drip loops

[David MacLeod]

are installers still required to use drip loops on coax like we had to when installing Primestars?

[NCMAT]

Required or not, it's always a good idea so the water doesn't run down the line and into the house.

[David MacLeod]

it would actually have to run up at the end to get into mine, but I did do one just in case it was required.

[Mertzen]

yes. it is a QC failure if there are no drip and or service loops.

[K4SMX]

This is actually more of a lightning surge issue than a water issue. It's not necessary to loop the coax to prevent water running into the back end of a connector. Good practice always requires mounting connectors horizontally if exposed to the weather and/or otherwise protecting them.

Historically, it was thought that the introduction of a loop in the coax would creative an inductive reactance which would reduce the attractiveness as a direct patch to DC ground of the AC waveform of a lightning surge inductively coupled to the line. In recent years, there have been those who claim this can possibly cause more problems than it solves, for reasons that are beyond the scope of this post. Suffice it to say that your "drip loops," if you use them, should not exceed one full turn of coax.

[David MacLeod]

ok, looks like I did it close to correct :) due to length of cable was only able to do a 3/4 loop before rising up into the pvc going through the wood skirting.
all connectors are under the house mounted horizontally on boards and protected from elements.
need to add a ground rod now, but do have a temp ground set up.

[David MacLeod]

ok, time to live in the past :)
was thinking about how Primestar used to treat this and Stews post reminded me of some stuff. we consistently proved to the P* engineers that the loops did not affect moisture entering the domicile except in the most unusual circumstance. those circumstances were extreme enough that no matter what was done, loop did not help and moisture came in, so the loop was not for this purpose as they insisted.
we always suspected it was to help with static discharge in some way, but never could prove it. while we may not have been entirely correct, from Stews post I think we were on the right track.

one thing we did prove to them though was that it did help with connector issues (if ground block was exterior) in the local climate here. in early spring ice would melt during day and moisture dripped down line depending on mount of course. at night temps would drop below freezing within a 30 min. time frame sometimes causing this moisture to settle on connector and freeze. we showed that the connectors were failing due to expansion and contraction then, shortly afterwards they changed exterior cable requirements and crimp types for this issue in these climates.
ok, back to the present..

[yuppers519]

are installers still required to use drip loops on coax like we had to when installing Primestars?

When i got hooked up last october they used a drip loop for my wiring because the wires are outside.