[TowerTalk] protection from UV (and chewing by critters)

[N7DF]

I have adopted a policy of encasing my coaxes, rotor cables and switchlines in   Polyethylene pipe.  A one inch pipe will carry all three very comfortably and the cables can be pulled through a 100 foot run with ease.  For longer runs you feed a coupler over the cable and the attach another length of pipe. Locally, it costs about $15 per 100 feet at the feed store.   I  support vertical runs with a rope fed through the pipe tied off at the top and bottom.  I secure the pipe to the tower leg every few feet with tape to keep it from flopping in the wind.   To support elevated horizontal runs I feed a rope through the pipe and tie off the ends to the tower and other end support. Most of the time I just run the pipe to the bottom of the tower and let it lie on the ground, though.   It can be buried at any depth in any type of terrain, including marshland or under water without concern.  However it is necessary to seal the ends against water with tape or other means.  For
 extreme conditions squirting some foam sealant into the end of the pipe works well.  I saw an underwater installation Alaska that was pressurized by inserting a tee connection with a valve assembly at one end  and filled by an air compressor.
   
  Also, for protecting plastics of all type, including tape and tiewraps, from the elements I have found that KRYLON FUSION paint does an excellent job if the directions are followed.  It is the only type of paint that I have found that will bond effectively to Polyethylene 

       
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