[UK-CONTEST] OT: Waterproofing

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Ray Hills wrote:
>Does any one have any experience of using the "liquid waterrpoofing tape"
>originating in the US but now available over here from SOTA beams?  I need
>to know whether it is OK at 432 MHz or whether the losses are excessive.
>The alternative is conventional self-amalgating tape but that is on the
>bulky side at UHF.  I need to waterproof the gamma match connections on a
>set of yagis, particularly where the plastic tube slides over the inner and
>inside the outer of what makes up the series capacitor- if you see what I
>mean!

"Liquid Electrical Tape" is very good for basic waterproofing, eg of 
nuts and bolts and soldered connections. I haven't tested it as an RF 
insulator, but being rubber based and heavily carbon loaded are not good 
performance indicators for 432MHz!

Anyhow, why bother? Hot melt glue is much cheaper and will do your job 
very well indeed. It's excellent stuff, both for waterproofing *and* as 
an RF insulator.  I haven't used anything else for years and it has 
never let me down.

To prevent the glue from chilling on contact with large items of 
metalwork, pre-heat it with a hot air gun (which is also useful for 
helping the soldering iron on PL259s). Total cost for a glue gun and a 
hot air gun should be under £20 - money well spent.



-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK