I am putting the final touches on the Cactus Super J-Pole Antenna I'm making and now need to weatherproof the coax connection. What is the best way of doing this? I have seen people use electrical tape and some use heat shrink tubing. What is really the best way to weatherproof the connection?
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How to weatherproof a coax connection?
- Thread starter Peter Walker
- Start date
The "best" way is subjective. The way I did it was to first aluminox where the male and female connection meets then after hand tightening the PL-259 I used two different tapes. Scotch super 88 was one and Scotch 33 was the other. The difference in the tapes is one's thicker and when stretched will morph color from black to gray. I used the super 88 first getting a good wrap around the connector. I covered that wrap with the 33 stretching it so the color morphed and getting a good tight wrap around the 88. I then put a final covering of the 88 on and I have a completely waterproof connection that for the last 5 years has shown to also be impervious to sunlight.
3's
3's
You can also use Coax Seal:
Coax Seal Sealant WeatherProof RG 6 RG6 Coaxial | eBay
Personally, I just use some electrical tape and then black, hi-temp RTV Silicone from the auto parts store over the top of the tape. That way if you have to remove it, you can just peel away the tape to remove the whole mess.
Coax Seal Sealant WeatherProof RG 6 RG6 Coaxial | eBay
Personally, I just use some electrical tape and then black, hi-temp RTV Silicone from the auto parts store over the top of the tape. That way if you have to remove it, you can just peel away the tape to remove the whole mess.
If it is a connection for long term use not to be fooled with (hopefully) for years, I first coat the connector center pin with Noalox anti-oxidant compound then "paint" it with liquid electrical tape available at Lowe's or Home Depot now.
I then "back wrap" it(sticky side out) with 2 layers of 88, then wrap it with several layers of 130C liner-less rubber splicing tape (secret to using this tape is to stretch it as you wrap it) and cover that with 2 layers of 88.
Final step is one more coat of liquid electrical taper for a weather-tight seal.
This has worked with very little failure for 30 years.
For a connector that might require more frequent service, i eliminate the inner coating of liquid electrical tape.
The reason you "Back-wrap" the first layer of 88 is so you can slice the whole knot with your knife and roll it all off to expose a clean connector.
Everyone has their favorite method, this is mine.
References:
Liquid Electrical Tape-http://www.starbrite.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=1076&ProductCat=RV&ProductSCat=Liquid%20Electric%20Tape&ProductSSCat=
88 electrical tape-http://www.shop3m.com/80610833842.html?WT.mc_ev=clickthrough&WT.mc_id=shop3m-AtoZ-Scotch-Super-Vinyl-Electrical-Tape-88
130C linerless splicing tape-http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Health/Safety/Products/Related/?PC_7_RJH9U52300A9E023IJD0GR3O74_nid=QXZ2MX2KS6be651JNCZ61Cgl
I then "back wrap" it(sticky side out) with 2 layers of 88, then wrap it with several layers of 130C liner-less rubber splicing tape (secret to using this tape is to stretch it as you wrap it) and cover that with 2 layers of 88.
Final step is one more coat of liquid electrical taper for a weather-tight seal.
This has worked with very little failure for 30 years.
For a connector that might require more frequent service, i eliminate the inner coating of liquid electrical tape.
The reason you "Back-wrap" the first layer of 88 is so you can slice the whole knot with your knife and roll it all off to expose a clean connector.
Everyone has their favorite method, this is mine.
References:
Liquid Electrical Tape-http://www.starbrite.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=1076&ProductCat=RV&ProductSCat=Liquid%20Electric%20Tape&ProductSSCat=
88 electrical tape-http://www.shop3m.com/80610833842.html?WT.mc_ev=clickthrough&WT.mc_id=shop3m-AtoZ-Scotch-Super-Vinyl-Electrical-Tape-88
130C linerless splicing tape-http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Health/Safety/Products/Related/?PC_7_RJH9U52300A9E023IJD0GR3O74_nid=QXZ2MX2KS6be651JNCZ61Cgl
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There is only one thing for the job, amalgamating tape, the stuff that you have to stretch to make it stick to itself. I had to google "88 tape" to find out what the other guys were talking about, but that looks like the same stuff to me. That's what we always use on commercial antenna installs, and I've never seen it fail once, over time it just seems to merge itself into what seems like a solid chunk of rubber, and the only way to remove it is to slice it off.
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
Many thanks for all the responses. I think I'm going to go with the 3M Tape suggestions as I would like a more "temporary" solution.
All the above ideas work well. I have tried them all. I started using the Scotch 88 covered with RTV silicone and had connections last 15 years or more and they remained looking like new. In later years I have been using the self amalgamating rubber tape and it too works well. Be carefull though, some of the self amalgamating rubber tapes sold in the plumbing supplies section are NOT UV resistant and after a couple years will literally crumble away. I found that out the hard way. I buy all my such tape at the electrical suppliers and it is the same stuff the power utility company uses.
Excellent point CKW. Don't buy your supplies at Big lots. :laugh:
Go with a known, proven brand like Scotch purchased at a "real" supply house.
Go with a known, proven brand like Scotch purchased at a "real" supply house.
Wrap the connector joints and the end where the coax enters the connector with Scotch #2228 Moisture Sealing Electrical Tape, then wrap that with Scotch #777 Vynal Electrical Tape, making sure you completely cover the #2228 with the #777.
I don't like electrical tape if the connector is exposed to weather.sun etc. It will eventually come loose or come off.
Use coax seal, Scotch also has similar produce but name excapes me now.
This stuff is kinda like tar/bubble gum combined. If put on and molded all around and it seals to coax it will last forever. But you will have a problem removing it from the connector later.
SO DO THIS FIRST.....wrap the connector with masking tape, sticky side OUT. Cover the connector good with some overlap on the coax itself. THEN completely cover this tape, connector with the coax seal. Be sure to overlap onto the coax insulation. Wrap it good mold it mush it etc and you are done. THEN if/when you have to remove this cover it will peel off like a peanut hull and your connector will not have this sticky stuff all over it, just like new.
Jerry / W1NRA
Use coax seal, Scotch also has similar produce but name excapes me now.
This stuff is kinda like tar/bubble gum combined. If put on and molded all around and it seals to coax it will last forever. But you will have a problem removing it from the connector later.
SO DO THIS FIRST.....wrap the connector with masking tape, sticky side OUT. Cover the connector good with some overlap on the coax itself. THEN completely cover this tape, connector with the coax seal. Be sure to overlap onto the coax insulation. Wrap it good mold it mush it etc and you are done. THEN if/when you have to remove this cover it will peel off like a peanut hull and your connector will not have this sticky stuff all over it, just like new.
Jerry / W1NRA
Best advise I can give is the last wrap of any tape should start at the bottom working toward the top to give a water shedding effect just as a shingle dose on your roof only much more water tight.
Personally I just seal the threaded portion of the pl-259 with liquid tape and then coat the mess out of the rest of it.
Personally I just seal the threaded portion of the pl-259 with liquid tape and then coat the mess out of the rest of it.
A GOOD electrical tape should last years without a problem. Don't buy the cheap stuff but use Scotch 88. Never pull the tape to break it off when finished as this stretches it and looses the stickiness and results in a "flag" at the end which will eventually peel back and cause the tape to unwind. Cut the end and wrap the last turn without any tension and the end will seal properly. I have seen Scotch 88 that was installed by professional riggers on my broadcast towers last for years and years when installed in this manner. It would be a real bitch to have to climb a few hundred feet up to fix something simply because of a bad piece of tape. :headbang
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