[TowerTalk] FLooded shrink tubing?? Can you remove it??

[Roger (K8RI)]

> The shrink I get (for free I might add) comes from the local Satellite 
> Dealer who is given the stuff by companies (Dish >& Direct) and uses very 
> little of it so he passes it on. Most of it is the standard "Heat Shrink" 
> but lately he has been >giving me stuff that is sealed in a foil envelope 
> and when removed, it shrinks on it's own. No heat, just air. There is 3 or 
>  >4 pieces in each envelope and each is about 6 inches long, which is just 
> long enough to go over 2 PL-259s and a barrel. >The goo sets up hard, not 
> soft as most of the heat activated stuff.

I can understand not wanting to save that. <:-))
I purchased 1500 feet of LMR-400 when I first put up the big tower.  I'm now 
consolidating cables and using remote switching, or will be for the two 
stations and am swithing over to LMR-600 (purchased 1000 feet a while back) 
I've gone to all crimp connectors which saves me a lot of time and gives 
good, mechanically sound connections.  BTW with the second station I'll 
still be using between 500 and 1000 feet of the LMR-400.

I haven't saved PL-259s in years, but I do reuse the big connectors for the 
LMR-600.

73

Roger (K8RI)

>I have gotten used to just cutting the connection off and redoing it.  I am 
>still working on a 500' roll of RG-213 I bought >some time ago when the 
>Nashua NH club did a bulk buy from Carroll Cable so I don't scrimp on cable 
>when I make >one up.  Cutting it off and redoing the ends seems like a lot 
>less hassle than removing the shrink, though the suggestion >to wrap a 
>layer of good tape over the joint makes a lot of sense.  I may do tha
> t on the next one I do.
>
> Clint - W5CPT
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Roger (K8RI)
>  To: TowerTalk at contesting.com
>  Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 5:54 PM
>  Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] FLooded shrink tubing?? Can you remove it??
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  >I use the sealing shrink tube and the removal process involves a good 
> set
>  >of cable cutters. I whack it off at the shrink tube ends and install new
>  >connectors. The time involved to remove all the sealing goo would be far 
> in
>  >excess of what it takes to put on two new connectors.
>
>  This makes me ask, Why remove the goo?  Little will stay on the coax 
> jacket
>  and what does stay on the connectors doesn't hurt the reusability. On
>  occasion it leaves the connectors looking a bit scruffy, but more often 
> than
>  not, most comes right off.
>
>  IF shiny connectors are the criteria, just carefully rub a bit of 
> "pledge"
>  or car wax on the connectors before applying the heat shrink with the
>  flooding compound. Just don't get the wax on the coax jacket, or more 
> than a
>  film on the connectors. A tiny amount of DC-4 (flooding compound) will 
> keep
>  virtually anything from sticking. Be careful not to get the wax or DC-4 
> on
>  your hands and then touch the coax jacket where you plan on sealing it.
>
>  73
>
>  Roger (K8RI)
>
>  >
>  > Clint - W5CPT
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