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Re: [TowerTalk] quick waterproofing for PL-259 connectors?

To: "Steve Maki" <steve@oakcom.com>,"towertalk" <towertalk@contesting.com>,"Jim Lux" <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] quick waterproofing for PL-259 connectors?
From: "Roger K8RI on Tower" <k8ri-tower@charter.net>
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 14:00:55 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
You will probably be able to find elastic strips in various widths that have Velcro ends at the local fabric shops.

As far as it goes you could create a loop at each connection, put it inside one of the "Freezer size" baggies, or zip loc bags and put a large rubber band or ty-wrap to hold it in place. I used them for years on the feed horns of large satellite dishes.

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com


At 09:13 AM 2/8/2005, Roger K8RI on Tower wrote:
I use DC-4 compound to flood PL-259s
Although expensive, the main draw back to DC-4 and any of the greases it their afinity for dirt and ability to keep tape from sticking. Don't ever drop one while putting it together.

Precisely the reason that grease (and tape) isn't the kind of thing I was seeking. The whole goal here is to make portable operation easy enough that it's not an ordeal (FD can be an ordeal.. it's once a year).






Once you get dirt in the grease it can be a real bear to clean out the connector and then start over. If you want to tape the connection and get grease on the cable, the tape will not stick. It almost takes a good solvent to clean it off.

The grease may keep the water out of the connector and inner connection, but it does nothing to keep the water out of the braid which is the PL-259's weak spot. You can wipe the grease around the solder holes to keep water out though. Even then it can at times, wick through between the threads and jacket.

The various rubber tube ideas (inner tubes, glove fingers, condoms) seem like a possible winner. If you had a velcro "rip tie" type fastener, you could cinch it down on the other cable to make a reasonable seal.





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