[Towertalk] Cable purchase source info requested

[Jim Lux]

I use that 1/4"-3/8" yellow poly rope.. I'd also not be skimpy on the size
of the conduit.  The cost difference between 1" and 3/4" isn't all that
much, and every bit of extra room makes life easier.  Avoid 90 degree bends!
(code would require a pull box every 360 degrees of accumulated bend.. for
good reason).  PVC pipe is pretty flexible, so a gently curving trench with
a gently curving conduit is a good way to make the turn. They also sell 45
degree elbows.

Bury a strip of colored plastic tape about 6-12" above the conduit so that
when you are out digging there again, you'll see the tape and avoid chopping
the line.  They sell tape specifically for this, but I just use regular old
surveyor's flagging tape.

Unless the dirt is real soft, go rent a trencher... A couple hours with the
smallest trencher ($50 around here) will dig hundreds of feet of perfect
18"-24" deep trenches with nice straight sides in soil that is practically
concrete.

You can use smaller rope as a pull line, but the bigger stuff is readily
available and cheap.

I use a vacuum cleaner to pull the line through after laying the pipe...

For what it's worth, you probably don't need any special cabling... The
conduit should be dry inside and short of bugs growing (see the comment
about oakum posted earlier), there's no UV exposure, etc.  The environment
is probably more benign than inside the walls of your house.  I've got 150
foot runs of Cat5 (cheap/non-plenum stuff) that show no degradation (either
electrical or visible) after being in buried conduit for 3 years.

If you are concerned, you could get the fancier plenum stuff..
noncombustible jacket, typically a bit more rugged.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim White" <k4oj@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Cable purchase source info requested


> do you normally leave a lineor some sort of "leader" inside the pvc for
the
> re-pulling?  most of my runs are VERY long and I doubt pulling the control
> cable or coax alone would get it...
>
> 73,
>
> Jim, K4OJ
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Lux" <jimlux@earthlink.net>
> To: "msn account" <depagnier@msn.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 2:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Cable purchase source info requested
>
>
> > Put it in PVC conduit... Inevitably, you're going to want to change the
> cable, or pull another one, etc.  3/4" PVC electrical conduit is cheap and
> easy to install.. You have to dig the trench anyway..
> >
> > msn account wrote:
> > >
> > > Can I get a few recommendations on where to purchase direct burial
type
> cable (polyethylene jacket) for the following?:
> > >
> > > 1. Telephone line
> > >
> > > 2. Rotor cable
> > >
> > > 3. CAT5 network cable (shielded)
> > >
> > > thanks,
> > >
> > > Dave
> > >
> > > K0QE
> > >
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