Thanks for these! So many never show grounding processes. Slick, sleek build. Great job!

@HOAHamRadio

Ай бұрын

You're welcome; hope it was helpful.

Ham

Glad your safe sir…..Applaud your focus and direction in our hobby 👍👍

@HOAHamRadio

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks. This inspired my outside termination box I fabricated and installed this weekend.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Fantastic, glad my build inspired you. Now on to the next project, cause they never end, do they.

Thank you! I'm so glad I watched this video BEFORE I drilled into my home! Might have very well ended up in my unintentional return to single life!

@HOAHamRadio

5 ай бұрын

LOL, my advice doesn't often save relationships; this is a first! Thanks for watching and commenting.

Excellent job. Thanks for the great ideas.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Appreciate you watching and commenting ShOne

Good work, good results = great feeling!

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching TO, always glad when you stop by.

Nice info thx

@HOAHamRadio

Ай бұрын

Sure, thanks for stopping by for a look

Wow...well done. It looks great really and I am sure you are very pleased with the results.

@HOAHamRadio

9 ай бұрын

Yes, pretty happy with it. Anytime I need to work / modify or troubleshoot, I can easily find what I need. Thanks for the view and comment.

@marcelotoniolo4434

9 ай бұрын

Thanks. I am ZL1MTO by the way. 73's

Very nice job, man. I'm really enjoying your videos. Keep up the good work. Be safe, EVERYONE. ( DESPERADO 56 north of Tampa FL waving a hand ) 73's to all

@HOAHamRadio

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words @leebo704, much appreciated.

Thanks for the video!

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

My pleaser Norm_Sue B; thanks for giving it a view and comment.

Looking forward to your coax crimping video - thanks for this video, I used it to do the same project.

@HOAHamRadio

10 ай бұрын

Its a great utility box to get everything organized. Yes, I need to get that coax video out there don't I.

Unfortunately in California any block wall that is built to code is completely filled with concrete grout so the only way you get through one of those block walls it to call in a concrete sawing and coring company and have them shoot a hole for you. Fortunately most of the residential building here is wood frame construction so just a hole saw and a 4" TC core bit (can be rented) for stucco is needed. That is what I am going to do to get my coax in the house and I really appreciate this video for being a through and complete instruction on how to do that and do it cleanly.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful. For sure, various construction methods depending on region will influence the final install.

Looking good!

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting David. Its getting there.

Clean! Very nice!!!

@HOAHamRadio

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting; I'm pretty happy with the outcome of this utility box.

Great great and super great Job!

@HOAHamRadio

4 ай бұрын

I'll admit, I'm pretty happy with the outcome of this effort!

Got a sub from me. Great job. Looks amazing. I would call this a professional install. I 100 percent will be following your ideas to do mine in the very near future. Thanks for all your secrets.

@HOAHamRadio

7 ай бұрын

Appreciate the kind words and hope my content helps.

WOW What a nice clean setup. Well done. And the HOA will never know. Well unless they see this video LOL :)

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mike for the view and comment. My HOA is pretty reasonable; unless I do something stupid, they leave me alone.

Your videos are amazing. ‘73!

@HOAHamRadio

10 ай бұрын

Thanks @kurtwolter3984, that's quite a compliment. I figure if you're going to spend your time, you should get something in return.

What a nice job!!!! I'm taking some of your ideas to my ham shack. Greetings from David, XE2AD.

@HOAHamRadio

4 ай бұрын

Thanks David. Sharing ideas is what its all about!

There is a dissimilar metal junction on the surface between the copper ground strap and the aluminum back plate. I used a Harger HAAJC1/2 conductive sealant on the connection between the copper strap and the aluminum plate. This is supposed to prevent galvanic (dissimilar metal) corrosion between the strap and the plate and between the stainless screws and the plate. This is important to do for long-term electrical bonding in humid and wet environments. DX Engineering has a comparable sealant called "Jet-Lube" that is also supposed to be pretty good for this. In a past life, I designed electrical bond joints for aircraft applications using comparable techniques. 73

@HOAHamRadio

2 ай бұрын

You got it right on this topic. Thanks for sharing in the comments for others to see.

I would put an upside down U shape of heavy duty urethane sealant around that pipe hole on the back of the NID box. I don't full circle around because any water that does happen to get in, can have a way to get back out that way. Big ole fat bead of OSI Quad, or Vulkem would do it justice. I reall dig that zip tie idea. I use marking tape because I have it (electrical tape for marking conductors) but those zip ties are also a great idea.

@HOAHamRadio

7 ай бұрын

Great input, especially with the upside down U sealant. Appreciate the feedback.

I used the same box at my QTH. I am planning on routing some cable up to the attic up the wall and not through the outside. Most of my antennas are on a tower and I plan on routing a couple to the back field for a vertical and a beverage (we live on 2+ acres). All the best, 73 de KI5HXM!

@HOAHamRadio

10 ай бұрын

It certainly allows you to get things organized. 2+ acres, sounds like a good amount of space for multiple antennas. Enjoy!

@brentjohnson6654

10 ай бұрын

@@HOAHamRadio yes it is a nice piece of land. We enjoy the rural Texas living.

Do not use a zinc plate, this produces contact potential differences. It is better to use a copper bar for the installation of the gas discharge tubes. This ensures better current conduction and lower contact potentials.

@HOAHamRadio

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the view @proa1999. The plate I used was aluminum, not zinc; not sure if that changes your opinion. I am going off the recommendation of DX Engineering which is good company to be in.

Can you please make a video showing how you have your antennas installed in your attic?

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

I'll add that to the list iPodBuff. Thanks for watching.

Very neat installation. I think I would have used a hole saw on the cinder/concrete block rather than punching it out as shown. Hole saws can easily be lubricated with water and some can even go through rebar. I'm very curious to see what your rooftop antenna farm looks like. I don't have an HOA but I do have a lack of space problem.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Sincerelyyours7538, showing off the attic antenna farm is on the list of future videos.

@notsure7874

7 ай бұрын

I personally would not want to go through a cell that was rebar'd and filled just because of structural integrity, but a core drill definitely does a neater job. Very expensive though, and you'll need an SDS Max rotary hammer to punch a 4" hole. I have an SDS Plus rotary hammer, and I also have to cut rectangular holes sometimes (recessed j-boxes for outside power in brick and CMU / CBS) so what I do is basically similar to what he does here. I drill through with a 12" long 1/4" bit, I make sure I'm completely in an unfilled hole, then I make a series of holes on the line - VERY carefully spaced no more than a half inch apart. Then I use a chisel bit to connect the dots to make the big hole. It's not nearly as fast, and not QUITE as neat as a core drill, but it's pretty neat, and when I'm only doing it here and there it's fast enough.

ha! love ur call sign. mine is KA4BMG lol here in tampa

@HOAHamRadio

9 ай бұрын

The FCC originally assigned me KO4BMG.... I wanted nothing to do with the "O", but wanted to hang on to the BMG!

@combatsystema2240

9 ай бұрын

for browning machine gun? @@HOAHamRadio

@HOAHamRadio

9 ай бұрын

Exactly!

I'm sure glad that wasn't a bearing wall!

@Blake-W8LB

10 ай бұрын

It’s an exterior wall…. It’s more likely than not load bearing… but that 4” hole will not effect the strength of that wall or home.

So this video is 10 months old now. How are things holding up? I like that idea of putting colored indicators on the coax lines. I think when I make my radio room I will use one of those boxes too. I have stick frame construction so I won't have to deal with cement blocks. I live far north so cold (-30 F) will be a consideration with a large hole in the wall, however. But that installation really does look good.

@HOAHamRadio

2 ай бұрын

Like new. Here in the brutal heat and sun of Tampa Bay, my greatest fear is deterioration of the plastic case over time...that is why I did paint it. I didn't want to go metal due to corrosion, so I had to pick my poison...plastic / metal, both with their issues. So far, so good.

Thanks for the great series of videos. Can you tell me about that metal grounding plate you put in your utility box. What is it made of and where did you buy it? Also, where did you get the lightening suppressors? Thanks

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

The plate is aluminum and was part of the DX Engineering kit--link in the description. I purchased the suppressors from GigaParts. Thanks for watching.

thanks so much for this video, i am in HOA also, do you have to worry about the edge of the coas hitting the sharp edge of the 4 inch tubing?

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Once you cut the PVC to length, smooth out the edge with sand paper and its all good. Also, since the coax isn't moving, there is no constant abrasion happening.

Hi Bob, I'm in the early stages of planning a new shack, similar in size to yours. You have sold me on the utility box at the entry to the house. I've been thinking/over thinking about coax and am curious what you chose for your installation. In hindsight would you make a different choice today? Lots of info online, but I place a high value on real use opinions from people I trust. Thanks for your thoughts. ... Tom

@HOAHamRadio

4 ай бұрын

I ran two lines of LMR 400 for my UHF / VHF radios; Amazon stuff I didn't know much about. The rest is all the same from DX Engineering, their brand. Wouldn't you know it, they don't keep order records that far back. They made custom cables at that time (lengths that I needed). Their brand is good quality, so that is what I went with. The cable isn't marked either, so I can't tell from that. I was VERY happy with the quality, so you may want to reach out to them, tell them your lengths, and frequencies you intend to operate -- I like their cable and their connectors. I also picked up some ABR Industries at Hamcation; it is also good quality. I think they will also do custom lengths. Although I got the LMR 400 on Amazon; wouldn't do that again. I'd go with ABR or DX.

How did you mount the polyphasers inside the box?

@HOAHamRadio

2 ай бұрын

Stud on the back of the polyphaser and a through hole in the aluminum plate; I think I show that it in the vid.

that concert block core is not always empty, some times it has a concert some have cement and steel.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

You are right Steve, here in Florida the cores have to be filled every so many feet.

Did you create the video about crimping and soldering coax connectors that you referenced at 11:30 in the video?

@HOAHamRadio

Ай бұрын

Unfortunately, haven't gotten to it yet... Sorry about that.

What did you use to create a water seal between panel and outside wall?

@HOAHamRadio

2 ай бұрын

Exterior grade silicone calk; i placed a large bead in a circle around the hole, then applied the box. I also sealed between my block and the PVC pipe in the same way. Inside the pipe, you can use flexible electrician putty to seal it up.

@elwinmehlbrech6135

2 ай бұрын

​@@HOAHamRadio Thank you!

Which lightning suppressors do you use?

@HOAHamRadio

7 ай бұрын

I installed Alpha Delta brand in my utility box.

Are the lightning protectors necessary with your antennas in the attic?

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Mark. Over time I'll be using more outside antennas. Putting the lighting protection there in advance means I can switch out coax, and don't need to get back into the box to add suppressors in the future.

@tmastersat

11 ай бұрын

No they are not

Where die you source the lightning suppressors?

@HOAHamRadio

10 ай бұрын

I used Alpha Delta connectors; purchased them from DX Engineering

What size wire do you use for your ground to the ground rod?

@HOAHamRadio

6 күн бұрын

That was some time ago...so I don't recall. It was probably 6 gauge I would have picked up from Home Depot.

Been waiting for this one. My house is the same construction ant breaking through has been a concern. Thanks! Now.... does that AC chase have some drainage holes in the bottom horizontal section? Looks like it ~might~ be a catch basin. While Florida is the sunshine state, there is a rainy season that can bring a lot of water. Of course, next I'd like to see how those cables make it from the chase over the top of the wall. ... and what the attic farm looks like. :)

@bob-N4REE

Жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, that notch around the other conduit is enough for drainage.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Yep, the cut out has gaps, and the elbow connector also isn't really that water tight.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Bob, sorry it took so long to get to this one. I've add some views in the attic in a future video showing where the coax ran through the soffit into the attic.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

Oh, and one more thought here in Florida. Everyone so often, depending on code, they pour those cores solid with concrete. So, with some bad luck, you could run into one of them.

@bob-N4REE

Жыл бұрын

@@HOAHamRadio Ouch, that could be a problem. Thanks again.

Conrection most of the holes are filled whe layed

A 6-inch hole looks a little bit of an overkill, I know it is more comfortable to run cable, and could the earthing copper strip can it be a round cable

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

For me, it was exactly what I needed; I tend to have more gear than most to support what the KZread channel needs for content. Many users will have 1 feedline...then this entire utility box is overkill. Thanks for watching.

KK7SWB Question from a new ham. Does the copper strap connect to the rod inside the box? It’s hard to see that. Ty

@HOAHamRadio

Ай бұрын

Yes it does. If you send me an email, I can reply with a pic.

So, I'm not following you on one point. Did you connect your lightning protection grounding (in the DX grounding box) to your home grounding? So if you are struck by lightning, are you wiring all that energy into your home ground and all your RF gear? Would you not ground for lightning separate from your power feed lightning and separate from your RF ground? I'm not all that sold on connecting your lightning protection to my home grounding.

@HOAHamRadio

2 ай бұрын

Follow the experts: amzn.to/4dXB1rq

Wait, the antennas are in the attic? Why not just drop coax down inside the interior wall and skip literally all of this? You don't need lightning protection for indoor antennas.

@HOAHamRadio

Жыл бұрын

CosmicOsmoFour, thanks for watching and the observation. My goal over time is to have more outside antennas. Putting the lighting protection there in advance means I can switch out coax, and don't need to get back into the box to add suppressors in the future.

Never ever wear gloves with power tools. The number one cause of hand injuries are gloves catching power tools.