I agree with K4OJ. I've had _many_ (really many -- probably several dozen)
beams up with pigtail lead connections waterproofed using goops of various
sorts, and have never experienced failures due to water/weather, other than
the usual coax jacket cracking from UV exposure after several years -- which
has nothing to do with rain, or waterproofing.
My first Telrex 2m beam, model 814, purchased in 1965, stayed up until 1988
with "pigtail" leads connecting the feedline and the Telrex-supplied coaxial
balun still intact, never a weather problem (except jacket cracking from UV
exposure), and still working perfectly 23 years later when I finally took
that one down. The pigtails were sealed with some sort of dark-colored
silicone sealant, that I had to cut through with a razor blade to find the
connections beneath -- which were still shiny, after 23 years.
So, I believe it's very possible to weatherproof pigtail connections,
permanently, or at least for the life of the cable.
WB2WIK/6
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." -
Mario Andretti
> -----Original Message-----
> From: k4oj [SMTP:k4oj@tampabay.rr.com]
> Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 1:15 PM
> To: KI7WX@aol.com
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Balun Location (more)
>
> I think you may be kidding yourself...
>
> a Y-ending for the shield vs. the center conductor CAN be waterproofed
> with the usual tapes and goops, and the resultant termination...
>
> This termination also will not have the inherent loss and potential for
> failure that your connecotr(s) will....
>
> On my three high twenty meter stack all the coxes rum from the feedpoint
> (where there is a waterproffed "Y" to the base of the tower where they
> are terminated with PL259's - which then screw into a Stackmatch.
>
> Having had failures of connectors and barrels more than once my current
> thinking is the fewer of these there are the few chances there are for
> failure down the road.
>
> Currently I am working on another stack of antennas and do ope to do the
> same - run the coax from the split driven element feedpoint directly to
> the ground WITHOUT any intermediate fittings....
>
> To those who have thought about the downside of this, yes you must
> disconnect at the feedpoint of the driven element should you have to
> lower the antenna....this was no problem on the 204BA's driven elements
> which were easily within reach from the tower...current project has the
> driven element some 11 feet or so away from the center of the
> antenna....will necessitate some sort of tilting of the antenna to
> disconnect the feedpoint. At instalation time the element can have the
> coax attached and the coax unfurled from topside...when it is time to
> take it down however the prospect of un-taping the feedline from the leg
> would indeed be a hassle, hence tilting would be needed then.
>
> So far the the twenties are clicking just fine after about 4 or 5 years
> - knock on wood!
>
> 73,
>
> Jim, K4OJ
>
>
>
> KI7WX@aol.com wrote:
>
> >With the coax choke approach what are folks doing to terminate the coax
> into pigtails for connection to the feedpoint? In my station I've always
> avoided coax terminations and junctions which don't end in a fitting that
> I can properly waterproof.
> >
> >Mark
> >KI7WX
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> >
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> AN Wireless Self Supporting Towers at discounted prices,
> See http://www.mscomputer.com
>
> Wireless Weather Stations now $349.95. Call Toll Free,
> 888-333-9041 for additional information.
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