[UK-CONTEST] PL259 connectors...

[David]

Stewart

A very simple way to avoid oxygen and water getting to copper is to cover it
with Vaseline (petroleum jelly), When you tighten the clamp it will make
good contact through the jelly yet will continue to keep water and oxygen
out. 

I also cover the mating surfaces and the screw threads of UHF & N type
connectors with the jelly to keep the water out of the connector as well.
This is in addition to the usual amalgamating tape with PVC tape over it. 

A local amateur also uses Denso tape between the amalgamating/PVC layer.
Personally I find that Denso tape is horrible to handle its coating gets
everywhere so I do not use it.

I put my GM3SEK type baluns in plastic boxes with stainless hardware screw
through the box to the antenna with the coax connected via solder tags and
also soldered onto a socket that the feeding coax connects to. Inside the
box the bare braid of the coax is liberally coated with jelly and worked
into the braid. This stops water vapour condensing and wicking down the
braid.

73 David G3YYD


Stewart, GW0ETF  WROTE:

Mention has been made of the need to always solder the braid, something I
do. However I recently used some (Farnell sourced) high quality compression
gland types for RG59 cable. They are very easy to fit and have a
professional 'feel' but wonder if eventual braid tarnishing may cause
problems in the future?