Alternative to flat coax cable?

[CubsWin]

I live in an apartment with a sliding patio door and my dish was installed with an 8" flat coax cable going through the sliding door. After about 6 months, my TV stopped working and I found the cable stripped down to the wire and smoking. I bought 2 more of the cables on eBay and just received them today, but I'm already having problems with the signal cutting in and out depending on how the cable is lying in the door. Considering that I can't drill any holes in my apartment, do I have any better alternatives than the cheap 8" flat coax cable?

 

[HCI]

no alternatives. sorry

these flat coaxes are the worse invention ever.

 

[bryansr]

You can allways take a 2"X2" piece of lumber as long as the door is tall and notch it out on the side that the door hits to fit the coax, then hot glue it in place and put some thin foam strips for insulation. you can use the remaining piece of lumber to block the door for "security".

BryanSR

 

[Van]

Theres an easier and more secure way to get the flat cable in through your sliding door using three pieces of duct tape.

With the door partialy open you will need to atach the flat wire to one end of the coax that you have been using, at the middle part of the non moving door panel you will want to place your hand on the sliding door and gently push it outwards to provide about a half inch gap. At this point you can push the other end of the flat cable through and then slide it down making sure to keep half of it inbetween the two doors and horizontal. Once you have it down towards the bottom you will want to leave it about 2 inches above the bottom of the frame work and will need to tape it to the edge of the non moving frame. Now go outside and slowly close the moving panel and when it gets to where the end of the flat cable is you will have to use your fingers or another device to keep it from getting jammed up, with the flat cable held back you can close the door and atach your other cable to it and then tape it off along the none moving panel.

This should allow you to effectively use your doorwall, I also have another way that doesnt require the use of flat cable.

 

[Stargazer]

I read in some other threads on this site that Dish Network is currently working on DishPro approved flat cables. Maybe those will be sturdier.

 

[RandallA]

I read in some other threads on this site that Dish Network is currently working on DishPro approved flat cables. Maybe those will be sturdier.

We're waiting for Van to give us more feedback on them.

 

[Van]

Still waiting to get ahold of a peice of it to tell you guys about it.

 

[sfollenius]

Are the small round coax cables bad. I have some laying around, cant remember where I got them, but they are round just like reg. coax but about half the diameter.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Heres what you need...
http://www.channelplus.com/pdf/manuals/glslink1.pdf

 

[pdxsam]

Heres what you need...
http://www.channelplus.com/pdf/manuals/glslink1.pdf

That's an awesome piece of equipment... when they're installed correctly do they work well?

 

[chadzx11]

Reroute the coax through a standard window. You can route it from there through the interior of the apartment. Most people won't go for this, but its one of the things you deal with when you rent.

What kind of flat cable are you using? Does the inside look like the one I posted here, or are you using the uber crappy old style (the ones that really are flat)?
I still wouldn't run this through a sliding glass door, that's just asking for trouble.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=61615&page=2

 

[chadzx11]

Still waiting to get ahold of a peice of it to tell you guys about it.

Can you find out manufacturer and model? Hell, I'll order one!

 

[Jared Twomey]

Are the small round coax cables bad. I have some laying around, cant remember where I got them, but they are round just like reg. coax but about half the diameter.

are you refering to RG59 cable? it is general smaller than RG6... if you are, then NO, I wouldn't recommend using it. It MAY work, then again, it may not...

 

[AntAltMike]

As was pointed out in the related thread, the Channel Plus Glass Link has been discontinued, but I listed three dealers who claim to have some old stock available. Try to make sure you get the model that matches your thickness of windowpane.

The best way to squeeze DBS signal through a crevase is to use the flattest 300 ohm wire that you can , like the kind commonly used to extend FM radio antennas, and pigtail it onto the coax. There is no significant broadcast interference in the satellite "L-band" and since signal loss due to impedance mismatch tends to be proportional to the length of the mismatched conductor, the signal loss willl be inconsequential.

The only problem will be if this is for an installation that DISH or DirecTV warranties.