Bringing conduit in to the shack

[AH6FC]

Over the past year I've been working on a new shack in a new home.  Though we're not yet finished, I thought I'd offer the approach I used to bring the coax/control lines into the shack.

My tower is a long way (450 feet) from the shack.  I'm using 3 inch electrical conduit, at great expense...thank  you very much, buried 3 feet underground.  I ended up running 7/8th inch heliax to minimize losses at VHF frequencies.  We brought the conduit up a few inches outside the shack.  From that point, we used 45 degree angles and short runs of contuit cut at about 60 degrees so as to flush mount with the side of the house, through the sheathing into the wall.

You'll see on the photos 1) conduit coming up, 2) 45 degree angles going over conduit, 3 & 4) conduit coming through sheathing into the shack.  Insulating foam was sprayed around the interface of the conduit and the wall.  Also, I did not glue the conduit junction, just in case we have to get back into the conduit.  The decking will eventually go down over the conduit (you can see the framing for the decking in the first couple photos).

photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/catbijou/ConduitEntry?authkey=XlIRmkTzsSw

Hope this is of some help.  Still looking for good ideas for nice neat bulkhead panels!

73, Bill

[W3LK]

Very nice looking installation.

I'm getting ready to do something similar, but a much shorter run and a smaller scale.

Thanks for the information and the photos.

73,

Lon - W3LK
Baltimore, Maryland - soon to be Naugatuck, Connecticut

[K7PEH]

>>>Still looking for good ideas for nice neat bulkhead panels!


I still like the bulkhead panel that I made for my shack.  I cut a hole right in the wall of the 4th bedroom which is downstairs and then placed a transmission line connection panel.  The panel supports four coaxial connectors, one parallel line pair of connectors, and a ground connection.

If I were to do it again, I would install a pair of connectors for battery power (the outside wall is a great place for a battery coffin in this configuration) and I would install a connection or cabling for rotator controller.

Photos of the design and construction process can be found at my web site http://www.k7peh.com -- you can find the link down the page described as "Transmission Pass Through Panel" or something like that.

73,
phil, K7PEH
www.k7peh.com

[AH6FC]

Yes, nice bulkhead!
Bill

[KV6O]

It looks like the conduit is going directly into your shack. Where's your ground point?  Any wires (coax, rotor cable, etc.) should be tied to a SPG outside before going inside! Did I miss it in the pictures?

Steve
KV6O

[K9KJM]

Yep, I agree. There should be a nice heavy, At least #4 copper, Better yet #2 bare copper wire OUTSIDE the conduit, Running to the ground system, bonded to the towers etc, AND to tie the copper strap for the single point ground to.

Please dont tell me there was NO ground wire run in that trench when it was open!

[AH6FC]

Good eyes!  It's there.  There is a 2 inch copper ribbon running out to an 8 foot ground rod as well as #4 solid copper wire to the same rod.  These are both connected to an 10 X 18 copper plate for spg.  The ground lines don't run through the conduit.  Didn't have the grounds installed when I took the pictures!

Good point for the newbies planning for a new station. Thanks
Bill