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Old 20th Oct 2018, 8:02 pm   #1
Murphy Maniac
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Default Aerial lead in.

Not sure whether this is in the right place, but here goes?
Can anyone please advise me as to the best way of getting an aerial lead through a brick wall into my workshop. I have a long wire aerial between egg insulators down the garden and want to get the signal through the brick wall of my workshop. It will only be in use for LW, MW and SW reception as my principle interest is in repair and restoration of broadcast receivers of the 1930's.

Would a piece of plastic pipe running through the wall packed with silicon bath sealant type compound be appropriate?

Thanks in anticipation,

Geoff.
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Old 20th Oct 2018, 8:22 pm   #2
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: Aerial lead in.

In the past I've drilled a hole all the way through, stuffed-in a length of suitable-diameter plastic pipe (22mm toilet-cistern overflow) slathered with "No More Nails" on the outside to fix it into the hole, then put plastic champagne-bottle corks in each end of the pipe. Warm them with a heat-gun to soften them so they fit. They're Polythene, which is a really good high-voltage insulator/dielectric.

Then fit a length of brass rod [available from B&Q] through the corks so it's freely air-spaced as it passes along the tube. That way you've only got air as the dielectric between the lead-in and the [lossiness-unknown] brickwork.

This happily handled full-legal-amateur-limit RF transmit-power; for reception it's probably overkill but still a quick-and-easy solution.
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Old 20th Oct 2018, 8:23 pm   #3
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Default Re: Aerial lead in.

I just drilled a 1/4" hole through the outer and inner walls so that it sloped upwards from outside to prevent rain water running in.

The kevlar cored wire itself was supported using a china insulator from which a piece of plastic string ran to a hook in the wall above the hole. I left the wire slack so that water would drip off it. Didn't bother with a sealant.

This is only used for reception, so I didn't bother with a pipe in the hole.
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Old 20th Oct 2018, 8:51 pm   #4
Murphy Maniac
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Default Re: Aerial lead in.

Excellent, thank you both very much. I think I will try a combination of both methods, the idea of having air as the dielectric using a brass rod really appeals. I wasn't sure how important losses would be if the wire was in contact with brickwork.
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Old 21st Oct 2018, 11:11 am   #5
G8HQP Dave
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Default Re: Aerial lead in.

For broadcast reception almost anything will work fine.
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Old 21st Oct 2018, 4:09 pm   #6
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Default Re: Aerial lead in.

Although I didn't use form the outside with my previous external aerial, I prefer the methos of using a plastic tube as it is far easier to sort for maintenance / replacement purposes. My loft installation consits of a couple of aerials so the tube thorough the ceiling works fasr better.
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Old 22nd Oct 2018, 11:42 am   #7
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Default Re: Aerial lead in.

Thank you.
Now I have more idea about what I am doing I just need to motivate myself to get on with it!
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