of lining holes in exterior walls to push coax
through. If you drill through CBS walls and hit a hollow
pocket you will have a problem getting the coax through
if it curls up inside the pocket, hence the sleeve.
The local ham radio outlet didn't have any of the sleeving
though. (Wonder where I saw it...?)

Radio Shack sells something of that sort. It comes with a plug at each
end, with an RG-58-sized hole in the plug. The sleeve itself isn't
_quite_ big enough to pass a PL-259, which I found disappointing.

--
Mike Andrews, W5EGO

Tired old sysadmin

Mike Andrews wrote:
Ken Scharf wrote:


1/2" pvc is somewhere between 3/4-7/8" in dia, and I only
had a 5/8" drill bit to get into the attic. So pushing the
pvc into the attic wasn't going to work. I had thought of
that though. At one time someone made a thin wall sleeve for
the purpose of lining holes in exterior walls to push coax
through. If you drill through CBS walls and hit a hollow
pocket you will have a problem getting the coax through
if it curls up inside the pocket, hence the sleeve.
The local ham radio outlet didn't have any of the sleeving
though. (Wonder where I saw it...?)


Radio Shack sells something of that sort. It comes with a plug at each
end, with an RG-58-sized hole in the plug. The sleeve itself isn't
_quite_ big enough to pass a PL-259, which I found disappointing.

This is amusing , I do this stuff a lot ( Im a cabler and electrian) and
there are better ways to do it , try not to make a simple thing too had
guys .

atec wrote:
Mike Andrews wrote:
Radio Shack sells something of that sort. It comes with a plug at each
end, with an RG-58-sized hole in the plug. The sleeve itself isn't
_quite_ big enough to pass a PL-259, which I found disappointing.

This is amusing , I do this stuff a lot ( Im a cabler and electrian) and
there are better ways to do it , try not to make a simple thing too had
guys .

Would you please enlighten us mere mortals and describe one or more of
your 'better ways'?
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont

Bruce Fletcher wrote:

Would you please enlighten us mere mortals and describe one or more of
your 'better ways'?
--
Bruce Fletcher


I always like the "Diversibit" method myself.

--
Former professional electron wrangler.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Bruce Fletcher wrote:
atec wrote:

Mike Andrews wrote:

Radio Shack sells something of that sort. It comes with a plug at each
end, with an RG-58-sized hole in the plug. The sleeve itself isn't
_quite_ big enough to pass a PL-259, which I found disappointing.


This is amusing , I do this stuff a lot ( Im a cabler and electrian)
and there are better ways to do it , try not to make a simple thing
too had guys .


Would you please enlighten us mere mortals and describe one or more of
your 'better ways'?
No , that's why I charge like a scrub bull on a considered hourly rate .
the manner described works but it can be improved upon :_)
I normally use a ferret and a couple of special tools .

atec wrote:
Bruce Fletcher wrote:

atec wrote:

Mike Andrews wrote:

Radio Shack sells something of that sort. It comes with a plug at each
end, with an RG-58-sized hole in the plug. The sleeve itself isn't
_quite_ big enough to pass a PL-259, which I found disappointing.



This is amusing , I do this stuff a lot ( Im a cabler and electrian)
and there are better ways to do it , try not to make a simple thing
too had guys .



Would you please enlighten us mere mortals and describe one or more of
your 'better ways'?

No , that's why I charge like a scrub bull on a considered hourly rate .
the manner described works but it can be improved upon :_)
I normally use a ferret and a couple of special tools .
Just what I need, a large pet rat running around in my attic.