[TowerTalk] telephone company non-sticky semi-solid stuff

Eric Scace K3NA eric at K3NA.ORG
Thu May 22 17:30:20 EDT 2003


   I moved recently to Boston.  When working with the telephone company engineers to install my phone service, I noticed that my
network interface unit contained an unusual, non-sticky, clear, semi-solid material ("UNSCSSM").  The striped, bare ends of the
copper wires were inserted into this material, which surrounded the screw clamps used to connect the wiring together.

   This UNSCSSM flowed around the screw and wires, preventing water and oxygen from reaching the exposed wire.  Wires that had been
immersed in the UNSCSSM were readily pulled out, and were still bright and shiny.

   Offhand, it seems that a piece of heat shrink tubing containing this stuff could be shrunk around a coax connector, forming an
air- and water-tight seal.  If the connector needed to be undone, the heat shrink can be clipped off and the UNSCSSM peels away with
no residue.  It seems ideal for those tricky places like coax connections to SO-239 sockets on external boxes, where it's very
difficult to wrap tape around the socket in such a way as to be watertight.

   Does anyone know more about this material?

-- Eric K3NA




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