[TowerTalk] PL-259 Electrical Joint Compound

[Don Tucker]

I suspect you will get a lot of feedback on your post, but my opinion is 
to avoid any sort of conductive grease on any part of a connector, for 
many reasons.

Here, my tower and all the connectors associated with the antennas and 
support items on or near it is located 1400 feet back and above a 
beautiful (and very wet) central coastal Oregon beach. Erected my array 
around 2002. Prevalent winds are from the west, right off the ocean. 
Obviously lots of SS involved in the exterior fasteners and such items

To the point, I was highly concerned about salt water intrusion of the 
electrical connections outside the house. So, stopped at the local 
commercial crabbing/fishing fleet supplier/rigger in Newport OR (Yaquina 
Bay) and asked what they recommended, what was used to the greatest 
extent by the local fleet and fisher folk.

They suggested a Lear Chemical Product (think is made in Canada) called 
CorrosionBlock, in the tube. Claimed it was impervious to water 
intrusion and totally neutral electrically. Said it was commonly used by 
the local fleet owners and the electrical and RF repair folk who do 
maintenance on the ocean going boats and would keep the connector 
threading or pin inserts free on connectors. I'm of the understanding it 
is sold by a large number of the marine suppliers.

I can only say my experience is that I have yet to have any working 
issue with an RF connector or an electrical connector (think rotors and 
switch boxes) in the 20 plus years I've been using it (other than some 
dumb mistake by me in its attachment to the cable). The grease is an 
aqua color so it is easy to see where it was applied (or missed). That 
doesn't mean I still don't apply a good tape wrap or tape or flooded 
heatshrink around any connector to connector, cable to connector, etc 
when I can.

Would imagine there are other products which do the same thing but one 
experience input.

Don W7WLL

'This house runs on love, laughter and really good wine.'

On 12/4/2023 5:02 AM, Paul Christensen wrote:
> After 15 years, a pair of PL-259 connectors have seized on mating SO-239
> jacks used on an outdoor RF choke. Is there anything more suitable than
> Penatrox-A which is Au/Cu rated?  Ideally, I'd like to apply a synthetic +
> conductive grease on the mating SO-239 threads.
>
>   
>
> Unrelated, but while investigating the coax connectors, the LMR400-Ultraflex
> cable I installed about 15 years ago has started to decompose.  At the time
> of installation, I knew the Ultraflex version has a shorter life span but
> wasn't expecting such severe decomposition.  The jacket is crumbling due to
> its rubber composition.  This past weekend, I replaced it with gelled
> LMR400-DB for direct burial, but it's installed above ground.  Like the
> original LMR400, the DB version has a rugged polyethylene (PE) jacket.
>
>   
>
> Paul, W9AC
>
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