[TowerTalk] Dielectric Flood

[K8RI]

>
> In a message dated 10/2/2007 9:02:43 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> towertalk-request at contesting.com writes:
>
>>  I went through a phase some years ago where I would fill UHF
> connectors with Dow Corning #4. I never had a problem with one and
> it  did keep water out. Some were up for as much as 5 years before
> being  replaced due to upgrades. However, YMMV! I think it is not a
> recommended  practice. I stopped doing it mostly because it has a

It is and is what DC 4 was originally designed for.


> tendency to be messy  (and unnecessary, given proper waterproofing of
> the  connection).

It certainly is messy and I used to believe in "proper waterproofing" of 
connectors until mother nature proved to me there is no such thing or at 
least none that is permanent or guranteed.

>
>    Excellent point! I hate the stuff myself. Why  would you put a 
> dielectric

But wrong.  I happed to dislike the stuff myself  due to the mess.

> material in an application where you're trying to  encourage a conductive
> connection?!? I've never understood that.

Becasue that is what it's designed for.  It does not hinder the metal to 
metal contact, but it does serve as an insulator and water stop where it's 
supposed to do so.

>
>    And then there's the mess. Using it up on a tower  creates a potential

Messy it is and you might as well pitch any connector that gets dropped.
I quit using the stuff due to the mess, but it was designed to make the 
government happy doing what it does best.

> safety hazard since the stuff is greasy and getting it on  your gloves 
> makes

You don't wear gloves when working with that stuff.. That's like trying to 
doing PC board work while wearing gloves.

> them nice and slippery.
>
>    OTOH YMMV. Nothing replaces good  weatherproofing.
>
I used to believe that to until nature used a stroke of lightning to remove 
every  bit of water proofing off every connector at the top of the tower. 
(Removed the silver plating too) A bit later (few minutes) I had water 
running out of one of the rigs onto the desk which is what I get for using 
9913.  I gave away close to 800 feet of the stuff and hauled over 200 feet 
out to the road (all still in good shape). I gave away the last couple 
hundred feet Saturday. I went to LMR-400 and am now upgrading to LMR-600 for 
everything including runs over a 100 feet on HF.

Roger (K8RI)


> Cheers,
> Steve    K7LXC
> TOWER TECH
>
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