[TowerTalk] burying hardline

[K8RI on TT]

On 4/3/2011 1:24 AM, Mark, K5ER wrote:
I've found LDF4-50 (1/2" Heliax) to be a bit on the fragile side and 
easily crushed. Were it me, and it's not, I'd put all feedlines in PVC 
conduit.  The reason is that yards can at times get soft and if your 
tires sink in as you cross the feedlines it can be a mess. To me the PVC 
is cheap insurance.  I'd run the control lines either under the conduit, 
or in their own conduit.  OTOH although it's not good practice I do have 
some control lines in the same conduit with the feed lines.  I use lower 
loss LMR-600 which has a smaller minimum bend radius and is much more 
crush/kink resistant than LDF4-50

73

Roger (K8RI)


>           I got through this past contest season with cables laid on the
> ground, but now its time to run permanent cables to the towers, so I need
> some advice. I plan to run all feedlines and control cables underground,
> since they are not compatible with the riding mower. I have access to
> enough 4" PVC, so plan to bury it from the shack's SPG to each tower base.
>
>           Tower #1 is 125' from shack, and will either hold antenna, or
> connection points for four bands(for now). I will have 4 rotors and 2
> switch boxes on this tower. I plan to run 6 control lines and  6 feed lines
> to this tower.
>
>           Tower #2 is about 50' from shack and will require minimum of 3
> feed lines and 4 control cables.
>
>           I have about 1000 feet of LDF4-50, ON HAND, so I plan to use it,
> rather than buy coax, which would be more lossy. Now the question - would
> YOU run the hardline inside the 4" PVC, or simply lay it in the trench,
> beside the PVC (which WILL house the control cables), leaving extra room
> inside the conduit for future runs, if they are ever needed?  For the
> record, I'm in North Louisiana, and the soil is a clay/loam mix with no
> rocks to damage the hardline. In the Spring/Fall, the ground is moist (not
> wet). In the Summer, it is fairly dry.
>
> Thanks!
> Mark, K5ER
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