ARROW Communications Association

Oct. 31, 2007
Last week, knowing the CQWWDXSSB contest was coming up fast, I scrambled to get my station on the air.
The first job was to make a cable entry, so I bought a 3.5" hole saw (~$30) to match some 3" PVC pipe (gosh, that stuff looks a lot bigger than 3.5" diameter). I bought a length of pipe and a 90 degree elbow to fit on the outside end of it.

Then, Thursday night (24 hours before the contest starts) I got enthused, but that might have been a not-so-good idea. I was having a pretty bad Thursday, having crunched in the front of my beloved car in a freeway pileup that morning, and then found my office space flooded on arriving at work, after which we were all evacuated to find desks with computers somewhere else for 2 days ... if we were lucky (I was, fortunately).

That didn't set a good precedent for the day's activities, but I determined I needed to make that cable entry anyway. So I set up the big drill with the hole saw, measured down the outside of the house so I would miss the sump pump outlet pipe (quite near behind my proposed operating position). I banged on the drywall until I found where it sounded a bit hollow and was midway between solid-sounding spots (2x4 studs). Then I fired up the big drill and applied it to the wall.

The machine chewed through the drywall easily, but didn't jump ahead once it got through ... I pulled back and, sure enough, I had hit a stud. Perplexed with this (I thought I had measured and tested carefully), I 8" left and applied the big saw again. And again I hit a stud, but this time a "zangy" kind of metal on metal sound got my attention. When I pulled the hole saw out of the wall it appeared I had hit a piece of iron pipe as well as a stud -- fortunately it was tough and I hadn't hurt it.

Starting to cuss a bit, I pounded around on the wall to check for the studs again, and moved a foot further to the left. Applying the hole saw again, I got through the drywall quickly only to hit something unexpected again. I pulled the holesaw back to find that I had hit ANOTHER stud, AND I had hit a PVC pipe (the sump pump outlet) AND had put a hole in it (maybe two, if the saw also cut far enough into it).

Now I was REALLY getting irritated, but I was still determined to get this done, as without it I had no way to get an antenna cable outside. I went back to my first spot and moved a foot or so to the right, and the drill went through without difficulty. I hacksawed the PVC pipe, and it fit perfectly. I slapped the elbow on the outside to keep the weather out, and got my camera to take detailed pictures of the disaster on the inside.

The guys at the hardware store (where I proceeded directly) probably had a good laugh after I left, now equipped with everything I needed to patch three large holes in the drywall, and with some epoxy putty capable of fixing the holes in the sump pump outlet.

So .. that's my first installment on putting my new station up. BTW, while moving my station-table to get to the wall I tipped over my Astron RS35m rack mount supply (which was standing on its side as usual) and it landed right on top of my feet, leaving bruises that continue to hurt days later. I don't think I broke anything, but it was further symbolic of my Thursday. Now, if I can just have paid my dues for some time to come and satisfied Murphy (of Murphy's Law), I will be happy.

Now to get some antennas up ...
73 de kt8k - Tim