Jim Thomson wrote:
> Ok... Andrew heliax co sez to use silicone on coax connectors... to
> eliminate ... 'microscopic arcing'.
>
> Ken at Cal-Av sez the same thing. The silicone is to fill the voids..since
> u always end up with tiny
> air pockets, even with connectors cranked tight.
>
> This is a silly question, but when did silicone start to conduct anything ??
> [Dc/60hz/RF]
> 'Conducto-lube' which is grnd up silver powder in grease would probably work
> better,
> but I would be leery of using conductive grease.. as it can bunch up at the
> bottom..
> and cause an arc from base of pin, over to braid/shell.
>
It's not a conductive filler. It's an insulator. The idea is to fill
all the voids with silicone goop (which doesn't cure.. it's a thick
grease)to keep water and other stuff out, and to avoid air bubbles.
It's a sort of specialized thing for unusual environments (high
altitude, underwater) or unusual applications (HV). I wouldn't think
that most amateur applications would need it.
BTW, the stuff is basically impossible to remove completely, so don't
get any on anything you hope to later glue to. I think hexane will
remove, but maybe not.. it's pretty chemically inert. (that's why they
use it in stuff that's going to be implanted in your body and in food
processing equipment)
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