[TowerTalk] Water in RG6

[Dennis W0JX]

Ed,
Moisture is very difficult to keep out of RG6 especially if it is the inexpensive variety with a PVC jacket. This type of jacket is easily cut and has pinholes in it.

It is very easy to know if you have had water ingestion. The shield resistance will go up when the aluminum braid oxidizes. You can also inspect it visually by removing a connector and stripping back a length of the cover. The aluminum will turn grey and have a powdery oxidation on it. This is ruined coax and you might as well throw it away.

Therefore, when ever possible, use a flooded cable. The next best thing is a tri-shield RG6 which consists of three shields: foil around the foam, followed by aluminum braid, followed by a final shield of foil then covered by the jacket. Sometimes you can find it surplus at hamfests.

Commscope makes a Quad Shield, flooded RG6 and you can find large rolls on EBAY. W0BTU has the Commscope part number on his website.

I have thrown out hundreds of feet of Home Depot RG6 that has gone bad because of water migration.

73, Dennis W0JX