Topband: Using 1/2" PVC Conduit Vs. the Critters Who Eat Coax

[K1ZM at aol.com]

Hi Gang

Awhile back I sought suggestions on what to do about critters eating coax.
I was grateful for the help received and decided to try 1/2" PVC conduit as a 
protective "cover" over the coax in my case.

I had two types of cable to protect - RG6 quad shield coax and RG213 - both 
of which were quite LONG runs of coax.

1/2" PVC conduit is CHEAP at Home Depot - it comes in 10 foot sections, costs 
98c per 10 ft length and it is swaged at one end allowing a nice "fit" where 
two sections join - which can be taped over with PVC tape to hold the sections 
in place after one has slid one piece into the swaged end of the next piece.

Like anything else, there is a learning process regarding installing this 
stuff over a run of coax and here's what worked for me:

1) Lay the coax out along the ground first
2) Slide a piece of PVC onto the coax - swaged end first - to a point well 
down the coax.  (The point here is to get MULTIPLE 10' sections onto the coax 
line - I found I could work with as many as 6 sections at a time on RG6 - It 
remains to be seen how many I can work with on RG213 at a time - I suspect 2-3 at 
best - due to the larger diameter of the Rg213.)
3) Slide the sections of PVC into each other, getting a snug fit, then tape 
over the joints with PVC tape to ensure they do not come apart.
4) Slide the connected pieces along the RG6 (or Rg213) - passing the coax in 
front of you into the PVC with your left hand and pulling the PVC "chain" 
along and over the coax with your right hand - please note that this is most 
easily done while walking slowly along the run of coax laying on the ground and 
sliding & pulling at the same time.
5) When you have moved a "group" of PVC sections to the far end of the coax 
run, go back to the beginning end of the coax again and prepare a new group of 
PVC sections (2/3 for RG213 or up to 6 for RG6) and repeat the process.
6) Do this until you have covered all the exposed coax you wish to protect 
from the critters on your land

I was amazed to learn that I could slide first one, then two, then three and 
finally as many as six connected sections over a run of RG6 coax.  YES, there 
is far more drag with 6 then with 1-2 connected sections - but it is eminently 
doable and I did it without oil, grease or any foreign matter to make the 
process easier.

The verdict is not yet in regarding how many sections I can work with over 
RG213 - but since the "fit" inside the PVC is far tighter, I'd be surprised if 
it is any more than 30 feet at a time.

How LONG does it take?  Well, I managed to cover 1,700 feet of RG6 in 3 days 
- I probably could have done it in two had I started the process doing 50-60 
feet of connected PVC sections at a time.  I also was working in the pouring 
rain as this needed to be completed prior to CQWW SSB and - well, you know, 
sometimes you just have to "get it done".  The foul weather surely didn't make it 
go any faster!

Will the stuff REALLY work against the squirrels and other vermin?  Will they 
MUNCH the PVC conduit as gleefully as they did the RG6 and RG213?  Stay 
tuned.  I'll let you know after a year or so as I plan to inspect this important 
run of coax periodically over the coming months.

Tks again to those who helped with recommendations for this project.

73 JEFF

K1ZM at aol.com