EFHW 8010 antennas..

[k8niv]

Need some advice, I have 2 of these 8010's up, and the coax for each lays on the ground, and everytime I cut the grass I have to move them out of the way....for some reason, every few times i have moved this I have a issue with the PL connectors on the coax, don't seem to matter much taking it easy moving the cables, this dont seem to help much..........best I can tell these look like the cheaper PL connectors, not sure where to buy the good ones..


Can you bury the RG 213 coax inside pvc pipe and it be ok ?...
Have LMR 400UF coax on the other one, I'm sure it be ok to bury it ?

 

[Thunderknight]

If you bury in pipe/conduit, I suggest using perforated drain pipe and laying it in gravel. Conduit/pipe will fill with water, either direct or via condensation so if you don't allow it to drain, the cable will be underwater.
They make direct burial cable, but it's pricy. Depending on how hard it is to bury and dig up, it might be cheaper/easier to just use regular 213 and replace it every few years....

 

[prcguy]

All underground conduits will eventually fill with water but cables live in them for 30yrs or more all over the world with no problem. Even if you have direct burial rated cable put it in conduit otherwise critters will chew on it.

 

[k6cpo]

Are your connectors wrapped to prevent water intrusion? If not, you might try that first. Also, a lot of coax is direct burial, meaning it doesn't need conduit.

 

[prcguy]

All buried cables need conduit to keep rodents from chewing and destroying them. As I think back I recall just about everyone I know including myself who has buried coax or wiring without conduit eventually had a problem with this. Rodents are attracted to the wires for some reason and can't resist chewing them.

Are your connectors wrapped to prevent water intrusion? If not, you might try that first. Also, a lot of coax is direct burial, meaning it doesn't need conduit.

 

[K6GBW]

When you say "issues" what does that mean? Are they coming loose? My coaxes are on a mast, roof, running down a wall and through a flower bed. I just used a pair of pliers to give the PL259 barrel a slight "nudge" beyond hand tight and then I wrap them for water proofing. I have some that have been up for years without an issue. Every coax jockey has their favorite way of wrapping coax but most are just variations on a theme. I use 3M Scotch Super 33+ tape wrapping from the coax up over the connector. Then I use a layer of amalgamating rubber tape stretched very tight so that it molds to the shape of the connector. This is followed by another layer of Super 33+. The first layer of tape is to prevent the incredible headache that removing amalgamating tape can entail if you don't use the Super 33+ first! The amalgamating tape essentially makes a waterproof seal and the last layer of tape prevents weathering and UV radiation damage. I've had connectors wrapped this way for over a decade that still looked shiny when I finally looked at them.

 

[k8niv]

Problem I have is with the PL connectors, they seem to get a short in them as u move them a few times to cut the grass.......the antenna out back, has a break in the coax, and I used a CMC Choke in it there, and rest of the coax coming to the shack is all solid..........antenna out front, have the same problem with it too....crazy as it may sound I do take care of the coax as I move it but don't seem to have helped there.....this is y I was thinking about burying it.........

 

[K6GBW]

In your case it sounds like buried coax might be the way to go. I've only buried one once and only for a short time so others on here will likely provide better advise. The truth is I tinker too much to ever bury anything! I hope you find an answer as I can imagine that would become really aggravating.

 

[n4qms]

Best practice for buried coax is conduit of some kind. Plastic is fine. It should be higher in the center, so that condensation drains to each end. A "Tee" at each end points down on one side to drain into the soil, and up on the other side for the cable's upwards exit. A layer of gravel under the downward side of each Tee will disperse drained condensation.

73