[TowerTalk] BuryFlex burial

[r miles]

Getting ready for two BF runs to the new tower. It will be in PVC. Since 
it's out of site I use the white PVC. Costs less than the gray. The main 
worry about moisture is temp. variation causing the PVC to 'sweat' 
inside & eventually to get water in the lowest spot of the run. My run 
to my HyTower is apx. 120' in PVC. Downhill all the way but there's a 
dip about 20' from the HT. I drilled several 1/8'' holes on the bottom 
of the PVC at it's lowest point. The PVC is several inches below the 
surface all the run. At that low point I dug a hole the size of a 1 Lb. 
coffee can & filled it with pea gravel. Any moisture will run to the low 
point & exit thru the holes into the gravel. I prefer to seal the end 
where the coax exits at the tower base. We have lots of nasty insects in 
W Tn & don't want them finding a home. Here if you store EMT, PVC or 
aluminium elements they  need to be taped on the ends to prevent insects 
from entering. We have 'dirt daubers' & they can stuff mud 6'' into the 
ends. A real pain flushing them out. It hardens like cement. Other bugs 
like the ends of my spare Rohn 25 sections as home. I've flushed them & 
they are taped too.
   I learned the value of 'drip loops'  in the coax lines coming off 
towers. At the old QTH I forgot to add one & one day I discovered a 
spoon full of water on the OP desk behind the radio. Whether it ran 
inside or outside of the coax I don't know but it managed to find it's 
way inside the house.

K9IL