[TowerTalk] Conduit for cables to the tower?

Bob Smith na6t at na6t.com
Sat Sep 16 03:37:40 EDT 2006


Dammn,, I'm glad I made the comment about the pull ropes in the tower,

I'd heard about the 'mule tape' but I guess I was to 'proud' to ask a 
contractor
about how it's used, I followed the links on the discussion, and I know exactly
how to use it and will order on monday from the local electrical supply house
for a job I'm doing for the city.  I've got 4 at 300' runs with Cat5 to 
underground
for a wireless project i'm into.

Thanks again, and it pays to read towertalk...

73,
Bob

Robert Smith Consulting
Fort Bragg, California
NA6T

------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 21:35:52 -0400
From: Alan NV8A <nv8a at att.net>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Conduit for cables to the tower?
To: towertalk reflector <towertalk at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <4508B1F8.6080608 at att.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I have questions about the best way to get cables (coax, AC, and
control) from the shack to the tower.

Here are the things I have read or observed and am trying to take into
account. Please correct me if I am wrong on any point.

1. Low-voltage wiring (e.g., for rotor and other control functions)
cannot be run in the same conduit as regular power wiring.

2. All cables should run in grounded metal conduit for effective
lightning protection, according to Polyphaser.

3. The bends in the conduit for a single run of cable may not exceed 360
degrees or it becomes too difficult to pull the wires through.

4. EMT is not buriable. This suggests that RMC must be used, but can it
be bent? Or can liquid-tight flexible metallic conduit be buried, and
does it provide sufficient protection? Is there a means of grounding the
metal in such conduit?


It looks as though I will need three separate runs of conduit: one for
the feedlines, one for power for the crank-up, one for the control
cables and rotator power.

The conduit run for 120V power looks like needing six 90-degree bends
(two too many), and the other cables eight (double the permitted number).

How have others handled their cabling?

73

Alan NV8A


-

Bob Smith
A.R.S NA6T
ARRL Life Member
Fort Bragg, California   95437

"On The Air-Conditioned Mendocino Coast, In REAL Northern California"
No trees were destroyed in the sending of this message.
However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.




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