Nate Nagel wrote:

As I'm getting closer to completing rewiring my 2nd floor, I'm thinking
that I would like to put cable, internet, phone, etc. in all the
bedrooms while I'm messing around... sounds like the easiest way to do
this would be to use a "structured wiring" panel with the special cables
- 2x RG-6 and 2x CAT-6 -

Compare the price per foot of that composite cable vs. the equivalent
separate cables. Pulling cables isn't difficult.

and I'm wondering what is the best way to wire
this. I'm thinking currently that maybe I would need to run smurf tube
in directly from the basement to the attic, and then drop down the walls
in the bedrooms.

Typically, basement up to the first floor rooms, and attic down to
second floor rooms. Any available chase from basement to attic is useful
for the later. You probably don't want to run smurf tube home runs all
the way, better to run up a single conduit to a pull box in the attic
and distribute from there. Since this is low voltage you do not need to
have everything in conduit.

I'm thinking that i would need 3 of those cables (3
bedrooms) plus another RG-6 for a future roof antenna installation. (I
already have cable, but would like to also have the ability to watch OTA
TV. Sometimes the picture is actually better, but rabbit ears only work
well on the 2nd floor.) I'm assuming the right way to do this would be
to cut little coupons out of the wall at the floor and ceiling and use a
right angle drill with a hole saw to get through the sill
plates/floor/subfloor?

You should be able to drill up from the basement or down from the attic
with an "installer's bit", or a regular spade bit in most cases.


So... given those cable requirements, what size smurf tube would I need?
Or there is an unused PVC conduit running up along my chimney that was
for a PO's PV installation, could I just repurpose that? I guess what
I'm really looking for is guidance from someone who's used these
products before as to what size will make for easy pulling.

You really don't need smurf tube at all unless you want to spend the
money and make adding future cables more difficult.


Also, in this kind of installation, do I need to have boxes at the ends
of the smurf tube or PVC, or can I just use bushings and then split the
cables from there? (do they even make bushings for smurf tube?)

They make all the appropriate bushings for smurf tube, but you do not
need boxes at all for low voltage work. CADDY makes some nice metal low
voltage rings that trim the opening in the drywall, provide the mounting
screw holes for the cover plate and have bend over ears that wrap around
and secure to the drywall with a couple screws. There is no box, so
there are no issues jamming all the wires into a box when you have a
fully loaded six pack plate of phone, network and coax cables.


Where can I *find* short lengths of large diameter smurf tube? Is that
something that would likely be available at your local electrical supply
house?

They might, but you don't need it.


Finally, for running the cables in the basement (exposed joists) is
there any kind of small "cable tray" arrangement I could use rather than
stapling to joists or continuing smurf tube to the panel?

Look online for the "CADDY" brand of hangers and fasteners. My
recommendation would be a plywood backboard in the basement divided into
RF, phone and data areas, CADDY J hook type hangers to carry the lines
from the backboard to the various first floor points and the chase to
the attic, then more CADDY J hooks in the attic to carry across to
various second floor points. Pull the conductors up or down into the
walls at the appropriate points and use the CADDY low voltage rings at
the "box" locations. I like the Leviton modular wall plates and use the
6 port plates everywhere, putting the blank fillers in currently unused
ports.

I have a single story house with no basement here in TX, and I have my
server rack in the back corner of the garage. Behind the rack on the
wall I have a plywood backer board with a RF splitter, a cat5 patch
panel with 110 punchdown back, and a phone 110 patch block. I have a
length of 2" PVC conduit that is clamped at the top of the backer board
and runs up into the attic. In the attic the wires come out of that
conduit and transition onto J hooks on the rafters where they run off to
wherever they need to go and then drop down into the walls, or on the
case of the shop feed, drop down into a 1" PVC conduit that takes them
down the wall, then out and underground 80' to the shop.