[TowerTalk] Shrink Tubing on Coax & PL-259?

[N7KA at comcast.net]

I wrap all connections with electrical tape before doing any additional weatherproofing. 



But I use the following trick to ensure clean connectors if ever need to open the connection/splice. 



Beginning just above the connector I start wrapping electrical tape on the cable.  After 1 turn I twist the tape so the subsequent wraps are applied with the glue side OUT.  After completing one continuous wrap across the splice I then twist the tape to glue side in inward and wrap several turns on the cable.  I then put another layer of electrical tape over the entire splice with glue side inward.  I then use  a rubber splice tape,3M    or Plymouth make it, and wrap the entire splice. 



The rubber tape when properly applied is self vulcanizing and provides a good seal.  



If using a shrink sleeving I use the type that has a sealant inside that will ensire a weatherproof seal after shrinking has been completed. 



Years later if I make any changes I have clean connectors with no glue residue from tape, except for that from the edge of the electrical tape first layer (very little if any). 



A weatherproof splice and clean connectors the end goal. 



Arne N7KA 

  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian White GM3SEK" <gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk> 
To: towertalk at contesting.com 
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:10:05 AM GMT +00:00 Monrovia 
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Shrink Tubing on Coax & PL-259? 

Tom Osborne wrote: 
>Hi Scott 
>Seems to me that I saw somewhere a sealer that went inside the shrink tube. 
>Then when you heat the tubing, it shrunk and kept the sealer inside.  73 
>tom W7WHY 

Hot melt glue, from a glue gun. It can be used with plain heat shrink 
sleeving, or to fill gaps inside sleeving that already has a thin lining 
of glue. 

For "heavy duty" applications, almost all connectors could use some 
strain relief where the cable enters the connector body. Apply a ring of 
hot-melt glue at this location, then while the glue is still hot and 
liquid, slide on the sleeving and shrink it down. When all of this has 
cooled and set, it makes an excellent waterproof strain relief. 

As Roger says, the sleeving and adhesive can be removed quite easily 
when you really want to. 


-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK         'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB) 
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek 
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