[Antennas] Anti-Corrosion Compound

[Tom Horton]

Chris mentioned something I rarely see used in conjunction with antennas. That is the rubber tape. In the oil patch we used "Okonite" tape all the time especially for connections that did not need to withstand pressure downhole. 
It stretches and will mold to most anything. The 3-M rubber tappe should be the same.
 Tom K5IID

--- On Sun, 12/12/10, Chris Boone <Cboone at earthlink.net> wrote:


From: Chris Boone <Cboone at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Antennas] Anti-Corrosion Compound
To: antennas at mailman.qth.net
Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010, 11:01 AM


This has been recently discussed on a broadcast mail list I am on (been
doing 2way and broadcast engineering for 35 yrs now)

1) NEVER EVER put ANYTHING inside the connector...No silicon except on
threads and NO SILICONE (the reactive agent will eat through the inside
dielectric of coax and cause  it to fail bigtime
2) The preferred way to seal connectors is: A) run a THIN coat of silicon
(NOTE NO E at the end) on the THREADS of the connector then B) snug up
connectors but DO NOT overtighten C) put a layer of preferably Scotch Rubber
Tape down...if not, use 33 or 88 in its place. Try to make it snug against
the connector body, etc...run over the ends of the connector(s) in question,
then put a layer of Duct Seal or Coax Seal and mold to get as much of the
air pockets as possible out...THEN put another layer of tape, this time
Scotch 33 or 88 (do not use Rubber here)....and then a final layer of the
same tape ....MAKE SURE you DO NOT stretch the ends..CUT them and allow them
to pull back until wrapping it down...DO NOT use Scotch Kote where it is
exposed to UV sunlight..it WILL degrade and be gone in a year....(Personally
found that 20yrs ago)...The Duct/Coax seal will keep water and air out...and
when you need to open the connectors, just use a straight razor blade
lengthwise and slit the sealant, etc open and peel it back like a banana
skin...your connectors will be CLEAN and easy to open...

Ive used this for 20+ years and NEVER had an issue on a connector...

DO NOT FLOOD the connector with ANYTHING!!! NO NO NO!!!!! Only on the
THREADS should you CONSIDER SILICON (NO SILICONE!!) grease and then only a
thin layer to keep the threads from seizing..other than that, NOTHING else
should be used..

I HOPE that helps save some connectors, etc from going bad....

Chris
WB5ITT

> -----Original Message-----
> From: antennas-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:antennas-
> bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ed Tanton
> Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2010 10:21 AM
> To: dhallam at knology.net; antennas at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Antennas] Anti-Corrosion Compound
> 
> I personally prefer Penetrox sold at:
> (http://www.dxengineering.com/Parts.asp?ID=17&PLID=192&SecID=90&De
> ptID=33&Pa
> rtNo=DXE-P8A for $14 plus S/H ) - but you said local ONLY. The stuff sold
at
> Home Depot comes in different flavors depending on the metal. I'm sure
> they
> have aluminum-or at least they did the last time I noticed this several
> years ago.
> 
> On a silicone note: I once (in my misspent youth) coated a
> plastic-tape-covered coax connection on the bottom of a 5-BTV. Within 2
> weeks it was a dead short for which nothing less than a complete scouring
of
> the antenna base (screw) connections would remove the short. Ergo, it
> should
> not be used within a city block of anything remotely
electrical/electronic.
> Go to your friendly auto supply store and find the electronic-grade
Penetrox
> sealant. Works like a million $$$ for just a few, and is utterly
> non-corrosive.
> 
> 
> Ed Tanton  N4XY
> 
> website: http://www.n4xy.com
> 
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