Hello:

Trying to figure out how to run some coax from a Balun which will be near a
ground rod up to my second floor receiver.
For receiving only.

Lots of possibilities; some much more involved than others.

Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl coating on coax these days as
being water and snow "proof" ?

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather than just laying the
coax across some garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

BTW: As this is a listening only application, just how bad would it be
actually if, e.g., the coax does develop a tear and the shield beomes
earthed at that spot.

Would I even notice it ?

Thoughts on ?

Thanks,
Bob

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 08:08:06 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:

Hello:

Trying to figure out how to run some coax from a Balun which will be near a
ground rod up to my second floor receiver.
For receiving only.

Lots of possibilities; some much more involved than others.

Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl coating on coax these days as
being water and snow "proof" ?

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather than just laying the
coax across some garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

BTW: As this is a listening only application, just how bad would it be
actually if, e.g., the coax does develop a tear and the shield beomes
earthed at that spot.

Would I even notice it ?

Thoughts on ?

Thanks,
Bob


If it's not nicked it's essentially weather proof.

Robert11 asked:
Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl
coating on coax these days as being water and snow "proof" ?

It's good for a couple of years.

It depends on the environment, but in many cases sun and ozone can do a
lot more damage to the cable than snow and rain will. (You talk about
snow, so you're not in Southern California, but sun and ozone did awful
things to plastic and rubber material there, rarely lasting more than a
year or two.)

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I
better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather
than just laying the coax across some
garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

If you're going to bury it, go deep, deep enough that whatever
gardening tools you use won't get to it. A roto-tiller or lawnmower
will pretty much just cut through metal EMT (making a lot of noise
etc., not good for the blade or crankshaft either!), you probably won't
even notice the plastic stuff if you hit it.

Tim.

On 12 Jan 2006 06:53:33 -0800, wrote:

Robert11 asked:
Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl
coating on coax these days as being water and snow "proof" ?

It's good for a couple of years.

It depends on the environment, but in many cases sun and ozone can do a
lot more damage to the cable than snow and rain will. (You talk about
snow, so you're not in Southern California, but sun and ozone did awful
things to plastic and rubber material there, rarely lasting more than a
year or two.)

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I
better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather
than just laying the coax across some
garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

If you're going to bury it, go deep, deep enough that whatever
gardening tools you use won't get to it. A roto-tiller or lawnmower
will pretty much just cut through metal EMT (making a lot of noise
etc., not good for the blade or crankshaft either!), you probably won't
even notice the plastic stuff if you hit it.

Tim.

I've had Radio Shack RG-58/U lying in blazing sunshine, on top of my
roof in the San Gabriel Mountains for many years. It remains pliable
and intact.

On 12 Jan 2006 06:53:33 -0800, wrote:

Robert11 asked:
Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl
coating on coax these days as being water and snow "proof" ?

It's good for a couple of years.

It depends on the environment, but in many cases sun and ozone can do a
lot more damage to the cable than snow and rain will. (You talk about
snow, so you're not in Southern California, but sun and ozone did awful
things to plastic and rubber material there, rarely lasting more than a
year or two.)

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I
better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather
than just laying the coax across some
garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

If you're going to bury it, go deep, deep enough that whatever
gardening tools you use won't get to it. A roto-tiller or lawnmower
will pretty much just cut through metal EMT (making a lot of noise
etc., not good for the blade or crankshaft either!), you probably won't
even notice the plastic stuff if you hit it.

Tim.

Call before you dig.

wrote:
Robert11 asked:
Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl
coating on coax these days as being water and snow "proof" ?

It's good for a couple of years.

It depends on the environment, but in many cases sun and ozone can do a
lot more damage to the cable than snow and rain will.

There's also contamination of the foam inner insulator by plastic goop from
the outer jacket. If you can find non-contaminating coax, it will keep its
characteristics a whole lot longer.

--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.

clifto wrote:

wrote:
Robert11 asked:
Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl
coating on coax these days as being water and snow "proof" ?

It's good for a couple of years.

It depends on the environment, but in many cases sun and ozone can do a
lot more damage to the cable than snow and rain will.

There's also contamination of the foam inner insulator by plastic goop from
the outer jacket. If you can find non-contaminating coax, it will keep its
characteristics a whole lot longer.

Universal has it. The RG-8X, with black non contaminating jacket. I've been
using the stuff for buried runs for years. One installation up north has been
working well for at least 15 years.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/cable/coax.html

dxAce
Michigan
USA

dxAce wrote:
clifto wrote:
There's also contamination of the foam inner insulator by plastic goop from
the outer jacket. If you can find non-contaminating coax, it will keep its
characteristics a whole lot longer.

Universal has it. The RG-8X, with black non contaminating jacket. I've been
using the stuff for buried runs for years. One installation up north has been
working well for at least 15 years.

Good catch! I see they also have RG-213. Just wish I could find RG-6 in a
noncontaminating jacket that wasn't a special order; I don't need five miles
of it.

--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 08:08:06 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:

Hello:

Trying to figure out how to run some coax from a Balun which will be near a
ground rod up to my second floor receiver.
For receiving only.

Lots of possibilities; some much more involved than others.

Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl coating on coax these days as
being water and snow "proof" ?

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather than just laying the
coax across some garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

BTW: As this is a listening only application, just how bad would it be
actually if, e.g., the coax does develop a tear and the shield beomes
earthed at that spot.

Would I even notice it ?

Thoughts on ?

Thanks,
Bob


You're probably okay just laying it on the ground, but if you want to
be sure, they do make a coax that can be buried. It's called
Bury-flex, # 103A. Check the site, http://www.thewireman.com Good
place for antenna supplies.

They would also have it at the Davis RF site, since they have their
name on the cable.

Mainly, I'd keep the coax connectors off the ground; that's where
water gets into cable the easiest.

bob
k5qwg

Bob Miller wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 08:08:06 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:


Hello:

Trying to figure out how to run some coax from a Balun which will be near a
ground rod up to my second floor receiver.
For receiving only.

Lots of possibilities; some much more involved than others.

Was wondering if one can consider the vinyl coating on coax these days as
being water and snow "proof" ?

Or, it would be a bad assumption, and I better go with some buried emt type
of plastic rod buried a foot or so in the ground rather than just laying the
coax across some garden beds on the surface, etc. ?

BTW: As this is a listening only application, just how bad would it be
actually if, e.g., the coax does develop a tear and the shield beomes
earthed at that spot.

Would I even notice it ?

Thoughts on ?

Thanks,
Bob



You're probably okay just laying it on the ground, but if you want to
be sure, they do make a coax that can be buried. It's called
Bury-flex, # 103A. Check the site, http://www.thewireman.com Good
place for antenna supplies.

They would also have it at the Davis RF site, since they have their
name on the cable.

Mainly, I'd keep the coax connectors off the ground; that's where
water gets into cable the easiest.

bob
k5qwg

R6U coax made for satellite dish installations can be buried. It also
has better shielding than most coax. R6U is 75-ohm but that's close
enough to 50-ohm for shortwave use.