At 12:07 PM 11/19/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Gang,
>
>I am reading all the posts about expanding foam that fills all the air
>gaps in the hole you make in the side of your home to bring in coax and
>control lines. The expanding foam spray has one serious drawback... the
>next time you go to add or remove a cable... you have a mess of
>crumbling foam on your hands.
>
>I believe I've solved the problem with my 3-inch hole for cabling... by
>stuffing the hole with newspapers. This lasted quite a while. After
>all, we only want to limit the ingress of air and insects. The next
>time I added a cable I got an even better idea. I had several pieces of
>foam rubber packing material laying around... the stuff that lines
>camera cases or is used for shipping computer hard drives. I stuffed
>the hole with this stuff and it is simply "wonderful." It's easily
>removed, no mess, and easily replaced. No big deal. You can also buy
>foam weatherstripping to do the same job.
>
>All the cables that enter this hole have a semi-circular "drip loop"
>whereby they must rise since they approach the hole from below. This
>keeps water from running down the cables into the foam. Little "drip
>strings" can be added to the bottom of each cable to drain water...
>although I haven't found this necessary.
>
>Lastly, to keep water out of the hole I place a sheet of white aluminum
>siding in the bottom lip of the siding just above the hole and let it
>hang there covering the hole and the coax coming in from the sides. You
>can easily substitute aluminum roofing flashing obtained in Home Depot.
>
>With this method... I don't worry about messy caulking the hole,
>crumbling hardened expandable foam, insects and water or air ingress.
>The hole, which is made large enough to remove cables with 8-pin Cinch
>Jones connectors on my rotor control box wiring... can easily be
>accessed for any new cabling. So simple. Now all I have to start
>thinking about is a lightning bulkhead. There's always something to do!
>
>Hope I've been helpful. Your on-line coments and suggestions are always
>appreciated...off-line too.
I am using this method right now with a slight change that is easier. I
have a 4" PVC flange coming in the wall of the shack that is used for a
Toilet Throne. I then used a 4" elbo that goes inside the flange and points
down. No water comes in...and very little air. I do back it tight with
foam rubber. Just pop out the foam rubber and run another cable in.
Lee
k0wa@southwind.net
"Can't wait for the 'cracks' about my Throne on the wall"
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