[TowerTalk] Basement entry

[Bgsalesmel at cs.com]

snip..
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Running coax into the basement


How are people getting their coax into the shack in
the basement ?? i was thinking of using 4" pvc pipe
with a cap on the outside with holes drilled for coax
and sealing around each coax run with rtv when i put
them in ....

thanks

Dan N8DCJ
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Dan,
Do you have daylight windows and is one of them in your operating area?

I did. After cross connecting all my grounds: Tower base, Cable TV, Elec 
service, phone to a SPG outside this window - I removed the entire window assy 
from it's frame. This is in a "dry well" formed by heavy galv steel arch outside 
the basement wall. Then I made a full size plywood replacement panel, using 1" 
wood strips outside to "match" the sill to interior ledge depth with some 
light wt. aluminum channel and long machine screws with wing nuts and fender 
washers providing the "hold in place" force. I then sawed 2 holes equally spaced 
in this for 3" PVC. Using a 45 deg ell on both sides, looking down and a "short 
nipple" between them, I then installed these and just used the force of the 
setting cement to hold them in place. The entire panel was given 3 coats of 
Varathene. Each PVC entry was caulked both sides as was the entire edge of the 
panel once in place. The ells were stuffed with insulation and duct taped on the 
outside - a natural drip loop was formed when making entry within the dry 
well. The dry well is protected by a "close" overhang of the upper floor / wall 
edge. No bugs, no water since the install 3 years ago.

I use one for my coax and rotor cables and the other PVC for my balanced line 
alone. I also drilled a 1/4" hole down low on the panel and ran a short #4 
solid gnd wire to my station ground bar mounted just under this entry window - a 
2" x 24" x 1/4" alum bar drilled for PL259 barrel connectors which became my 
disconnect point for all feeds to the radios themselves. There are arrestors 
on the coax and bal line outside on the SPG as well. Grounding plugs or straps 
are used when disconnected - completing the path to gnd for center conductors 
and rotor wiring.

Hope this helps.

73, de Mel
KD7DCR