[TowerTalk] [Bulk] Re: PL259 Cobbectors Part 2 - Murray W9EHQ

Sun May 15 00:23:02 EDT 2016

Here are the instructions from Andrew for Helix connector splices 
http://www.commscope.com/catalog/doc/pdf/2004/Weatherproofing_Kit_for_Connectors_and_Antennas.pdf

Similar to the well wire splice insulating technique.  The Andrew butyl 
tape is a winner.  The kits are about $15 and good for about a dozen 1/2 
to 1/2"  connections.

My tower installer used the Andrew kits and finished with a couple of 
coats of Krylon exterior acrylic spray over the final vinyl tape wrap, 
cheaper and easier than 3M Scotchcoat.

Grant KZ1W

On 5/14/2016 19:46 PM, Bob K6UJ wrote:
> Patrick,
>
> Thanks for the info.  I have used the self sealing butt splices also. 
> There are many different ways to weather proof
> and in this case completely water proof our connectors.  We have 
> touched on a couple.  Any other weather
> proofing/sealing techniques out there ?   What say you ?
>
> Has anyone tried Plasti Dip ?  I have been curious if it would be 
> another good outer coating on our outside
> connectors.
>
>
>
> 73,
> Bob
> K6UJ
>
>
>
> On 5/14/16 4:53 PM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:
>> There are waterproof butt splices.  The insulation is shrink and 
>> there is the heat flowing glue stuff like comes on te ID of some heat 
>> shrink tubing.  Even if I get rambunctious with the crimper and make 
>> little holes in the insulation they are sealed by the hot melt glue 
>> and don't cause problems.  These are used in water wells on 240 volt 
>> wires to power submerged well pumps at the bottom of wells. I suppose 
>> if you are really paranoid you could add your own waterproofing on 
>> top of that which is built-in.
>>
>> These butt splices are widely available, even in stock at Harbor 
>> Freight.
>>
>> Patrick        NJ5G
>>
>>
>>
>> On 5/14/2016 6:32 PM, Bob K6UJ wrote:
>>> Kevin,
>>>
>>> Good points !   Your system looks great.
>>>
>>> I was doing very similar for years.
>>> I have added a final step for sealing the connection I would like to 
>>> share.
>>> Here in Napa Valley there are many wineries and many water wells. I 
>>> was working on a project
>>> for a winery which hired a well drilling and installation company to 
>>> put in a new water well for irrigating
>>> one of their vineyards.  I was very interested in how they sealed 
>>> the electrical connections that were
>>> down in the well under water.  They were making up a cable splice 
>>> that day and I learned their process.
>>> Their first step with Scotch 88 is not much different than what many 
>>> of us do on our RF connection weather proofing.
>>> First they stretch wrap with Scotch 88 electrical tape, then they 
>>> stretch wrap with Scotch 130 rubber self bonding splicing
>>> tape,  then one final stretch wrap with Scotch 88,  then finally 
>>> they brush on two coats of ScotchKote 14853 electrical coating. 
>>> After drying it is ready to go under water.
>>> Granted this may be an overkill for our weather proofing needs, but 
>>> I am anal about weather proofing outside RF connections and have 
>>> been using this process myself, with 100% success. The ScotchKote is 
>>> amazing stuff.
>>>
>>> The downsides:
>>> * It is hard to split and cut open the weather proof coating later 
>>> on. It can be done but not as easily as one coated with liquid 
>>> electrical tape.
>>> * ScotchKote is not cheap.  I only use it for this purpose so one 
>>> can lasts me quite a while, but it is about $30.00
>>> for one 15 oz can.
>>>
>>> Bob
>>> K6UJ
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5/14/16 12:40 PM, Kevin Stover wrote:
>>>> I'm trying to understand why a soldered connector, assuming both 
>>>> types are weatherproofed properly, is superior for corrosion 
>>>> protection. Seems to me Sn/Pb solder will corrode just as fast or 
>>>> faster than anything else in salt air.
>>>>
>>>> I'd say 90% of hams have no clue how to properly weatherproof a 
>>>> connector. All you have to do is watch which end of the cable they 
>>>> start wrapping stuff from to tell the connector is going to leak. 
>>>> Such as starting the tape wrap at the connector and working down. 
>>>> You've just created 6-8 seams for water to ingress. Start wrapping 
>>>> the tape, 3M 33 or 88, not some cheap crap from Home Depot, down on 
>>>> the coax and work up. Layers of tape laid like shingles.
>>>>
>>>> I weather "proof" my crimp connectors with glue impregnated heat 
>>>> shrink, followed by 33/88, followed by coax seal followed by rubber 
>>>> tape and a final layer of 33/88. All layers rolled half tape width 
>>>> per course and bottom to top. It ain't pretty but I've never seen a 
>>>> connector I did have a water problem, even 259's.
>>>>
>>>> On 5/13/2016 2:46 PM, Don W7WLL wrote:
>>>>> I live on the coast, just a few hundred feet from the Pacific. 
>>>>> Most wind is from the ocean onshore. The cable and sat installers 
>>>>> here use crimped connectors, fast which counts for the installers. 
>>>>> HOWEVER, later, they also spend a lot of time repairing lines and 
>>>>> replacing connectors which corrode via the salt spray and air, 
>>>>> specifically the work that is outdoors for periods of time. Varies 
>>>>> of course depending upon the protection provided. Like Paul, every 
>>>>> connector used outdoors at this house is 4 hole soldered for just 
>>>>> the latter reason. And the coax cover is properly screwed into the 
>>>>> connector. Where I use barrels to interconnect two cables they are 
>>>>> covered with flooded heatshrink and the heatshink ends double 
>>>>> sealed with an application of 3M liquid tape. I learned when I 
>>>>> first moved here that while tape was great for keeping water out 
>>>>> most of the time, when I did find dry connectors, they still were 
>>>>> coated almost pure white with salt. So FAR DIFFERENT from when I 
>>>>> lived inland in Portland. There what corrodes and rusts here in a 
>>>>> couple of weeks would not reach that condx for years and years.
>>>>>
>>>>> Crimping is great but one has to consider the environment when 
>>>>> choosing, at least that is the case here.
>>>>>
>>>>> Don W7WLL
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Paul Christensen
>>>>> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 11:21 AM
>>>>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>>>>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] PL259 Cobbectors Part 2 - Murray W9EHQ
>>>>>
>>>>>> 'I'm perplexed, but not really surprised, that hams still insist 
>>>>>> on using
>>>>> this kind of backwoods engineering when a better way has been 
>>>>> available for
>>>>> decades. I guess old habits die hard."
>>>>>
>>>>> If you mean crimped connectors as a "better way," I agree when 
>>>>> they're used
>>>>> either indoors or when they're adequately weather shielded. 
>>>>> Mechanically,
>>>>> I've had more crimped connectors break and fail than soldered type 
>>>>> when
>>>>> high, accidental lateral force is exerted.  For indoor use, I 
>>>>> exclusively
>>>>> use crimped type.  For outdoors, almost exclusively soldered type.
>>>>>
>>>>> Paul, W9AC
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>
>>>>>
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