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tower mounted junction box for an 8x2 AG
TU & 73,
Dan
N9DED
Best Answers
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Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator adminOptionsI do not have an exact solution for you, but keep this in mind. Make it easy for water to get out and hard for water go get in.
For decades, I have followed this and sometimes the simple solution is the best. I have often used enclosures that are no more than a rain cover or something with no bottom. You want air to flow through to provide drying when possible.
We once had a Linksys WRT54G 80' up a tower in a tupperware cereal container that was upside down. We jammed the device in there with the feeline to the dish antenna holding it in place. It was kept dry and ran for almost 15 years before lightning took it out. :) It saw temperatures from -35C to +35C and just continued to work fine.
Find a bigger box on Amazon. Drill lots of holes in the bottom for coax and air. If you are worried about bugs then you can use steel wool or some other air filter like material to keep the bugs out. It will work just fine.
73
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Hi Mike - Thanks so much for the advice. Looking forward to the learning journey from legacy radio land to the Flex world.
73,
Dan
N9DED0
Answers
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Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator adminOptionsI hope that helps.
I can't tell you how many junction boxes I have opened up (different life) that were supposed to be waterproof, and they were either 1/2 full of water or it was just dripping with condensation. Fresh water doesn't normally damage much as long as it gets a chance to evaporate. If the evaporation doesn't happen, then you get corrosion and that isn't good.
Show us your solution when you finish it. 73
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Good copy, Mike. will do and thanks again. 73 - Dan0
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Dan,
I have two AG 8x2's installed in NEMA boxes along with an OM Module in each, one for each of my towers. When I get home I'll post a couple images here.
The NEMA boxes are steel Vevor boxes purchased on Amazon. I used front panel express and designed a new gland cover that holds 10 of these https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-uhf-fdfb-kit which handles the coax input/outputs. I built some RG-400 coax jumpers to go from the switch to the SO-239 bulkhead.
I currently use a couple different size cable glands for control cable and ethernet cables. If I do it again I would use a TY-28 bulkhead connector for the control cable and ethernet waterproof bulkheads for the ethernet cable.
I have not had any issues with water egress. It might be a good idea to drill a couple small weep holes on the bottom for any condensation to escape. I have not done that as my boxes are **** dry when ever I open them.
Rich - N5ZC
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Here's a couple images. I need to clean things up a bit. The dust is in the case because the coax gland cover was not installed for a few weeks.
Rich - N5ZC
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Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator adminOptionsNicely done.
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