Coax into the shack ?

[k8niv]

How do you guy bring your coax cables into the shack ?.....

Other than using the sliding window in the shack, how else can you do this ?....

Reason I said this about the window, I have mine coming into the shack window now and don't like this because the window is a small one and slides side ways instead up and down, lol.......my radio stuff sets on the back wall of the shack and so far my antennas are in the back yard.....have thought about drilling me a hole in the back wall and drop it down behind the radios, but at the same time I have a desk top computer tower that sets in the left corner of the room, not sure if this would cause any isses with the pc tower or not,....also if I come through the back wall it would save me about 20ft of coax too, ....what u guys think or recommend ?

 

[jazzboypro]

I have a few coax cables that pass near my computer, 2 monitors and 1 TV. I don't have any problems with my equipment. I guess it may depend on how much power you are using when you transmit, the quality of your coax, grounding etc. I never use more than 100 watts

 

[ka3jjz]

jazzboy have you got any common mode chokes on your feedline? RF leakage into the coax from devices as you describe can and sometimes do wreck havok with your noise levels...Mike

 

[jazzboypro]

I must admit that i do not at this time, it is something I need to look into. I understand that the computer, monitors and stuff like that can generate a lot of noise and degrade the reception of signals. I thing the OP wanted to know if the feedline would have an impact on is computer. so far in my experience it does not at my location.

 

[prcguy]

In my apartment days with a horizontal sliding window I cut a chunk of wood about 4" wide and 3/4" thick that fit the height of the window frame and fit inside the frame then installed a bunch of feedthrough female connectors for coax pass through. I then cut about a 1" dia dowel that would span the inside window frame and lock the window tight against the new wood piece to keep out rain, etc, because the wood was recessed inside the sliding window and frame. You could do the same thing with some thick aluminum and also use that as your building entry point ground if the window is on a ground floor and near your AC electrical entry point.

 

[wwhitby]

I drilled two coax sized holes in the soffit of my house. The two coax cables run through those holes, across my attic and down into the shack through holes in the ceiling. One day, I'll put some channel up to make it look pretty, but you only see about two feet between the ceiling and the top of the bookcase.

 

[Firekite]

I drilled two coax sized holes in the soffit of my house. The two coax cables run through those holes, across my attic and down into the shack through holes in the ceiling. One day, I'll put some channel up to make it look pretty, but you only see about two feet between the ceiling and the top of the bookcase.

How are you grounding the coax and arresting lightning at the entrance to the home? Are the antennas on the roof and come down to the ground first or maybe start on the ground anyway before the coax makes its way up to the eaves?

 

[wwhitby]

How are you grounding the coax and arresting lightning at the entrance to the home? Are the antennas on the roof and come down to the ground first or maybe start on the ground anyway before the coax makes its way up to the eaves?

I have two coax cables (one LMR-400 for VHF/UHF and the other RG-8X for HF). Both coax lines run down the mast from the antennas. About two feet off the ground, I have a 10x12 inch plastic enclosure box mounted to the side of my house. This box has heavy duty latches and a gasket for the lid. Both coax lines run into the box where both are attached to lightning arresters. I have a ground bus bar in the bottom of the box, and both lightning arresters and the shield of the coax are attached to the buss bar. I have a No 6 bare copper wire that runs from the bus bar to the same ground rod that my mast is grounded to. The coax then runs out of the other side of the box, and through the holes in the soffit to my shack.

Also, since my city requires any antennas masts to be located in the rear of the house, I had to create what is really 1/4 of a halo ground to ground everything to the home electric service delivery point on the side of my house. To do that, I ran more No 6 bare copper wire from the ground rod where the mast, coax and arresters are attached to another ground rod on the corner of the house. A second run of No 6 bare copper wire then attaches that ground rod to the electrical ground at the service delivery point. FWIW, that ground rod is right under the condensate drain pipe for my air handler, so the ground is always moist! Inside the shack, which is on the opposite side of the wall across from the electrical ground, all radio equipment is grounded to a bus bar, which is then connected through the wall to the electrical ground by a piece of stranded 1/0 copper cable I had left over. The 1/0 cable runs through an existing construction box I mounted low by the baseboard, and I drilled a hole through the brick of my house to route the 1/0 cable through.