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Tower to basement RF routing best practice?

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:03 pm
by Pj
Ok, going to start building a new home shortly, so I'll have some flexibility on running all sorts of fun stuff so I won't have to hack the walls and run conduit later.

I am planning on having a tower at some point, but would I would like to do is pre-run some coax from the eventual basement offfice to the tower when the foundation gets poured/framed etc.

I know running cable from the tower is essentially a no-no, but I also really don't want to have the stuff outside then needed to be reentered the house either. I am in a lightning prone area for the summer storms (think Nebraska style storms).

So, what has worked, or what would best practices be to get some hidden RF to the basement?

What I would like to do is run/bury pipe from the tower mounting area and run it underground to the basement for a port access, but I am pretty sure that will invite any transiant discharges right in...

Just not sure how to run it and keep some nice astectics to the house so the wife doesn't beat me too bad.

Re: Tower to basement RF routing best practice?

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:30 pm
by Bill_G
Just install a small service vault outside the basement wall with at least one four inch duct through it. You can have a concrete one with an iron lid poured with the foundation, or a plastic one installed afterwards. We use plastic for buried cable. At least 18 x 24 x 18 deep. Then you can plan out the tower later and trench in what you need. Might consider laying a ground halo while the dirt is pulled out for the foundation.

Re: Tower to basement RF routing best practice?

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:20 pm
by KitN1MCC
or put some pass thru conduits in. also remote motuning of equipment is getting more popular as well

Re: Tower to basement RF routing best practice?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:46 am
by motorola_otaku
FYI, R56 is a free download now: http://www.radioandtrunking.com/downloa ... manual.pdf

If it were me I'd put in a waveguide entry port panel at ground level and mount a ground block for the Polyphasers on the ceiling inside directly in front of the entry point, then just drop down from that to the equipment.

Re: Tower to basement RF routing best practice?

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 4:09 am
by Bill_G
motorola_otaku wrote:FYI, R56 is a free download now: http://www.radioandtrunking.com/downloa ... manual.pdf

If it were me I'd put in a waveguide entry port panel at ground level and mount a ground block for the Polyphasers on the ceiling inside directly in front of the entry point, then just drop down from that to the equipment.
"Look dear, I can hide that with these antlers. See?"

Karnack says "A trip to HD for oak cabinets is in your future".

Re: Tower to basement RF routing best practice?

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:04 am
by motorola_otaku
Bill_G wrote:
motorola_otaku wrote:FYI, R56 is a free download now: http://www.radioandtrunking.com/downloa ... manual.pdf

If it were me I'd put in a waveguide entry port panel at ground level and mount a ground block for the Polyphasers on the ceiling inside directly in front of the entry point, then just drop down from that to the equipment.
"Look dear, I can hide that with these antlers. See?"

Karnack says "A trip to HD for oak cabinets is in your future".
Well, he did say this was going in the basement. He can wall the radio room off into a man-cave. :)

I guess you could put the Polyphasers and single-point ground bus outside in an enclosure, but then you'd have to keep the weather out of it.