Hi, Jamie...
I was hoping you might share some of the info you have received as I am
re-building my shack and can use all the input I can get!! Especially
websites of those who have already solved many of the problems.
Jerry K3MGT
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Hall" <nwtncc@iswt.com>
To: "Bill Hider" <n3rr@erols.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Second floor shack ideas - please
>
> Hi Bill:
>
> Thanks so much for your info. YES, of course I have been to your site and
> am modeling much of my MUCH smaller station after yours ;) The first
floor
> here has 10 foot ceilings so I am guessing about 14 feet to ground from
the
> shack - then out to the tower. I want to try to minimize cable runs to the
> shack with the use of antenna switches. I definitely have your site
> bookmarked, and if I ever find myself in your neighborhood, I'll look you
up
> !
>
> I'll have more to say on my situation - but for now, well, I sorta have
this
> day job ... ;0 See www.nwtcc.com .
>
> Later,
>
> Jamie
> WB4YDL
>
> > From: "Bill Hider" <n3rr@erols.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> > Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2001 20:56:51 -0400
> > To: "James C. Hall, M.D." <nwtncc@iswt.com>
> > Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Second floor shack ideas - please
> >
> > James,
> >
> > If you haven't been to my Website, I'd suggest you look through it and
look
> > especially the design pages on lightning protection and cabling.
> > www.erols.com/n3rr
> >
> > Now that you have been to my website, you will see that my SPG is 8 foot
up
> > on my house, feeding the cables into the ceiling of my hamshack. If
your
> > shack is higher that mine (Perhaps the floor of your shack is 15 above
> > ground? What's the actual?), you might install an outdoor box at
> > floor-level of your shack and run two 3" conduits to the ground from
there
> > and on to the towers. Look at the photos I have on the lightning
protection
> > page.
> >
> > You don't say what the cable-distance is from the window of your shack
to
> > each tower. Nor do you say the cable-distance from the bottom of each
tower
> > to each of the antennas. All this will determine what kind of cable you
use.
> > (again, look at my website: cabling link.)
> >
> > Based on what types of cables you'll use plus the control cables, spare
> > cables, etc, will determine the conduit size.
> > Then, you'll need to determine where your A/C power, telephone, CATV,
DSS,
> > etc, enter the house. You should plan to connect the grounds from all
these
> > devices to the SPG. Then, you will be able to design a grounding system
> > *before* you install anything. BE SURE YOU HAVE NO GROUND LOOPS IN YOUR
> > GROUND DESIGN.
> >
> > Again, use my website for reference. Look at the ground grid design in
my
> > system: http://users.erols.com/n3rr/photos/grounding_pictorial.jpg
> >
> > Then look carefully at the examples in the Polyphone manual. You should
be
> > able to extrapolate your design from these references.
> >
> > Depending on the height from the ground to the shack, you may want to
locate
> > your SPG at/near ground level. That will keep the difference of
potential
> > of the SPG ground and the tower/AC/CATV/DSS ground less (which is
> > desirable).
> >
> > I think a proper design will be able to be determined once a
> > fully-dimensioned pictorial of your situation is available.
> > Once you have that, thoroughly review the Polyphone manual and example
> > installations like mine, then determine what you need.
> >
> > Once you have your next round of questions, I'll be glad to answer them.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Bill, N3RR
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> > [mailto:owner-towertalk@contesting.com]On Behalf Of James C. Hall, M.D.
> > Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 3:01 PM
> > To: towertalk@contesting.com
> > Subject: [TowerTalk] Second floor shack ideas - please
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello:
> >
> > I've been monitoring TT since this past Sept. and really enjoy the
> > discussions. I am awaiting delivery of my first tower in 25 years - a
UST
> > HDX570 - and have LOTS of questions. I went to Dayton for the first
time
> > this year and garnered lots of info including a Polyphaser manual.
Recently
> > there was a discussion about cable feed through and lightning
protection.
> > I've gone through all the TT archives and some very nice web sites,
which
> > have been all helpful, but nothing really addresses the problems of
> > grounding and lightning protection when your shack is on the 2nd floor.
> > I've tried some direct emailing and some have been most helpful - thanks
> > particularly to Dick Flanagan.
> >
> > Here's my setup : when we built our home, which sits on 30 acres of
rolling
> > hills, the XYL agreed to develop over the garage where I could have a
> > dedicated ham shack. Now, some mistakes were made (no, really!) and the
> > contractor's idea was to have a safety ground consisting of large gauge
> > copper wire which passes down behind the brick veneer to a ground rod.
The
> > rigs are attached to copper straps behind the desk and then attach to
the
> > ground rod which is virtually underneath me. Additionally, a utility box
was
> > placed in the drywall where two 1 inch electrical conduits went down
behind
> > the brick, under the drive, and out to the proposed tower site (about
100 ft
> > away). Actually, plans are for two towers to include a smaller R25 tower
for
> > satellite antennas. The driveway has not been poured yet and consists
of
> > simply 33C rock for now - so I can dig into it now if I choose. Now
> > obviously there are limited amounts of cable that can be introduced into
> > these small conduits. I was thinking about running something like LMR400
and
> > rotor control cabling down each conduit where I can then attach remote
> > antenna switches. Then after reading the interesting posts on lightnig
> > protection I started to worry. I may be able to dig up the ground rod
under
> > me so as to attach a radial which would then connect to the tower ground
> > system - but where should the SPG be ? Conventional wisdom says outside
the
> > shack. I have a window which faces the proposed tower. I seem to
remember a
> > window unit that could act as a SPG and then direct ground from there. I
> > would have to forget using the present conduits and go from the window
box
> > with new larger PVC conduit. I also need to consider feeding wire
antennas
> > for 80 and 160 meters. Oh, the antennas on the tower - Force 12 Mag
620/340
> > and 4BA separated by about 9 feet on a 20 foot Chrom-molly mast. The
wind
> > figure for this county (which seems to come up alot on this reflector)
is 70
> > MPH.
> >
> > What say you, TT'ers. What is the best solution to a second floor shack
?
> > Comments and criticism on any and all of this would be appreciated.
> >
> > James C. Hall, MD
> > WB4YDL
> >
> >
> >
> > -----
> > FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> > Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> > Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> > Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> >
> >
>
>
>
> -----
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
>
-----
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
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