[TowerTalk] Cable Runs

[jimlux]

Tod -ID wrote:
> Larry:
> 
> The really good ideas have already been expressed. I have a couple of things
> that you might want to consider if your particular layout makes them sensible. I
> have a 200 foot run from the house to the base of the HF tower. On the way I
> make "stops" for other antenna locations. There are two bends in the run.
> 
> 1. I hired an under-employed plumber to use his trencher to make a three foot
> deep 18" wide trench. The cost was nominal and might be reduced if you rent one
> and do it yourself. 

Trenchers are a wonderful thing.  So is cheap labor.

> 
> 2. I used one 3" and one 4" white PVC conduit designed for carrying water [from
> Home Depot] for the combination of hard lines [3 each 3/4" diam, 3 each 1/2"
> diam] and control cables [2 rotator, 2 14-conductor cables] PLUS a separate
> electrical conduit that carries 117 vac to each of the tower bases. I
> deliberately separated the 117 vac to avoid potential problems. 

And required by the electrical code anyway... (separating line voltage 
and low voltage)

The cost differene between, say, 2" and 1" conduit is pretty small. And 
it's a heck of a lot easier to pull your 12 or 14AWG AC line power 
through a 2" conduit.

For the coax, go BIG, really big!


> 
> 3. At each tower base GFI outlets are installed to provide convenient power.
> 

If they're all on the same circuit, you only need a GFCI on the first 
receptacle, then the rest daisy chain.  Or you can put the GFCI in the 
panel... GFCI circuit breakers are a lot more expensive than GFCI 
receptacles, though.