Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this connection
outdoors?

On Mar 13, 7:31*pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

news:845c441c-0e47-4482-97bb-
...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will
it
damage the thread? *thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

I much prefer clear silicone grease like GC 10-8101. I've opened up
outdoor 'F' connectors after 15 years and still looking like new. The
antenna got mangled by the roofers but the connections were fine.

GG

On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach and
leave your windows open all the time.

Mike

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach
and leave your windows open all the time.

Mike


Oh to clarify I meant silicone grease.. Not RTV silicone sealant

In message , Michael
Kennedy writes

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach
and leave your windows open all the time.

Mike


Oh to clarify I meant silicone grease.. Not RTV silicone sealant


WD40's OK too.
--
Ian

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , Michael Kennedy
writes

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a
problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach
and leave your windows open all the time.

Mike


Oh to clarify I meant silicone grease.. Not RTV silicone sealant


WD40's OK too.
--
Ian


For what? It'll wash off whatever is on there to begin with, but it won't
leave anything useful behind.

On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:10:24 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , Michael
Kennedy writes

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach
and leave your windows open all the time.

Mike


Oh to clarify I meant silicone grease.. Not RTV silicone sealant


WD40's OK too.

OK for what? For short term water displacement yes, for anything more
than a week or so, WD-40 is totally useless, it is 100% aromatic, and
will vaporize leaving nothing.

In message , PeterD
writes
On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:10:24 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , Michael
Kennedy writes

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach
and leave your windows open all the time.

Mike


Oh to clarify I meant silicone grease.. Not RTV silicone sealant


WD40's OK too.

OK for what? For short term water displacement yes, for anything more
than a week or so, WD-40 is totally useless, it is 100% aromatic, and
will vaporize leaving nothing.

It won't vaporize completely. There'll be a long-lasting film left
behind - especially if the connectors are indoors. However, Vaseline and
silicon grease will be just fine.
--
Ian

On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:05:19 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , PeterD
writes
On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:10:24 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , Michael
Kennedy writes

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
On Mar 13, 10:31 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

It won't damage anything, but it might be kinda messy. Is this
connection
outdoors?

no its a indoor connection, but I have lots of them.


If it is a perminanent connection I don't see where it will be a problem.
Like someone else said silicone might be better, but I can't see why
vaseline won't work. Usually indoor connections don't suffer from the
corrison problems that outdoor ones do, unless say you live on the beach
and leave your windows open all the time.

Mike


Oh to clarify I meant silicone grease.. Not RTV silicone sealant


WD40's OK too.

OK for what? For short term water displacement yes, for anything more
than a week or so, WD-40 is totally useless, it is 100% aromatic, and
will vaporize leaving nothing.

It won't vaporize completely. There'll be a long-lasting film left
behind -

WD-40 *WILL* vaporize completely. That is part of the WD-40 design
specification! WD-40 is not, was not, never was, isn't, won't be a
lubricant for long term use. It has slight value as a short term
(hours or perhaps days) for lubrication or protection, but no value
for either for any period of time exceeding a day or two, let alone a
week.

especially if the connectors are indoors. However, Vaseline and
silicon grease will be just fine.

Silicon dielectric grease will work very well, Vaseline may work,
however vaseline contains compounds that may nto be suitable for
contact with other than one's private parts... IOW, it may not be good
for electrial work.

That said, we use it for a mold release agent... Works well for that!

ireland-informatiom thewearingofthegreen

Fu,,K YOU, BITCH!
cuhulin

PeterD wrote:

WD-40 *WILL* vaporize completely. That is part of the WD-40 design
specification! WD-40 is not, was not, never was, isn't, won't be a
lubricant for long term use. It has slight value as a short term
(hours or perhaps days) for lubrication or protection, but no value
for either for any period of time exceeding a day or two, let alone a
week.


Tell that to gun collectors who made the mistake of using WD-40, and
having to remove the crap that built up. WD-40 is a petroleum
distillate, and does not completely evaporate. It was developed to
displace water in electrical systems, and leave a coating to help seal
the surface.


--
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lbbss wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread?

It won't damage metal at all, but I've seen PVC insulation turn to the
consistency of hard cheese when exposed to petroleum products. Use
silicone grease instead, or just wrap the connection with black
electrical tape.

Old Radio tb (tv) commercial I remember from wayyyyy back in the
1950s,,,,,,,
Vaseline Petroleum Jellyyyy,,,, Your First Aid Kit in a Jarrrr!!!!

Hey, Paul Gallo, www.supertalkms.com last year he said on his Radio
talk show to put Vicks VapoRub on the bottom of your feet.I might try
that out someday.
cuhulin

So basically it does not sound like vaseline will don any harm to the
thread. That's all I needed thanks.

"lbbss" wrote in message
...

So basically it does not sound like Vaseline will do
any harm to the thread. That's all I needed. Thanks.

I didn't respond to this because I wasn't sure what the OP wanted to know.

I assumed he meant whether it was okay to grease the threads, but everyone
else seemed to interpret the question as to whether it was okay to cover the
outside of the connector with Vaseline -- which seems harmless.

If you were greasing up the threads to keep them from binding -- would the
goo have any effect on the electrical behavior of the connectors?

In message , William
Sommerwerck writes
"lbbss" wrote in message
...

So basically it does not sound like Vaseline will do
any harm to the thread. That's all I needed. Thanks.

I didn't respond to this because I wasn't sure what the OP wanted to know.

I assumed he meant whether it was okay to grease the threads, but everyone
else seemed to interpret the question as to whether it was okay to cover the
outside of the connector with Vaseline -- which seems harmless.

If you were greasing up the threads to keep them from binding -- would the
goo have any effect on the electrical behavior of the connectors?


Unless someone, for a joke, has put iron filings in his favourite pot of
Vaseline, probably not a lot!
--
Ian

UK, dont put any Ben Gay on a certain part of your body.

Vaseline is a petroleum product.
cuhulin, in America

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:38:31 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

If you must make a mess, use silicon grease.

You didn't bother to mention what you're trying to accomplish. If all
you want to do is prevent the connector threads from corroding
together, then any kind of anti-seize, silicon grease, Vaseline, 90 wt
axle grease, lithium grease, white grease, ad nauseam, will work. If
you're anticipating corrosion problems in the connector threads, then
you have a waterproofing problem that should be solved with a
different solution.

If you want to waterproof a connector, filling it with silicon grease
is basically a lousy idea. The water it's trying to keep out has
already entered the connector before it hits the silicon grease. A
small void (caused by cable flexing) and you've got water in the
connector that's not going to easily drain out.

Everyone seems to have their favorite method of waterproofing coax
connectors. Mine is to wrap the connector with 1" wide Teflon tape.
It's a bit difficult to find but most plumbing supply houses have it.
Embalm the connector with the Teflon tape. Then mummify it with
ordinary electrical tape (outdoor variety). All the tape does is hold
the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote in
:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:38:31 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

If you must make a mess, use silicon grease.
.....
Everyone seems to have their favorite method of waterproofing coax
connectors. Mine is to wrap the connector with 1" wide Teflon tape.
It's a bit difficult to find but most plumbing supply houses have it.
Embalm the connector with the Teflon tape. Then mummify it with
ordinary electrical tape (outdoor variety). All the tape does is hold
the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.

Great ideas. One other suggestion, I found some black, rubber-like, tape
that bonds to itself.
It comes on a roll with a layer of blue plastic separating the black tape
from itself.

As I said, it bonds to itself. There is no adhesive on the tape. It
stretches to conform to surfaces and seems to form a weatherproof seal.
Not sure what it is called, but it might be a good substitute for the
electrical tape you mentioned.

Once it has been put on, it is almost like it has been heat-shrunk in
place.







--
bz 73 de N5BZ k

please pardon my infinite ignorance, the set-of-things-I-do-not-know is an
infinite set.

remove ch100-5 to avoid spam trap

"bz" wrote in message
98.139...

Once it has been put on, it is almost like it has been heat-shrunk
in place.

Did anyone recommend heat-shrink tubing?

In message 39, bz
writes
Jeff Liebermann wrote in
:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:38:31 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

If you must make a mess, use silicon grease.
....
Everyone seems to have their favorite method of waterproofing coax
connectors. Mine is to wrap the connector with 1" wide Teflon tape.
It's a bit difficult to find but most plumbing supply houses have it.
Embalm the connector with the Teflon tape. Then mummify it with
ordinary electrical tape (outdoor variety). All the tape does is hold
the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.

Great ideas. One other suggestion, I found some black, rubber-like, tape
that bonds to itself.
It comes on a roll with a layer of blue plastic separating the black tape
from itself.

As I said, it bonds to itself. There is no adhesive on the tape. It
stretches to conform to surfaces and seems to form a weatherproof seal.
Not sure what it is called, but it might be a good substitute for the
electrical tape you mentioned.

Once it has been put on, it is almost like it has been heat-shrunk in
place.


What you are describing is self-amalgamating rubber tape. That is
exactly what I sometimes use for outdoor for splices.

First, spray the connectors with WD40, shake off the surplus, and screw
the cables together. If necessary, give another spray.

Now, wipe off the surplus WD40, but not too enthusiastically, so that
some still remains on the connectors. Then, with a bit more enthusiasm,
completely clean the WD40 off the cable, starting at about an inch out
from either side of the connectors, and working away from the
connectors.

Now clean your hands so that they are free of WD40.

Wrap the splice with self-amalgamating tape. Start at one side of the
splice, where the cable is free of WD40, and work progressively across
the splice to the other side where the cable is again free of WD40. Keep
the tape moderately and uniformly stretched as you progress with the
wrapping, and make sure that each turn around the cable adequately
overlaps the preceding turn. [Note that the tape will not stick to the
cable (even where it is free of WD40). It will only stick - and soon
fuse - to itself.]

I can guarantee that a splice made in this way will last for decades. If
eventually the tape is cut off, the connectors will look like the day
you made the splice.
--
Ian

"msg" wrote in message
...
bz wrote:

snip

Great ideas. One other suggestion, I found some black, rubber-like, tape that
bonds to itself.
It comes on a roll with a layer of blue plastic separating the black tape
from itself.


snip

Isn't this 'friction tape'?

Michael

Not friction tape; it's called Self-Vulcanizing tape. The rubber that the tape
is made of vulcanizes to itself when it is wound over itself with a bit of
stretching. Totally waterproof when used properly. The blue (or whatever color
the mfr happens to use) is to keep the tape from self-vulcanizing into a solid
mass on the spool.
If you want to waterproof a connector, you need to be sure that the tape totally
covers the connector and the cables. Sometimes that is a bit difficult when the
connectors have irregular surfaces. If that happens, use a bit of silicone
adhesive to help shape the surface to be covered.

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

"In theory, there isn't any difference between theory and practice. In
practice, there is." - Yogi Berra

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:38:31 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

If you must make a mess, use silicon grease.

You didn't bother to mention what you're trying to accomplish. If all
you want to do is prevent the connector threads from corroding
together, then any kind of anti-seize, silicon grease, Vaseline, 90 wt
axle grease, lithium grease, white grease, ad nauseam, will work. If
you're anticipating corrosion problems in the connector threads, then
you have a waterproofing problem that should be solved with a
different solution.

If you want to waterproof a connector, filling it with silicon grease
is basically a lousy idea. The water it's trying to keep out has
already entered the connector before it hits the silicon grease. A
small void (caused by cable flexing) and you've got water in the
connector that's not going to easily drain out.


'Gelled' underground coax is filled with silicon, and no matter what
you do, it will weep from the joint and stain carpets, floors and
walls. Vaseline will do the same thing, but if he OP wants greasy
stains that are highly flammable, that's his choice. Who knows? The
arson inspector may even miss it after a fire.


Everyone seems to have their favorite method of waterproofing coax
connectors. Mine is to wrap the connector with 1" wide Teflon tape.
It's a bit difficult to find but most plumbing supply houses have it.
Embalm the connector with the Teflon tape. Then mummify it with
ordinary electrical tape (outdoor variety). All the tape does is hold
the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.


--
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msg wrote:

Isn't this 'friction tape'?


No, 'friction tape' is black tape made from heavy cloth, and a tar
like adhesive. It was used to cover joints on the old 'Knob & Tube'
wiring almost 100 years ago.



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bz wrote:

snip

Great ideas. One other suggestion, I found some black, rubber-like, tape
that bonds to itself.
It comes on a roll with a layer of blue plastic separating the black tape
from itself.


snip

Isn't this 'friction tape'?

Michael

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:18:23 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

'Gelled' underground coax is filled with silicon,

I call it "slime". Ma Bell uses it for all their outdoor splices.
Once transferred to the hands, it gets onto everything and is
difficult to remove. I think they used the same formula in the Steve
McQueen movie "The Blob". The only difference is that the blob was
black. Otherwise, they act the same.

Even more insidious is gel filled CAT5. It just keeps oozing and
oozing out. I usually terminate gel filled CAT5 to a patch panel or
intermediate RJ45 splice (to a CAT5 patch cable). If I plugged the
gel smeared connector directly into the network hardware, I would have
slimy gel all over everything.

and no matter what
you do, it will weep from the joint and stain carpets, floors and
walls.

Yep. However, my guess(tm) is that the OP was planning to do this
outdoors, where corrosion and water incursion are common problems. It
usually doesn't rain indoors and there are few homes with corrosive
atmospheres. I think he's safe forgetting about the lube job if used
indoors.

Vaseline will do the same thing, but if he OP wants greasy
stains that are highly flammable, that's his choice. Who knows? The
arson inspector may even miss it after a fire.

Been there. No Vaseline required to torch a tower:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/drivel/slides/monopoleBurn.html
http://odessaoffice.com/wireless/priceless.jpg
Hint: Don't try to enlarge the hole in the antenna mast with a
cutting torch. Coax cable and CAT5 are highly flammable.



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:46:24 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:38:31 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

If you must make a mess, use silicon grease.

You didn't bother to mention what you're trying to accomplish. If all
you want to do is prevent the connector threads from corroding
together, then any kind of anti-seize, silicon grease, Vaseline, 90 wt
axle grease, lithium grease, white grease, ad nauseam, will work. If
you're anticipating corrosion problems in the connector threads, then
you have a waterproofing problem that should be solved with a
different solution.

Won't some of these things interfere with the electrical conductivity
of the connection? It is the ground after all. It's got lots of area
to make contact on, so it probably won't have any practical effect,
but should we be messing up any electrical conductivity.

If you want to waterproof a connector, filling it with silicon grease
is basically a lousy idea. The water it's trying to keep out has
already entered the connector before it hits the silicon grease. A
small void (caused by cable flexing) and you've got water in the
connector that's not going to easily drain out.

Everyone seems to have their favorite method of waterproofing coax
connectors. Mine is to wrap the connector with 1" wide Teflon tape.
It's a bit difficult to find but most plumbing supply houses have it.
Embalm the connector with the Teflon tape. Then mummify it with
ordinary electrical tape (outdoor variety). All the tape does is hold

Have you tried silicon tape, also known as shrink tape. It's much
thicker and is at least 4 dollars a roll, and and has a thin backing
that has to be pulled off, but after that, you stretch it to twice its
length or more than wrap it around and it pulls back, and sticks
really well to itself and other things.

After a while, a few days maybe, not sure, it turns in to one blob,
mummifying and waterproofing in one step.

The rolls I've seen look a lot like electical tape but have a white
plastic tube that it is wrapped on, not the paper tube that plastic
electrical tape has.

I think I have only seen this mail order.

the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.

That wouldn't be true of this stuff. Probably need a knife, blade up,
to slit the whole thing to get back inside.

But it's great stuff. Better than heat shrink tubing, much heavier,
and also able to be applied from the outside, wrapped around, when
there is no way to slide on from the end.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:12:58 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message 39, bz
writes
Jeff Liebermann wrote in
m:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:38:31 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

Is it a good idea to put Vaseline on a coax connection, or will it
damage the thread? thanks.

If you must make a mess, use silicon grease.
....
Everyone seems to have their favorite method of waterproofing coax
connectors. Mine is to wrap the connector with 1" wide Teflon tape.
It's a bit difficult to find but most plumbing supply houses have it.
Embalm the connector with the Teflon tape. Then mummify it with
ordinary electrical tape (outdoor variety). All the tape does is hold
the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.

Great ideas. One other suggestion, I found some black, rubber-like, tape
that bonds to itself.
It comes on a roll with a layer of blue plastic separating the black tape
from itself.

As I said, it bonds to itself. There is no adhesive on the tape. It
stretches to conform to surfaces and seems to form a weatherproof seal.
Not sure what it is called, but it might be a good substitute for the
electrical tape you mentioned.

Once it has been put on, it is almost like it has been heat-shrunk in
place.


What you are describing is self-amalgamating rubber tape. That is
exactly what I sometimes use for outdoor for splices.

That's what my other post, below, is referring to.

Where do you buy the stuff.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:21:33 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


msg wrote:

Isn't this 'friction tape'?


No, 'friction tape' is black tape made from heavy cloth, and a tar
like adhesive. It was used to cover joints on the old 'Knob & Tube'
wiring almost 100 years ago.

Right. It was also used to wrap splices, but as much as I like old
stuff, it does dry out, especially when you start with a roll that is
30 years old or more. I still have a roll.

Friction tape is what baseball bats were wrapped with, at least
after-market, so one could maintain a good grip on the bat. Friction.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:27:01 -0400, mm
wrote:

Won't some of these things interfere with the electrical conductivity
of the connection?

No. There is so much surface area involved that there's certain to be
a connection. Even if the grease were a perfect insulator and
conformally coats the threads, the capacitance between the threads
would be sufficient to conduct all but the lowest frequency RF signal.

It is the ground after all.

Sure. It's the RF ground. It has to pass signal at whatever RF
frequency the radio is operating. You could put a capacitor in series
with the ground lead, and it would still work.

Well, if you have a precipitation static or wind generated static
problem, you need some way to bleed off the accumulated charge, so you
will need a DC connection to ground. For such situations, there's
usually a large (1Meg) resistor across antenna connection to bleed off
the charge. Most radios have this built in.

It's got lots of area
to make contact on, so it probably won't have any practical effect,
but should we be messing up any electrical conductivity.

If it has no effect (practical or otherwise) it should work.

Incidentally, I recently setup a big battery backup system. An
argument ensued over whether to grease the lead battery posts and
hardware to prevent corrosion, or to leave them clean to maximize
conductivity. We eventually determined that compressing the
connection squeezes all of the grease out of the connection, resulting
in exactly the same connectivity with or without the grease.

Have you tried silicon tape, also known as shrink tape.

Sure. There are two types. One is a sticky on the inside type used
by the electrical industry. Incidentally, it's "cold shrink" and does
not require heat to shrink the tubing:
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MElectrical/Home/Solutions/Do-It-Yourself/AutoMarineRV/ColdShrink/
I've used the stuff and it works. However, there are several
problems. The seal is the sticky goo on the inside. It makes a mess
and does not come off cleanly. You also have to get it right the
first time, or you get to start over. The thick sleeving does NOT
conform well to lumpy connectors or drastic changes in diameter. It's
very stiff and does not bend at all. Not recommended.

There's also conventional shrink tube, with no sticky goo on the
inside. This doesn't work very well. Without the goo, capillary
action sucks water up the interface between the coax jacket and the
shrink tubing. Not recommended.

It's much
thicker and is at least 4 dollars a roll, and and has a thin backing
that has to be pulled off, but after that, you stretch it to twice its
length or more than wrap it around and it pulls back, and sticks
really well to itself and other things.

I've used several versions of that stuff. One is like tar on a roll.
Wrap the connector with the stuff and it all sorta melts together. One
flavor forms a sticky mess that it totally waterproof, but impossible
to remove. Another variation allegedly just sticks to itself, and not
the connector. This has the capillary action problem, where water
creeps up the interface boundary.

After a while, a few days maybe, not sure, it turns in to one blob,
mummifying and waterproofing in one step.

If you want an irreparable blob, that's probably a good way to do it.
I prefer something that can be easily disassembled, doesn't suck in
water, can be flexed without opening a channel for water, and is
cheap.

The rolls I've seen look a lot like electical tape but have a white
plastic tube that it is wrapped on, not the paper tube that plastic
electrical tape has.

I think I have only seen this mail order.

Most electrical supply houses carry the stuff from various vendors.
It's "self-vulcanizing tape". About $1/ft. For example:
http://www.atomictape.com/atomic_tape_fact_sheet.htm
The silicon version is sold in automotive shops as a "muffler
bandage".

the Teflon tape in place. The Teflon will cold flow into the
connector making a very water proof seal. When it comes time to
inspect or replace the connector, the Teflon tape comes off very
easily, and the connector looks like new.

That wouldn't be true of this stuff. Probably need a knife, blade up,
to slit the whole thing to get back inside.

But it's great stuff. Better than heat shrink tubing, much heavier,
and also able to be applied from the outside, wrapped around, when
there is no way to slide on from the end.

I'll confess to NOT having tried everything available. When I came up
with the 1" Teflon tape trick, I stopped looking as I had found what I
consider to be a universal solution. The biggest problem is using
inferior electrical tape to hold the mess together, or accidentally
using non-UV proof tape. The outside electrical tape doesn't do much,
but it has to be properly overlapped as it won't stick to the Teflon.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

In article ,
mm wrote:

Have you tried silicon tape, also known as shrink tape. It's much
thicker and is at least 4 dollars a roll, and and has a thin backing
that has to be pulled off, but after that, you stretch it to twice its
length or more than wrap it around and it pulls back, and sticks
really well to itself and other things.

After a while, a few days maybe, not sure, it turns in to one blob,
mummifying and waterproofing in one step.

The rolls I've seen look a lot like electical tape but have a white
plastic tube that it is wrapped on, not the paper tube that plastic
electrical tape has.

I think I have only seen this mail order.

I've seen and bought "self-amalgamating rubber tape" (same principle,
maybe the same stuff) at my local Home Depot. I agree, it's very
useful stuff.

The one caveat I've read is that some types of this self-amalgamating
rubber aren't all that resistant to the UV in sunlight, and can break
down with time if used in direct sunlight. The solution to this is
easy, fortunately - first wrap-and-seal the connection with self-
amalgamating tape, and then over-wrap with ordinary black plastic
electrical tape to shield the inner layer from sunlight.

Another alternative is to use Coax Seal putty on the connector, and
then overwrap with black plastic tape. Although removable, this stuff
is rather messy to remove if you use it right on the connector (it
gets into the threads, and tends to stain things).

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Dave Platt wrote:

snip

The one caveat I've read is that some types of this self-amalgamating
rubber aren't all that resistant to the UV in sunlight, and can break
down with time if used in direct sunlight. The solution to this is
easy, fortunately - first wrap-and-seal the connection with self-
amalgamating tape, and then over-wrap with ordinary black plastic
electrical tape to shield the inner layer from sunlight.

I use a complete conformal coating of roofing cement (black flashing
cement with glass fiber mix) over the tape; it hardens but remains
flexible and is completely waterproof if done well.

Michael

Michael A. Terrell in central Florida,,,, I own a half acre of land in
Interlachen,Florida, Putnam County, Florida.What do you make of that,
you little boy/girl/Minnie Pearl, you little easy boy! I have my DD 214
too,,, you little Sissy Girl!
Mississippi cuhulin

Michael A. Terrell in central Florida is a PUSSY.That BITCH will never
get ahold of any of my auld computers!
cuhulin

wrote:
Michael A. Terrell in central Florida is a PUSSY.That BITCH will never
get ahold of any of my auld computers!
cuhulin

I'm sort of wondering if this is the 'real' cuhulin--annoying as he
is--or 'the' imposter. If it's truly him, I wish he would be gone...if
not, well they can both go. Neither has ever contributed anything
material to this or any other forum that I have noticed.

jak

I wanted to use Vaseline, not for water proofing, but for making sure
I have a good connection.

On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:46:20 -0700 (PDT), lbbss
wrote:

I wanted to use Vaseline, not for water proofing, but for making sure
I have a good connection.

The *ONLY* reason you might consider greasing the connector is for
waterproofing. You'll have a good connection with or without the
lube. There's nothing better than metal to metal. However, if you're
using dissimilar metals on the connector, you may have a problem that
Vaseline isn't going to solve. I suggest you read some of the replies
to your question. There's considerable good info and advice in there.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:18:54 -0700, (Dave Platt)
wrote:


I think I have only seen this mail order.

I've seen and bought "self-amalgamating rubber tape" (same principle,
maybe the same stuff) at my local Home Depot. I agree, it's very
useful stuff.

I forgot about Home Depot, but when I was looking for it, they had it
mail order** but never in the stores. And so it was twice the price
because of shipping. And I'd have to plan a lot further in advance.

Was hoping to find it in a store. I went to a big electrical supply
house too. Maybe they had it, but none of the words I used to describe
it worked. I'll go back with some new words.

**I used the web and they used the mail.

Lowes iirc allowed someone to ship to a store for free (which makes
sense if they have their computer set up to put it on the same truck
that is going to a store (It would still cost them something to do
this, but not much) ,

Iirc HD charged whether shipping to one's home or a store.


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