[TowerTalk] Coax Seal yea or nay?

Sun May 19 18:38:30 EDT 2013

On 5/19/2013 3:03 PM, Pete Barletto wrote:
>
>
> Is 3M Scotchcote no longer in favor?  After a full wrap of tape,  a coating of this messy stuff has kept connectors dry and shinny for years. OTOH I've never used coax seal ...
>

I think you can get it at Lowe's so it's probably available at most 
hardware stores.

73,

Roger (K8RI)

> Pete
> ku2c
>
>
> ________________________________
>   From: K0DAN <k0dan at comcast.net>
> To: Steve Sacco NN4X <nn4x at embarqmail.com>; towertalk at contesting.com
> Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 11:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Coax Seal yea or nay?
>
>
> Yes, Rescue Tape is the best I have found. Great stuff for sealing
> connectors, as well as a million other field repairs. It has almost no
> adhesive qualities and pretty much only sticks to itself, so it needs a
> tight wrap onto itself.
>
> Not cheap but great product.
>
> Many of us went the Coax Seal route back in the day, as it was
> well-advertised and was one of the only products of its type which made its
> way into the ham community. Today there are many other choices and I no
> longer use Coax Seal, much prefer combinations of butyl rubber, high quality
> electrical tape (Scotch Super 33) and Rescue Tape.
>
> The Coax Seal goo that's left behind is pretty tenacious, however I have had
> some luck wiping it off using solvents like Goof Off, Goo Gone, etc. Often
> if it's a cheap connector, it's easier to just throw it away than to clean
> it.
>
> 73
> de
> k0dan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Sacco NN4X
> Sent: May 19, 2013 12:49
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Coax Seal yea or nay?
>
> I strongly dislike Coax Seal, for all the reasons cited.
>
> Last week, I unwrapped a connection which consisted of a bunch of
> PL-259's and right angle connectors which I had foolishly wrapped in
> Coax Seal, and overwrapped with Scotch 88.  It took a incredibly long
> time to get it off the connectors so I could even disconnect them.  I
> found that the the Coax Seal had worked its way INSIDE the PL-259's
> under the outer shell, in addition to covering everything with a sticky
> residue that I have yet to find something to cut it with.
>
> I've found the above problem repeatedly as I've modified things at my
> station that I did back when I was going through my Coax Seal phase.  I
> deeply regret that I went there back in the day.
>
> MUCH better are products like silicon Rescue Tape.   It fuses to itself,
> forms a tight seal over the connectors, and is easily removed.  You need
> to cover it with a quality electrical tape to protect  it from UV, but
> that's not unreasonable.
>
> 73,
> Steve
> NN4X
> EL98jh
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>    Message: 1
>    Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 14:05:00 -0400
> From: K8RI <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How close to salt water is close enough?
>
> On 5/18/2013 11:51 AM, K7LXC at aol.com wrote:
>>>>        Products like coax seal are worth using liberally  wherever it can
>>>> be
>>> applied if needed.
>>>
>>>         Just make sure you never have to take it off. It's  the WORST stuff
>>> in
>>> the world to get off of anything. You put in on a connector -  you have
>>> to
>>> throw the connector away.
>>>
>> Why?  There is absolutely nothing electrically or mechanically wrong
>> with a connector just because it has coax seal on it.
>>
>> I use Flooded Heat Shrink tubing.  The heavy 3M stuff the electrical
>> contractors use.  It's lined with Hot melt glue so when it's, it's
>> really sealed.  Getting it off, is not difficult., You cut it down one
>> side with a box cutter, pry up a corner and pull. Use a pair of pliers.
>>      It, like coax seal may leave residue behind. Hot glue in this case,
>> rather than pieces of coax seal. I ask again, so what?
>>
>> Sure it looks crappy, but the connector underneath is clean and shiny.
>> It can be used again as if it were new and when a new coating of coax
>> seal or heat shrink is put in place it is as good as it was the first
>> time and at this point looks no different.
>>
>> The only problem is the connector may be "sticky, so either put it in a
>> baggie, plastic package or just don't drop it in the dirt.
>>
>> BTW I think Mineral spirits will clean coax seal off.
>> Even connectors wrapped with tape get sticky.
>>
>> Now you could resort to a layer of tape wrong side out, but unless done
>> well can be a source of leaks. Yah, I know many swear by it because it
>> leaves the connector shiny. You can also wrap the connection with one or
>> two layers of Saran wrap which really seals when covered with
>> "stretched" tape wound past its ends, but these are extra steps that
>> serve a only as a cosmetic.  I'm a firm believer of the KISS approach
>> which is the most durable, simple, and effective.
>>
>> Then I wonder why the obsession with reusing connectors.  Most hams use
>> a $3.00 PL259 if they are consciousnesses.  Well, no, most use the cheap
>> stuff found at swaps instead of buying the "good stuff". That gob of
>> solder on the center connectors has ruined more female connectors than
>> just about any thing else.
>>
>> I realize there are many hams for whom purchasing a dozen PL259s is hard
>> on the budget.  I know many and was there once .. no, several times
>> myself, and I would have gladly used connectors with a little coax seal
>> on them because it doesn't hurt anything except it lets others know you
>> are using a <gasp> used connector.
>>
>> Many of us gladly use, used connectors on large coax where new ones are
>> over a $100.
>>
>> But why care if some coax seal (Electrical putty) is stuck on the
>> outside of a connector?  It feels icky?  Just don't drop it in the dirt.
>> <:-))
>>
>>
>> End of Rant.<:-))
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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