On 5/19/2013 3:03 PM, Pete Barletto wrote:
Is 3M Scotchcote no longer in favor? After a full wrap of tape, a coating of
this messy stuff has kept connectors dry and shinny for years. OTOH I've never
used coax seal ...
I think you can get it at Lowe's so it's probably available at most
hardware stores.
73,
Roger (K8RI)
Pete
ku2c
________________________________
From: K0DAN <k0dan@comcast.net>
To: Steve Sacco NN4X <nn4x@embarqmail.com>; towertalk@contesting.com
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 11:24 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Coax Seal yea or nay?
Yes, Rescue Tape is the best I have found. Great stuff for sealing
connectors, as well as a million other field repairs. It has almost no
adhesive qualities and pretty much only sticks to itself, so it needs a
tight wrap onto itself.
Not cheap but great product.
Many of us went the Coax Seal route back in the day, as it was
well-advertised and was one of the only products of its type which made its
way into the ham community. Today there are many other choices and I no
longer use Coax Seal, much prefer combinations of butyl rubber, high quality
electrical tape (Scotch Super 33) and Rescue Tape.
The Coax Seal goo that's left behind is pretty tenacious, however I have had
some luck wiping it off using solvents like Goof Off, Goo Gone, etc. Often
if it's a cheap connector, it's easier to just throw it away than to clean
it.
73
de
k0dan
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Sacco NN4X
Sent: May 19, 2013 12:49
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Coax Seal yea or nay?
I strongly dislike Coax Seal, for all the reasons cited.
Last week, I unwrapped a connection which consisted of a bunch of
PL-259's and right angle connectors which I had foolishly wrapped in
Coax Seal, and overwrapped with Scotch 88. It took a incredibly long
time to get it off the connectors so I could even disconnect them. I
found that the the Coax Seal had worked its way INSIDE the PL-259's
under the outer shell, in addition to covering everything with a sticky
residue that I have yet to find something to cut it with.
I've found the above problem repeatedly as I've modified things at my
station that I did back when I was going through my Coax Seal phase. I
deeply regret that I went there back in the day.
MUCH better are products like silicon Rescue Tape. It fuses to itself,
forms a tight seal over the connectors, and is easily removed. You need
to cover it with a quality electrical tape to protect it from UV, but
that's not unreasonable.
73,
Steve
NN4X
EL98jh
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 14:05:00 -0400
From: K8RI <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How close to salt water is close enough?
On 5/18/2013 11:51 AM, K7LXC@aol.com wrote:
Products like coax seal are worth using liberally wherever it can
be
applied if needed.
Just make sure you never have to take it off. It's the WORST stuff
in
the world to get off of anything. You put in on a connector - you have
to
throw the connector away.
Why? There is absolutely nothing electrically or mechanically wrong
with a connector just because it has coax seal on it.
I use Flooded Heat Shrink tubing. The heavy 3M stuff the electrical
contractors use. It's lined with Hot melt glue so when it's, it's
really sealed. Getting it off, is not difficult., You cut it down one
side with a box cutter, pry up a corner and pull. Use a pair of pliers.
It, like coax seal may leave residue behind. Hot glue in this case,
rather than pieces of coax seal. I ask again, so what?
Sure it looks crappy, but the connector underneath is clean and shiny.
It can be used again as if it were new and when a new coating of coax
seal or heat shrink is put in place it is as good as it was the first
time and at this point looks no different.
The only problem is the connector may be "sticky, so either put it in a
baggie, plastic package or just don't drop it in the dirt.
BTW I think Mineral spirits will clean coax seal off.
Even connectors wrapped with tape get sticky.
Now you could resort to a layer of tape wrong side out, but unless done
well can be a source of leaks. Yah, I know many swear by it because it
leaves the connector shiny. You can also wrap the connection with one or
two layers of Saran wrap which really seals when covered with
"stretched" tape wound past its ends, but these are extra steps that
serve a only as a cosmetic. I'm a firm believer of the KISS approach
which is the most durable, simple, and effective.
Then I wonder why the obsession with reusing connectors. Most hams use
a $3.00 PL259 if they are consciousnesses. Well, no, most use the cheap
stuff found at swaps instead of buying the "good stuff". That gob of
solder on the center connectors has ruined more female connectors than
just about any thing else.
I realize there are many hams for whom purchasing a dozen PL259s is hard
on the budget. I know many and was there once .. no, several times
myself, and I would have gladly used connectors with a little coax seal
on them because it doesn't hurt anything except it lets others know you
are using a <gasp> used connector.
Many of us gladly use, used connectors on large coax where new ones are
over a $100.
But why care if some coax seal (Electrical putty) is stuck on the
outside of a connector? It feels icky? Just don't drop it in the dirt.
<:-))
End of Rant.<:-))
73
Roger (K8RI)
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