[Antennas] Running Ladder Line Through a Wall

Wed Sep 8 10:07:21 EDT 2004

Dear Kevin,
I have a method similar to that described by KA8VIT with a couple of
important differences.
I use two coax lines - each is long enough to go from the outside to the
inside of the wall. As soon as they are through the wall, I transition back
to ladder line. [This keeps the losses in the coax to a minimum.]
I do NOT solder the coax braids together - I leave the outer insulation
intact.
I ground the two shields of the two coaxes to a ground frame outside. This
has the effect of providing a very short path to earth for any minor induced
lightning surges. [You can draw your own conclusions about the relative
advantages or disadvantages of this.]
I use a copper tubing line from the ground post on my balanced tuner to the
outside ground frame as the single ground path from my rig and tuner to the
outside earthing.
I have had as many as 3 separate balanced lines coming from outside to
inside via a PVC pipe through the wall, using this method.
Bob Lay (W9DMK), Dahlgren, VA
w9dmk at crosslink.net
http://www.qsl.net/w9dmk