Through the wall antenna connection
 

I am planning a vertical antenna in my back yard and was wondering if there
is a product that will allow me to have a SO-239 to SO-239 connection
through the house wall?

Jim Volstad
WA0TRY

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 17:18:56 -0600, "Harold Burton"
wrote:


"Jim Volstad" wrote in message
...
I am planning a vertical antenna in my back yard and was wondering if
there
is a product that will allow me to have a SO-239 to SO-239 connection
through the house wall?

Jim Volstad
WA0TRY


I saw an ad on the net recently that included extra long barrel connectors
with
lock nuts. I think they came in several lengths with the longest being 6 or
8
inches long. The std size are about 1 1/2 inches and are used to join
lengths
of coax. If they can be found long enough that might do what you're wanting
to do.

Harold
KD5SAK


Looking at my book from the Wireman -- he has the double-female barrel
connectors, with locking nuts, in various lengths up to 12 inches. I'd
imagine others have them, too.

Bob
k5qwg

"Jim Volstad" wrote in message
...
I am planning a vertical antenna in my back yard and was wondering if
there
is a product that will allow me to have a SO-239 to SO-239 connection
through the house wall?

Jim Volstad
WA0TRY


I saw an ad on the net recently that included extra long barrel connectors
with
lock nuts. I think they came in several lengths with the longest being 6 or
8
inches long. The std size are about 1 1/2 inches and are used to join
lengths
of coax. If they can be found long enough that might do what you're wanting
to do.

Harold
KD5SAK

"Bob Miller" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 17:18:56 -0600, "Harold Burton"
wrote:


"Jim Volstad" wrote in message
...
I am planning a vertical antenna in my back yard and was wondering if
there
is a product that will allow me to have a SO-239 to SO-239 connection
through the house wall?

Jim Volstad
WA0TRY


I saw an ad on the net recently that included extra long barrel
connectors
with
lock nuts. I think they came in several lengths with the longest being 6
or
8
inches long. The std size are about 1 1/2 inches and are used to join
lengths
of coax. If they can be found long enough that might do what you're
wanting
to do.

Harold
KD5SAK


Looking at my book from the Wireman -- he has the double-female barrel
connectors, with locking nuts, in various lengths up to 12 inches. I'd
imagine others have them, too.

Bob
k5qwg


A few years ago I bought 4 of these things at cablexperts to go through a
garage wall. Don't know if they have any longer than 6".

Tam/WB2TT

Jim Volstad wrote:
I am planning a vertical antenna in my back yard and was wondering if there
is a product that will allow me to have a SO-239 to SO-239 connection
through the house wall?

Jim Volstad
WA0TRY


Method #1

I do it with a piece of 2 1/2 inch PVC tubing. Cut a whole in the wall
where you want it to pass (look out for the studs!). Cut a piece of
pipe of suitable length for your wall ... glue a "street el" or 90 on
one end. This will serve to keep water out of the pipe ... point the
open end down. Push the pipe thru the wall. Use some caulking to seal
the damage and tighten it up (it'll dry tight in a couple days).

On the inside you can use a variety of decorative "floor rings/plates" ,
some more caulk, and some paint.

Once you have your coax cables in the pipe, you can fill the void with a
rag, and putty or kids plastic clay. That'll keep out the bugs, mice
and chipmunks. Don't use that spray foam sealant ... its a bitch to
remove later, when you want to put in another line. If you leave a tiny
end of the rag exposed, all it takes is a little tug and most of the
putty or clay will come out with the rag.

It sounds ugly ... but done correctly, its less work and less visable
than many other schemes.


Method #2

This method requires two pieces of lumber 3/4" thick 4-5" wide and long
enough to fit in a window where the sash is raised. On the edge of each
piece of wood, cut a notch for each piece of coax about the length
and width of your thumb. Put one hunk of wood in the window well ...
notches up. Lay in your coax lines in the notches. Place the other hunk
of wood over the coax, notches down. Push the window back down to hold
the wood in place. Use some plastic and tape to keep the weather and
bugs out at the top of the window.

After you make the first set, you'll see how to make the second set so
that its a nearly perfect seal around the coax. A little caulk or
silicone seal will tighten the whole works up.

Its cheap, and unlike method #1, above, there is no structural damage,
or repairs to make when you want to sell the house ... or get your
renter's deposit back.

Harv, AI9NL

Jim Volstad wrote:
I am planning a vertical antenna in my back yard and was wondering if there
is a product that will allow me to have a SO-239 to SO-239 connection
through the house wall?

Jim Volstad
WA0TRY



Method #1

I do it with a piece of 2 1/2 inch PVC tubing. Cut a whole in the wall
where you want it to pass (look out for the studs!). Cut a piece of
pipe of suitable length for your wall ... glue a "street el" or 90 on
one end. This will serve to keep water out of the pipe ... point the
open end down. Push the pipe thru the wall. Use some caulking to seal
the damage and tighten it up (it'll dry tight in a couple days).

On the inside you can use a variety of decorative "floor rings/plates" ,
some more caulk, and some paint.

Once you have your coax cables in the pipe, you can fill the void with a
rag, and putty or kids plastic clay. That'll keep out the bugs, mice
and chipmunks. Don't use that spray foam sealant ... its a bitch to
remove later, when you want to put in another line. If you leave a tiny
end of the rag exposed, all it takes is a little tug and most of the
putty or clay will come out with the rag.

It sounds ugly ... but done correctly, its less work and less visable
than many other schemes.


Method #2

This method requires two pieces of lumber 3/4" thick 4-5" wide and long
enough to fit in a window where the sash is raised. On the edge of each
piece of wood, cut a notch for each piece of coax about the length
and width of your thumb. Put one hunk of wood in the window well ...
notches up. Lay in your coax lines in the notches. Place the other hunk
of wood over the coax, notches down. Push the window back down to hold
the wood in place. Use some plastic and tape to keep the weather and
bugs out at the top of the window.

After you make the first set, you'll see how to make the second set so
that its a nearly perfect seal around the coax. A little caulk or
silicone seal will tighten the whole works up.

Its cheap, and unlike method #1, above, there is no structural damage,
or repairs to make when you want to sell the house ... or get your
renter's deposit back.

Harv, AI9NL

Anyone have an idea as to how much loss would occur using one of the 4"
bulkhead connectors at 2 meters? I ran LMR 400 cable from my Arrow J-pole
straight through the wall to my 2 meter radio for low loss. However, when
a storm approaches, I currently connect the PL to a shorted SO-239 to short
the antenna to ground (I grounded the antenna to a ground rod tied to our
service ground.) I would rather not invite lightning into my home at all
and just disconnect the antenna where it enters the house when it storms,
but I don't want to lose a lot of signal in the process.

My HF dipole is easier to deal with at least - I just throw the ladder line
out the window!

Thanks...

Warren


"Tam/WB2TT" wrote in
:

A few years ago I bought 4 of these things at cablexperts to go through
a garage wall. Don't know if they have any longer than 6".

Tam/WB2TT

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 20:44:51 -0600, Warren Bowery
wrote:

Anyone have an idea as to how much loss would occur using one of the 4"
bulkhead connectors at 2 meters? I ran LMR 400 cable from my Arrow J-pole
straight through the wall to my 2 meter radio for low loss. However, when
a storm approaches, I currently connect the PL to a shorted SO-239 to short
the antenna to ground (I grounded the antenna to a ground rod tied to our
service ground.) I would rather not invite lightning into my home at all
and just disconnect the antenna where it enters the house when it storms,
but I don't want to lose a lot of signal in the process.


Put a metal or plastic cover of the outside end of the bulkhead
connector. Use a slip on PL259 equivelant, or just a pl250. Put in
at least 2 ground rods about 8 feet apart and tie them together with
some good heavy bare copper wire. #2 or #4. Solder a chassis
connector to this (SO-239) with both sides grounded to the copper.
How your do this is open to variation.

At any rate, when a storm approaches, or you are not using the rig,
just go outside, disconnect the coax from the bulk head connector and
connect it to the grounded connector.

You can get really fancy if you have the tools and create a grounding
switch that will swing the coax from the bulk head connector to the
crounded connector. I've seen it done with a couple of metal plates
and either 5 or 6 cables. Bit of an over kill in this case, but it's
the same general idea.

Good Luck,

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
My HF dipole is easier to deal with at least - I just throw the ladder line
out the window!
You can do the same with coax, but it's a good idea to cap it to keep
the water out:-))



Thanks...

Warren


"Tam/WB2TT" wrote in
:

A few years ago I bought 4 of these things at cablexperts to go through
a garage wall. Don't know if they have any longer than 6".

Tam/WB2TT