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Aluminum Bulkheads?

 

I saw the?note from Dan about port entry techniques in another thread.? Do I recall correctly these used to be made from copper?? R56 doesn't seem to suggest aluminum for this purpose, but it's been a while since my last read.

So if Tessco makes these entry port devices?of aluminum, what can you all suggest for grounding?this panel to the site grounding system... or does this simply?float leaving the task of cable grounding?to other devices?

John


On Thu, Nov 24, 2022 at 12:31 PM Dan Woodie <kc8zum@...> wrote:
Below is a 2-port 4" entry port I used at my repeater site.? Use a masonry hole saw to cut the holes then mount and seal this plate.? Get cushions appropriate for the cable size and number of cables used.? Below are some examples.
Jim W7RY
 

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At one time, they were made of plastic.

I've seen several of the plastic ones that came installed in manufactured buildings.

Jim W7RY


On 11/24/2022 6:23 PM, John Huggins wrote:
I saw the?note from Dan about port entry techniques in another thread.? Do I recall correctly these used to be made from copper?? R56 doesn't seem to suggest aluminum for this purpose, but it's been a while since my last read.

So if Tessco makes these entry port devices?of aluminum, what can you all suggest for grounding?this panel to the site grounding system... or does this simply?float leaving the task of cable grounding?to other devices?

John

On Thu, Nov 24, 2022 at 12:31 PM Dan Woodie <kc8zum@...> wrote:
Below is a 2-port 4" entry port I used at my repeater site.? Use a masonry hole saw to cut the holes then mount and seal this plate.? Get cushions appropriate for the cable size and number of cables used.? Below are some examples.




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Thanks and 73, Jim W7RY
 

Remember, too,that copper and alum are not very close on the Galvnic chart so use the proper interfacing "grease". Look up on line about galvinc (spelling?) corrosion.
Copper is more expensive however, most of the commercial and State remote mountain top sites go with that metal and not needing to "fix" such metal differences.
I found a copper ground buss at a fraction of the new price at a second-hand store.
All your line's outer shield will be copper anyway.?

On that other thread the transition points were not discussed, or from what I saw.? In this case you do want your runs to take sharp bends, hopefully 90¡ã.
Lighting travels fast (LOL) and does not have nice "tires" to hold the corners so it flies off. Just have a "nice" landing place for all that voltage :)
RTFM.
--
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Regards, Karl Shoemaker
To contact me, please visit SRG's web site at?
for the current email address.
 

John,

At one time there were some entry panels made from copper/brass.? These were combination entry ports/bonding solutions.? Unfortunately they were a pain to use and didn't seal well from my experience.? The entry ports I referenced have become the standard, particularly with the rise in the price of copper and the frequency of copper thefts.? The port plate is electrically isolated from all of the cables by the boots and cushions and those same cables should be bonded to the same bonding/grounding system on both sides of the port - so unless the port is mounted to a metal building there is no chance of potential between the cables and the plate.? I will have to review the R56 manual again to confirm if there is any requirement for bonding these entry plates but that would not be too difficult either.? I would avoid a plastic plate - and have never seen one - as they would be more likely to break down and crack over time, particularly if someone over-tightens a boot clamp.

Dan Woodie, CETsr
KC8ZUM?



On Thu, Nov 24, 2022, 7:23 PM John Huggins <john.huggins.ee@...> wrote:
I saw the?note from Dan about port entry techniques in another thread.? Do I recall correctly these used to be made from copper?? R56 doesn't seem to suggest aluminum for this purpose, but it's been a while since my last read.

So if Tessco makes these entry port devices?of aluminum, what can you all suggest for grounding?this panel to the site grounding system... or does this simply?float leaving the task of cable grounding?to other devices?

John

On Thu, Nov 24, 2022 at 12:31 PM Dan Woodie <kc8zum@...> wrote:
Below is a 2-port 4" entry port I used at my repeater site.? Use a masonry hole saw to cut the holes then mount and seal this plate.? Get cushions appropriate for the cable size and number of cables used.? Below are some examples.

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