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Chapter 3 - Cable Runs

 
 

You will be running 2 coax cables from the antenna to the Gateway IDU.

The Belden cable from Ground Control comes in spools just a touch over 300'. This means that you will have at most 150 from the antenna to the Gateway IDU.
Select the Point of Entry to the building, where the cable will enter. You can often find places that other wires have entered and re-use those same entry points.

Often the customer will know exactly where you should enter the building with the cable run.
There is more than one way to enter a roof.
... and even AC vents can give you access. The idea is to avoid at all costs, drilling a hole in the roof that could allow water to penetrate the building and damage the clients property.
Use a power screw driver and a whole saw bit to make any necessary holes for your point of entry.
Use LIBERAL amounts of exterior silicone to seal up any penetration points.
Many office buildings have "Drop Ceilings", which are often used to allow you to run cables from one place to another, often even bypassing interior walls in many places. Use these to your advantage!
Use spring-steel if you need to go down inside the wall, and use twine for a pull-string at the end of the spring-steel.
Cover plates will dress the entry point for where your cables enter the server room.

Connect the coax cables directly to the back of the IDU. Hopefully you have color coded the cables (Red for Transmit, Blue for Recieve) so you will avoid the frustration of accidentally reversing them.

Any time you have the cables running together in the open, bind them together with Zip Ties.
Use liberal amounts of Zip Ties to secure your cable run to the satellite dish for a professional look. Make sure to click off any excess of the tie.
Split-Loom is sometimes used to cover coax cable runs. This will protect the cables from sunlight and moving abrasion against the roof itself.
 
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