[TowerTalk] RG213 Woes

[Roger (K8RI)]

The original post for this thread never turned up here, but assuming this it 
the old two PL-259s and a barrell connector for a splice.

> If I KNOW that the splice will be there for several years I use shrink
> tubing over it with about 2" to spare at both ends. Then wrap the ends 
> with
> nothing but Scotch 33/88 with the wraps in the "shingle" configuration.

I know this is different than every one else, but I've found the "cheap 
stuff" worked better over the years than the "good stuff" and that was after 
many, many rolls of 33 and 88 tape both on my installations and in industry 
where we had to use 33 and 88. The problem with the cheap stuff is there are 
good batches and poor batches.  The good baches are great, the other 
stuff...  OTOH you do know what you are getting with 33 and 88 tape.

With either kind of tape I use a double layer of tightly wound, self 
vulcanizing tape over the splice and covere that with two layers of the 
electrical tape.  OR I  give it several coats of the liquid electrical tape, 
letting each layer cure before applying the next and then at least a double 
layer of electrical tape for protection.

However I haven't used tape on a splice in the last 7 or 8 years.  I'll 
spend the extra and just use MMM "flooded" heat shrink tubing. I cut it to a 
length so the tubing extends beyond the connectors and onto the coax jacket 
for at least an inch. I prefer an inch and a half  to two inches on each 
side for good measure. Using the two sizes (400 and 800) you can  handled 
every thing from LMR-600 to RG-58 
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/connectors.htm You can purchase the 
stuff in roughly 4' lengths for around $10 USD. This stuff really shrinks so 
the big stuff that slides easily over the connectors will tightly grip the 
coax jacket. Please note, I need to fix the e-mail link on the above page.

As has already been mentioned, the connectors need to be tight, but not 
distorted. Finger tight usually isn't enough to overcome the changes brought 
on by temperature changes particularly up here in the frozen north.

>
> If it will be there forever there is a shrink tubing that includes a
> flooding compound. You need a heat gun to do it right; the wifes hair 
> dryer
> works fine. There are also some brands that seal by air exposure. Check 
> with

My wife's hair drier doesn't get nearly hot enough.  I purchased a 
relatively inexpensive heat gun at Lowe's that does the job in just a few 
seconds.

The commercial grade, flooded heat shrink not only gives a good weather seal 
it adds a lot of mechanical strength to the joint/splice that is normally 
associated with PL-259s. Of course that does not remove the necessity for 
properly attaching each PL-259<:-))

73

Roger (K8RI)

> your local CATV company or satellite dish installers to see what they use.
>
> Carl
> KM1H