[TowerTalk] Silicone on coax connector's ?

[Michael Tope]

I've been using Dow-Corning Silicone High-Vacuum grease on my connectors 
for about 10 years with good results. Of course, I live in Southern 
California where one could argue weather proofing connectors is an 
unnecessary precaution :-)

In any case, here is where I first learned of the practice:

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/Towertalk/1998-12/msg00041.html

http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/Towertalk/1998-09/msg00477.html

73, Mike W4EF.............


On 7/2/2010 5:50 AM, Steve Maki wrote:
> Jim Thomson wrote:
>
>    
>> Ok...  Andrew  heliax co sez to use silicone on coax connectors... to
>> eliminate ... 'microscopic arcing'.
>>      
>
> I've never seen anything from Andrew suggesting this - got a link?
>
> Some Andrew connectors come with a tiny little tube of silicone grease,
> but it's for lubing the outer o-ring to make the connector slide on
> easier. Maybe that's where the cornfusion started...
>
> I can tell you that in the commercial antenna world (cellular, etc.)
> it's never ever applied to the center pin area of an already installed
> connector before mating with the receptacle. I doubt it would hurt - in
> fact there is a Teflon based product called Stuf (or Stuff?) that is
> meant to be used that way, but not to prevent "micro-arcs". It's to keep
> water out by eliminating voids.
>
> IMO, it's better to simply weatherproof the outside of the connector.
>
> 73,
>
> -Steve K8LX
>
>