Anti Seize For Antennas

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Permatex makes a silicone dielectric grease. I use this on all outdoor connections. It is clear and doesent stain. Antenna as well as automotive connections. Battery terminals, battery cable connections, trailer light wiring, bulb sockets. Any electrical connection will benefit. I like to squirt it into the crimp connections and but splices where the wire goes. It's also good for lubricating O rings and keeping rubber weather stripping like new. Works on threaded fasteners too. I really like it if you can't tell. LOL

 

[Tallman]

Permatex makes a silicone dielectric grease. I use this on all outdoor connections. It is clear and doesent stain. Antenna as well as automotive connections. Battery terminals, battery cable connections, trailer light wiring, bulb sockets. Any electrical connection will benefit. I like to squirt it into the crimp connections and but splices where the wire goes. It's also good for lubricating O rings and keeping rubber weather stripping like new. Works on threaded fasteners too. I really like it if you can't tell. LOL

Hmmmm, own stock in permatex I think. Yoda

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

These are the two that I use on ALL joints and connections. I prefer the Jet-Lube. It is Pure Copper. I have unwrapped joints after years of being in the weather, and after cleaning the Jet Lube off, the joints are still as pristine as the day I wrapped them with silicone coax wrap.

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/jtl-12555

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-p8a

I just checked out the website and read about the SS-30. Here is a very compelling review:

I used this stuff on my M2 6M5 an work's great.

DX Engineering Verified Purchase

JTL-12555
I used this stuff on my tarhel, Zerofive 43ft an my M2 6M5. Works great for me an reduce static on my receiver. The vswr seems much better than before. Glad i bought a can.
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This has me thinking, can it possibly be this good? Maybe on antenna connections where the elements slip together, this helps give more surface area to the connection? The metal bits help fill in the gaps?
Now I have to try it.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

The funny thing is that copper and aluminum together is a BIG problem with corrosion yet those anti-seize pastes that contain copper flakes are actually recommended for use with aluminum. DX Engineering recommends it for their aluminum tubing and we use it at work between aluminum and stainless steel.

 

[Onelasttime]

Dielectric Grease is silicone based. It has washout performance and no real load carrying but where those are not needed it is great.

 

[Tallman]

When I worked out in the oil field there were electronic tools that put in the well bore and they were hung on a 9/16 th thick armored cable.Inside that cable were numerous electrical wires that connected to the electronics inside. That connector we loaded with a Dow-Corning Dielectric grease that was impossible to wash off of your hands. I know it would work for weather proofing the PL-259's.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

When I worked out in the oil field there were electronic tools that put in the well bore and they were hung on a 9/16 th thick armored cable.Inside that cable were numerous electrical wires that connected to the electronics inside. That connector we loaded with a Dow-Corning Dielectric grease that was impossible to wash off of your hands. I know it would work for weather proofing the PL-259's.

YES I know that stuff. You need a grease cutting agent to wash up with and even after that your hands are slippery. Don't really want to be swinging a hammer after using that stuff. LOL

 

[Tallman]

YES I know that stuff. You need a grease cutting agent to wash up with and even after that your hands are slippery. Don't really want to be swinging a hammer after using that stuff. LOL

And you do not want to eat a sandwich, rub your eyes, or take a leak until that junk wears off.

 

[Ranch55]

What I can say is that I have had very good experience using the two products that I previously mentioned.
On the coax connectors and other connections, I do not glob or coat the Jet Lube copper on very thick. I put a fine film on the female center lead, and a fine film on the male threads. This will help keep any corrosion from the weather setting in. I then use coax wrap around all coax connectors to seal 'em up good with a final wrap of Super 88 tape.
I coat all the aluminum tubing joints liberally, internal and external before slipping them together and clamping.
Wipe off any excess.
I then use coax wrap and seal the joint, clamp and all. Then I wrap the coax wrap with Super 88 tape to protect the coax wrap from the sun.
I have looked at joints after several years and after cleaning off the copper Jet Lube, they are as clean as the day I wrapped them.
Works great for me and my antennas.

 

[Tallman]

I have looked at joints after several years and after cleaning off the copper Jet Lube, they are as clean as the day I wrapped them.
Works great for me and my antennas.

The stuff the Captain and I were talking about is the professional grade material.(expensive) The connector we packed with never failed in spite of being 10 to 16 thousand feet under ground with extreme pressure and temperatures in excess of 280 degrees Fahrenheit and the Dow-Corning material never ever washed out or failed. Once that stuff got on you it had to wear off, any chemical strong enough to remove it would also remove your hide as well.

 

[binrat]

Tall, I had a tube of that stuff, lasted for years. Definitely a rubber glove type of stuff.

 

[Tallman]

You got that right about the rubber gloves. A lot of the rig workers would run for the hills if they saw those gloves and a two pound tube of forever lube.

 

[Ranch55]

The stuff the Captain and I were talking about is the professional grade material.(expensive) The connector we packed with never failed in spite of being 10 to 16 thousand feet under ground with extreme pressure and temperatures in excess of 280 degrees Fahrenheit and the Dow-Corning material never ever washed out or failed. Once that stuff got on you it had to wear off, any chemical strong enough to remove it would also remove your hide as well.

Yes sir, I do understand as I am from the petrochemical/refinery industry. The product you are referring to would be a bit of an overkill for our amateur antenna applications.
But I am just trying to help the gentleman who started this thread and give him my recommendation based on my experience and what has worked very well.
As such, there are other similar products available that would work equally as well in our applications as radio amateurs.
Thank you for your valued input.

 

[Tallman]

The product you are referring to would be a bit of an overkill for our amateur antenna applications.
But I am just trying to help the gentleman who started this thread and give him my recommendation based on my experience and what has worked very well.
As such, there are other similar products available that would work equally as well in our applications as radio amateurs.
Thank you for your valued input.

Hey no problem here. I sometimes worry that people might use something listed in a post and fry their radio. The Permatex copper inside of a SO-239 going across center conductor to shield could be damaging, especially if additional power is being used.
Permatex does make a milky white grease that is plenty good and has Teflon in it. No conductive metallic particles and is almost as good as the Dow-Corning material.
I was not knocking anybodies post or information put out.

 

[Groundhog KSS-2012]

If I don't use a lock washer, I use blue locktite on mine.