[TowerTalk] Comments on corrugated conduit?

[Brad Rehm]

Len,

In the past, I have buried my tower cabling in PVC pipe, just as you were
about to do.  But the ground is so full of rocks at our new QTH, that the
thought of digging a 180 ft. trench for the PVC was overwhelming.  I had
spotted the corrugated tubing some time ago and recommended it as conduit
for the antenna range cabling at my company's EMC test facilities.  It has
worked fine on a new range that we've just completed.  So, I used it on my
installation at home.

The corrugated tubing was buried at the office, so we used the solid kind
which has no drainage slots.  Of course, it will eventually fill with water
as end-to-end temperature differentials pull air in and out of it and
moisture condenses out.  But we can live with that.  At home, I used the
slotted variety of tubing, and it lies on top of the ground.  Initially, the
four head of cattle we've got grazing on our 18 acre antenna farm were
confused by it, and they didn't hesitate to step on it now and then.
They've gotten over that, and they gingerly step over it when they pass the
conduit on their little paths.

The cabling seems to be doing well after six months.  The sunlight doesn't
reach it.  It's dry.  And because I've plugged both ends with rags, no
rodents have gotten inside and built nests.  I plan to use a stake at one
end to make the conduit curve upward under a metal box which terminates all
the wiring near the tower.

This seems to be a great way to protect tower wiring.  It's cheap, and it's
effective.

73,
Brad KV5V

----- Original Message -----
From: Leonard Kay <k1nu@mediaone.net>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2000 1:58 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Comments on corrugated conduit?


>
> Greeting Towertalkians,
>
> I was just at Home Depot yesterday, about to buy
> a lot of 4" PVC drain pipe at $8.00/10 ft section
> for my underground cable conduit when I saw the
> rolls of 4" black plastic corrugated flexible tubing
> (the kind for outdoor drainage, drywells, etc)
> at $2.70 for 10 ft, $27.00 for a 100' roll!
>
> Before I go back and buy the 100' roll (which
> BTW would get me all the way to the tower
> with NO seams), I thought I'd ask here if
> anyone has any experiences, good or bad, with
> this kind of conduit. It seems perfectly
> thick enought for this kind of application,
> and it's solid (i.e. no perf holes). And it bends!
>
> Tnx & 73
> Len K1NU
>
>
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>


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