Use a sealed antenna bulkhead connector or a correctly sized coaxial cable gland, plus a separate gland for power. Specify each entry from its component drawing, not from the connector’s nominal name. Stainless steel strongly attenuates radio signals, so place the antenna outside unless the design provides another suitable radio path.
A footprint around 5.9 × 5.9 in [150 × 150 mm] does not establish usable depth or connector clearance. Plan the equipment, internal cable bends, sealing surfaces and installation tools before approving the enclosure drawing. The completed assembly needs its own rating basis.
Gather the interface drawings
Collect the following before choosing hole positions:
- Equipment dimensions, mounting details, heat dissipation and cable connection locations.
- Antenna mounting instructions, orientation requirements and clearance from nearby metal.
- Bulkhead connector drawing, including cutout, sealing arrangement and permissible panel thickness.
- Coaxial cable diameter, minimum bend radius and connector dimensions.
- Power cable jacket diameter and the gland’s documented clamping range.
- Enclosure wall thickness, usable internal dimensions and mounting arrangement.
- Required environmental rating and any project inspection or listing requirements.
Separate rain exposure from hose cleaning, salt spray and possible flooding. Use the outdoor enclosure guide to establish the environmental requirement before selecting entry hardware.
Our custom enclosure ratings are manufacturer ratings for the specified design; our enclosures are not UL listed. A component’s rating does not automatically establish the rating of the completed enclosure assembly.
Keep manufacturer installation instructions with the drawings. Sealing location, orientation, tightening torque and cable compatibility matter as much as the hole diameter.
Specify and fit the entries
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Choose how the antenna crosses the wall.
A bulkhead RF connector joins an internal coaxial lead to an external antenna or cable. Confirm that its environmental rating applies to the installed configuration, including the mating connection and specified seals. Some connectors seal at the panel but still require protection at the external connection.
Alternatively, pass continuous coaxial cable through a cable gland. The gland seals against the cable jacket, not against a loose connector body. Confirm that gland compression will not damage the coaxial cable.
A preterminated coaxial lead may need a purpose-designed split gland or another documented entry system. Do not enlarge an ordinary gland until the connector passes and assume it will still grip the smaller cable.
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Position the antenna for both signal and water control.
Keep the radiating element outside the stainless steel enclosure. Follow its mounting instructions for orientation, ground-plane requirements and separation from surrounding metal. An antenna mounted directly against a large metal obstruction may perform poorly despite a sound seal.
Put the power entry on the bottom face where practical. Give external cables a drip loop, without violating their minimum bend radius. A top-mounted antenna connection needs a sealing system intended for that orientation and direct rain exposure.
Route outdoor antenna cables through the project’s specified surge protection and bonding arrangement. A metal bulkhead connector alone is not lightning protection.
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Check usable space behind both entries.
Measure inward from the actual entry wall. Include the connector body, mating plug, cable bend envelope and space needed to tighten the internal connection. Check these against equipment, mounting plates, door hardware and the opposite wall.
For a hypothetical layout, an inward projection of 0.8 in [20 mm] followed by a 1.2 in [30 mm] cable-turn envelope needs about 2.0 in [51 mm] unobstructed depth. Those allowances must come from the selected parts; they are not universal cable bend requirements.
Do not substitute external enclosure depth for this measurement. Wall construction, mounting offsets and door components reduce usable space. Also leave room to remove the equipment without cutting or sharply bending its cables.
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Match the bulkhead connector to the wall.
Use the connector manufacturer’s panel cutout, including any flats, keyways or anti-rotation features. A round hole is not interchangeable with a keyed opening when tightening loads depend on that feature.
Confirm the permitted panel-thickness range. Check that the specified wall and hardware stack leave adequate thread engagement. Include the gasket, washers, locknut and any reinforcement in the arrangement exactly as instructed.
Identify the sealing face on the drawing. The gasket needs a flat, continuous seating surface, away from bends, weld irregularities and adjacent holes. A narrow nut footprint does not mean the sealing footprint is equally small.
Use the cutouts and cable glands guide for general cutout conventions. Keep the antenna connector’s specific sealing dimensions on its own detail.
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Size the power gland from the cable jacket.
Measure or obtain the actual finished cable diameter. Select a gland whose documented clamping range includes that diameter and whose seal suits the jacket material and shape.
For example, a round 0.22 in [5.6 mm] jacket falls within a documented 0.16–0.24 in [4–6 mm] range. That dimensional match alone does not establish chemical compatibility, pull resistance or the assembly rating.
Use one cable per ordinary single-bore sealing insert. Multiple cables require an insert designed for their number and diameters. Tightening a single-bore insert harder does not reliably close the channels between separate cables.
Specify the gland’s thread system and mounting-hole requirement separately from its cable range. Also check wall thickness, locknut access and the required panel sealing washer or O-ring.
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Locate every cutout from fixed datums.
Use the enclosure body’s defined edges as drawing datums. State the face, viewing direction, units and whether dimensions locate hole centers or cutout edges. Include tolerances and installation clearances rather than letting the drawing scale imply them.
Drawing detail What to state Antenna opening Cutout geometry, size, tolerance and anti-rotation detail Power opening Gland mounting-hole size, thread arrangement and center location Wall interface Material thickness and permitted connector mounting range Sealing area Required gasket footprint and clear seating surface Internal clearance Connector projection, cable bend envelope and tool access External clearance Antenna orientation, cable route and mounting obstructions Assembly requirement Target rating and exact entry components used to support it The cutout designer lays out openings on each face and sends the layout with a quote request. Attach the component drawings as well; a circle alone cannot describe the sealing interface.
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Assemble without damaging the sealing surfaces.
Before fitting entries, isolate every energy source and verify absence of voltage under the applicable safe-work procedure. Do not drill an enclosure containing energized equipment. Protect or remove installed equipment before machining, and remove all conductive debris afterward.
Inspect cutout edges for burrs and distortion. Follow each fitting’s instructions for gasket position, tightening sequence and torque. Prevent the connector body from rotating and twisting the internal coaxial lead.
Do not add sealant unless the component instructions permit it. Extra material can interfere with gasket seating, thread engagement or later inspection.
Check the completed enclosure
Check mechanical fit before energizing. The door should close freely without pushing cables against connectors or pulling on the entry hardware. Confirm that every seal sits on its intended surface, with no trapped jacket folds or visible gaps.
Inspect the external antenna connection in its normal operating configuration. If it will sometimes be disconnected, establish whether the specified cap maintains protection in that condition. An exposed mating face may not retain the connector’s installed environmental rating.
Confirm cable retention using the fitting manufacturer’s prescribed check. Do not use an improvised pull test that could damage the cable or connector.
Check radio operation with the door closed and equipment installed. This catches shielding and placement problems that an open-door bench check can miss.
Define any ingress verification through the assembly manufacturer’s documented process and the project requirements. A visual inspection or informal hose test does not establish a NEMA type or IP code. Never spray energized equipment as a commissioning shortcut.
For shallow walls or closely spaced fittings, use the thin outdoor enclosure sealing plan to distinguish the water barrier from mechanical support.
Mistakes that compromise sealing
- Ordering width and height only. Specify depth and verify the actual internal cable envelope.
- Choosing holes from nominal thread names. Use the fitting’s required panel cutout and tolerance.
- Ignoring wall thickness. A connector can fit the hole yet lack enough thread for its mounting stack.
- Crowding the gasket. Keep bends, welds, neighboring openings and mounting hardware outside its seating area.
- Sealing around the wrong surface. An ordinary gland seals the specified cable jacket, not arbitrary connector shapes.
- Assuming stainless steel passes the radio signal. Establish an external antenna path before finalizing the layout.
- Treating component ratings as assembly proof. Document the enclosure, cutouts, seals and installed components together.
Water can also form inside without an entry leak. Outdoor temperature cycling can produce condensation, so do not treat every internal droplet as proof of a failed bulkhead seal.
Put the interface on the approval drawing
Specify material, width, height, depth and every cutout when requesting custom enclosures. We build custom enclosures from one piece, with the customer-defined dimensions and openings.
Send the equipment layout, antenna and gland drawings, cable diameters, exposure conditions and target rating together. State which components will be supplied separately and who is responsible for the completed assembly’s rating assessment.
Use the custom enclosure specification guide for the overall order requirements. On the approval drawing, resolve the antenna interface explicitly: hole geometry, wall thickness, sealing footprint, hardware stack and cable clearance. Approve the drawing only when those details agree with the selected components.
Questions
Can an antenna work inside a stainless steel enclosure?
Stainless steel strongly attenuates radio signals, so an internal antenna should not be assumed to work reliably. Place the antenna outside through a suitable sealed interface, or provide another engineered radio path. Check communication with the door closed and all equipment installed.
Should an antenna use a bulkhead connector or a cable gland?
A bulkhead connector provides a mating interface through the wall. A cable gland seals around a continuous cable jacket. Either approach can work when its documented installation suits the environment, wall thickness and cable. Check the external mating connection as well as the panel seal.
Does a rated cable gland preserve the enclosure rating automatically?
Not automatically. The cutout geometry, mounting surface, fitting, gasket, cable and installation all affect protection. Use components intended for the required conditions and follow their instructions. Establish the completed assembly’s rating through the responsible manufacturer’s documented assessment rather than assuming the empty enclosure rating carries over.
What dimensions are needed before ordering antenna and power holes?
Provide all three enclosure dimensions, usable internal clearances, wall thickness and component drawings. Identify each cutout’s face, geometry, tolerance and location from fixed datums. Include the connector hardware stack, gasket footprint, power cable diameter and gland clamping range before approving the drawing.
