PL-259 Weather Proofing?

[Elbert]

Well I'm on a mission to swap antennas and for the present, to avoid re-wiring in the truck I'm going to use a PL-259 male to PL-259 male adapter to mate the existing antenna coax with the new NMO mount. The antenna sits on 90degree bracket off my gas can swing out (from my bumper). So temporarily I'm running a NMO mount on the above mentioned bracket then a Larsen antenna. The coax feeding the radio is from my old diamond UHF mount... long story...simple short term solution to mate coax and antenna is the above mentioned adapter. (all of this is external to the body of the truck and exposed to the weather).

To be clear the configuration is a breedlove NMO heavy duty antenna mount that locks on the 90 degree fixture, the antenna mates to the mount, then the coax obviously connects to the NMO mount...there's where the adapter comes into play.

Any reason to look at ideas on weather-proofing the PL-259 double male adapter? I've read where people use liquid electrical tape, various forms of electrical tape and other solutions. This mount is fairly high and if it gets submerged I've got other problems...so is it necessary or worthwhile to pursue weather-proofing in some manner for this adapter? if so what are recommended options?

This sits on the rear bumper gas can swing out on my FJ60.

http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-008483#results

http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000567

https://breedlovemounts.com/NMO_Drop_in_Mount.php

 

[terrx]

coax-seal works well:
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-002285

 

[1911]

coax-seal works well:
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-002285

+1, I use it on all my permanently-installed coax connections for three different HF and VHF antennas at home and it has not failed or leaked yet.

 

[george_tlc]

Anything special about it versus generic self-vulcanising tape from any hardware store?

cheers,
george.

 

[ntsqd]

There is a 3M self-vulcanizing electrical tape that I'd use and do use. At the power-plant where I used to work we used to wrap up bolted joints that we wanted to be able to take apart because it worked better than Anti-Seize in that marine environ (Plant was behind dunes about 200 feet from high tide line). Have to cut it off, will not unwrap.

Just looked out in the garage, my roll of the 3M tape is labeled "130C". I'd think Grainger and Mcmaster would both stock it.

 

[terrx]

I'll have to try out the tape. BTW, I see there's "coaxwrap" - looks similar to the other self fusing tapes:
http://www.coaxwrap.com/index.html

 

[kb4mdz]

Allow me to give you some pointers on sealing connectors that will be outside. Done properly, this doesn't leak and is easy to remove.

Prep: Take your co-ax seal, or whatever your using, and if you're doing this ouside try to have it warmed up; set it on the dash of the car, in the sun,

1) Wrap a layer of good electrical tape around the connection, starting at least a tape's width, preferably two widths, from the actual connector. Stretch mildly as you wrap the first couple turns.

2) Wrap in a spiral, overlapping 1/2 a tape width on each wrap, pulling firmly & smoothly. No wrinkles, folds, or such. End the same distance away on the other end.


Bonus: 2a) before you start your spiral wrap along the length of the connector, flip the roll of electrical tape a half-turn so that you're unwinding it sticky side out; if you have to open the wrap anytime later this inner layer will not be sticking to the connector. Yay!

At the end of that first wrap, unroll a little more, about 2 revolutions, tape but don't stretch it. Cut it & lay it down, smoothly.

3) Now get your (hopefully nice & warm) monkey-poop, cut it to size and start stretching & wrapping it over your first layer. Start a little farther out than your first wrap of tape, wrap the goop around, pulling it into place & shape. End it a little past where you ended the first wrap. Again, smoothness, lack of wrinkles, nice smooth overlaps are what you're aiming for. It shouldn't have to be laid on thickly, just evenly.

4) Start your last wrap of tape as the first, (except sticky side in this time), a little past the goop-wrap, wrapping spirally, overlapping 1/2 width, stretching smoothly. Again, at the end, don't pull the last couple turns tight; just pull off a little extra tape & smooth it down evenly.

When you're done, it should look like a snake swallowed a rat. Again, smooth, no wrinkles, no steps.

Last, this depends on the direction you're taping. If the cable is running vertically, do your wraps from the bottom up, so that each wrap is over the one below it, and the whole thing acts like shingles, shedding water & not letting it in between the layers. If the cable runs horizontal, and you have any idea that excess water would be traveling along the coax, apply the same rule.


Really good tower & radio techs will even start at the top, wrap down, then reverse direction & wrap upwards on the outhermost layer.

Now, in the grand scheme of things, you can probably get by with just two, or three spiral wraps of tape, as long as you do a nice smooth job, overlapping well, etc. & the joint is not in a direct weather area. But what I gave you is the basic good procedure that good two-way & tower people have been doing for decades. Please not the emphasis on 'good' techs. Jacklegs & shadetrees need not apply to do my connectors.

Hope that helps.