[TowerTalk] quick waterproofing for PL-259 connectors?

[Roger K8RI on Tower]

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.  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.

As I happen to have a bunch of the stuff around, I used a bit of Vinyl Ester 
resin in the connector assembly.  It makes them a *permanent* part of the 
cable, but they are certainly water proof and mechanically strong. This also 
keeps the jacket from shrinking out of the connector.

OTOH it's not a FD type of assembly.  The connectors need to be held in 
place while the resin cures.  It works particularly well with N connectors, 
but again they are not reuseable.
You wait for the stuff to cure before even thinking about connecting the 
connector<:-))

Get some of the resin into the connection and it becomes a permanent splice.

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

> Jim,
>
> You might consider "Stuf", the Teflon grease that you fill the inside
> of the connector with. With PL259s, I would carefully tape, in advance,
> the back end of the connector/jacket junction, and then at field day,
> squirt a little Stuf into the connectors before screwing them onto
> the barrel connectors. Done! Yes, it's a consumable, but it satisfies
> the other requirements.
>
> -- 
> Steve K8LX
>
> Jim Lux wrote:
>> I'm looking for good ideas on how to waterproof a PL-259/SO-239 type
>> connection (say, a pair of PL's with a barrel in between) for temporary 
>> use.
>> There's lots of good ideas in the archives for permanent installation, 
>> but
>> what I'm looking for is something for a portable/field day operation.
>>
>> 1) real fast to mate (ideally, no extra time over what it takes to mate 
>> the
>> connectors)
>> 2) cheap
>> 3) real fast to demate
>> 4) Ideally, no consumables
>> 5) Doesn't require tools
>> 6) Can be done in the dark/rain
>>
>> Maybe something like a rubber boot that goes over the connector? (but how
>> does it seal on one of the ends?)
>>
>> I'm interested in ideas for the "extension cord" (cable to cable) and the
>> "wall socket" (cable to equipment) usage model.
>>
>> For the chassis mounted application, "rain tight" might be good enough 
>> (i.e.
>> it doesn't have to tolerate immersion), but for the cable to cable
>> application, water/mud/dirt proof is desirable.
>>
>> While I'm thinking about it, ideas for waterproof or raintight 12VDC 
>> power
>> pole style connections and Cat5 networking would also be useful.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
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>> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>>
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> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
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>