On 11/26/2011 9:24 PM, Mike N1TA wrote:
> Hi Steve,
>
> There was a similar discussion only a few weeks ago. You can find all of
> those messages here:
> http://lists.contesting.com/archives//cgi-bin/namazu.cgi?query=pull+rope+in+conduit&submit=Search%21&idxname=Towertalk&max=20&result=normal&sort=score
> .
>
> The consensus seemed to be the suction method, that is using a shop vac to
> draw the future pull rope through. This would work after the pre-existing
> cables were inside, so long as the conduit was lightly loaded.
In the 4th and last photo on
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/cablebox.htm you can see the pull
rope I use. (This page chronicles the evolution of the routing of the
cables to the tower) In some places the system has evolved farther than
the photos show. It's difficult to see where the rope runs with the
cables. You can just see the end of the rope in the last photo as it
comes out the left side of the left conduit. In that photo there are
only 2 small coax and one control cable present as I was changing the
junction box, feed lines, and adding a run to the shop which has quite a
few more. The second photo shows what had been in there. The 4th photo
shows the current box on the West side of the house with the large
conduit in the back of the box going through the end plate at the top of
the basement wall instead of through the basement wall as it did
originally. This route is much easier to close up if you take the
system out. The conduit to the tower goes down from the bottom of the
box as shown in the 3rd photo.
I've pulled many feed lines in and out of the system with no problems.
Note the rope is braided, not twisted. Avoid twisted rope of any kind.
The run is some where between 70 and 80 feet long. From the Box on the
side of the house it goes down, West, North and then up into the
junction box. That is 3 90 degree turns, BUT each 90 actually consists
of two sweep 45's. I also use a LOT of wire soap when pulling in new
cables. I've had no problems with the wire and rope twisting and I use
a rope twice as long as I need as you can see by the rope coiled up in
photo 4. The run currently contains 2 control cables, 3 LMR-600 UF, and
4 RG-6 flooded cables.
The run to the shop is only about 45 feet and contains 2 90's. OTOH it
contains 3 LMR-600UF 2 control cables, 1 rotator cable and 2 RG-6.
The run to the house is conventional with each joint glued, but the one
to the shop was installed with all joints under compression and
liberally greased with Dow Corning's DC-4 Silicone Dielectric compound.
There are no drain holes in either conduit. That means if I want to add
any more cables this year I'd best try it before the ground freezes.
Last check showed no moisture in either conduit, but *stuff* happens.
It wouldn't take much to make some impassible points.
Don't plan on filling the conduit much more than half full.
73
Roger (K8RI)
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