[TowerTalk] Underground PVC Tubing?

[Mike]

Hello Rick,

Roger's approach is similar to what I've used for the last seven years.  In 
my installation, two boxes are on the outside, one at the house and the 
other at the tower base. Each box has a 2 1/2" dia. opening cut in the 
bottom and covered by metal screen wire.  The hole allows any moisture that 
gets into the 4" PVC pipe to evaporate.   The coax exits the boxes via UHF 
feed thrus.

My control cables are 12/2 (with ground) or 14/3 (w/ ground) NM electrical 
cable - the stuff you get at Home Depot or Lowes.  The control cables are 
terminated at the boxes.  Wire nuts are used to make the connections inside 
the box after the outside wires pass through standard plastic electrical 
box pass-thrus.  The NM pass thrus I use are yellow plastic and allow two 
NM cables to pass thru, but can not be pulled back out.  No bugs can get 
inside the boxes using these type of pass thrus.  They were obtained at 
Home Depot.

While you are installing the PVC pipe, pull a rope through each piece of 
PVC as it is installed so when you are done the pipe you have a pull rope 
in place.  Remember to attach a traveler to the pull rope whenever you pull 
something through.  You'll have to pull a cable or two at some later date. 
The traveler allows you to bring the pull rope back through the pipe.

When pulling additional cable(s), tape the end of the cable and rope 
junction so it has a taper and then smear "wire soap" on the junction.  The 
tape and taper keeps the cable from snagging on other cables already in the 
pipe.

Good luck with your installation Rick.

At 01:21 AM 4/15/04, Tower (K8RI) wrote:
>This is how I handled it.
>
>http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/cablebox.htm
>
>Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
>N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
>www.rogerhalstead.com
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Rich Hallman - N7TR" <rich at n7tr.com>
>To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 11:35 PM
>Subject: [TowerTalk] Underground PVC Tubing?
>
>
>What type of PVC Conduit Tubing is being used to protect control cables
>and coax that is being buried?  Looking at two 3 to 4 inch conduit....
>
>I'm finishing a 2ft deep trench to my towers and looking for what is
>being used and what can be purchased at home depot or Lowes.
>
>10 ft or 20 ft lengths?
>
>Thanks...
>Rich
>
>N7TR Web Site
>www.n7tr.com <http://www.n7tr.com>
>
>N7TR DX-Cluster
>  <telnet://dxc.n7tr.com>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
>questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
>any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
>_______________________________________________
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         73,
         Mike, K4GMH