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I’m doing some work on my nav station this winter and decided to replace the feed line that goes to my antenna. I did some research and found that most folks use high-voltage neon sign cable. I hate to spend money on stuff that I don’t need and I don’t feel like running around looking for neon sign wire, so I asked a few of my ham buddies for suggestions. The best one so far is that I should use RG58 coax wire. Peal back the shield and seal it on the ends. Just use the center conductor to connect to the backstay. The cable is rated for about 2kv. This works for me since I have some extra coax and it is easy to come by.
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Rich Carter
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Rodd: see? I’m not a complete doofus. (thank you, Rich)
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Rich,
When you say, “Peel back the shield and seal it on the ends,” how exactly do you “seal” that peeled-back shielding?
Tor
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Silver Heels, P-424 #17
http://www.SilverHeels.us
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For the past 5 years I've used vinyl-coated SS lifeline wire. It's probably not the most efficient conductor possible, but I don't get the corrosion I had in the past connecting copper wire to my SS backstay. Seems to work well.
On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 7:58 PM, Silver Heels < ([email][/email])> wrote:
Quote:Rich,When you say, “Peel back the shield and seal it on the ends,” how exactly do you “seal” that peeled-back shielding?
Tor
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Silver Heels, P-424 #17
http://www.SilverHeels.us
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Tor
When it comes to sealing connectors, there are probably as many opinions on the subject as there are opinions on anchoring. This is what works for me.You want to seal the connection using a method that keeps the water out, resists sunlight, preserves good connection, and allows easy disassembly. Electrical tape by itself won’t do this because it won’t do any of the above. The most difficult connection to seal is probably an SO-238 -> PL-259 connection. This is the kind of thing that you make at the top of your mast where you connect your VHF radio antenna. The connectors are bulky and they are very sensitive to contamination or corrosion. If you wrap it with electrical tape, adhesive from the tape will find its way into the connector and sunlight will degrade the tape over a few short years. If it stays intact, it will probably keep water out of the connector, but there is no guarantee. I’m sure we’ve all pulled old electrical tape off stuff and found the tape to be brittle on the outside and the adhesive to be soft and runny on the inside. Assuming that you expect to disassemble the thing some day, the best way to
seal
a connector is to wrap it in silicon tape. This is the kind of tape that sticks to itself and not to anything else. Radio Shack used to sell the stuff, but I don’t honestly know if they still do. There is also a brand of rigging tape out there that has the same properties. This stuff forms a continuous seal around the connector and has no adhesive to leak. It isn’t particularly good at holding up to sunlight and I don’t trust the ends to keep water out, so I then wrap the whole thing in electrical tape. The vinyl tape keeps sunlight off the silicone tape and does a good job of keeping water from getting inside. The finished product is easy to remove since there is very little adhesive in contact with the connector and wire and it holds up to sunlight. Slice it with a knife and it will peal right off. I’ve never had a connector wrapped this way fail.If you are sure that you’ll never disassemble the thing, you can use silicone adhesive instead of tape. This provides a waterproof bond. When wrapped with tape, it will last for years. This is what I recommend doing with the ends of the backstay feed line shield.
Rich
BlackSheep—
Rich Carter
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Thanks, Rich. I thought there might be some specific way to deal with the peeled-back coax cable sheathing. I’ve been finishing outdoor electrical connections in general this way: First a little Ox-Gard anti-oxidation compound on the wire before putting on the end fitting. Then, if I don’t expect to take the connection apart anytime soon, one or two coats of Liquid Tape over the connectors and adjacent wire surfaces. I’m pretty sure that’s entirely waterproof. Once the Liquid Tape is entirely dry, I double-wrap everything with a 3M product I call self-amalgamating tape. You have to peel off a protective backing from one side. The tape is stretchy, meant to be pulled and elongated as you wrap, and it adheres to itself and the wire & connector surfaces, but it isn’t sticky. I guess it acts like (and maybe is) the silicone tape you describe, forming a nearly solid sheathing over the connection area. I carry the wrap well out onto the wire and can’t imagine water getting in at the ends. Still, there’s the sun. I’m going to start covering what I’ve been doing with a final skin of vinyl electrical tape, as you suggested. Guess I need to go back and do it on connections I’ve already assembled on deck and aloft.
FYI, I buy the black self-amalgamating tape in palm-size rolls for a few bucks each at Home Depot. At my local store it’s hidden on a rack in a far back corner of the electrical section. Ace Hardware probably sells it, too. I know they carry Ox-Gard.
Tor
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Silver Heels, P-424 #17
http://www.SilverHeels.us
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Tor
After I sent the detailed directions on how I wrap connections, I realized that I missed a step. I usually wrap the silicon tape with coax seal before the final layer of electrical tape. This is probably a belt-and-suspenders solution, but I don’t want to be climbing my radio tower or mast to repair a corroded connection. Coax seal is a gummy tape that does a great job of sealing anything. You don’t want the stuff directly on a connector however because its like chewing gum. You’ll never get it off.The tape you describe is the same stuff I use. I’ll have to check with Home Depot to see if they sell the stuff cheaper than Radio Shack.
Home Depot also sells a spray-on electrical tape. I forget what its called. I use this stuff on anything that doesn’t lend itself to being wrapped with tape.
Ox-Guard is intended for use with aluminum wire or fittings and isn’t recommended for use on normal connections. It is required on the outside of connections that use aluminum wire such as the service that comes into your power meter from the street. You put a dab on after you’ve connected the wires to keep the aluminum wire from corroding. I use the stuff on aluminum antennas such as the HF beam I have on the top of my radio tower.
If you feel obliged to put something on your radio connections, put a dab of silicon grease on the threads of your PL-259 connectors. Don’t put anything on the center pin.
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Rich Carter
BlackSheep
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