Waterproofing connectors

[mmckenna]

I removed an old 5 element Telewave Yagi from one of our sites today. It was installed in 1993 and hasn't been touched since. Worked fine all those years.

Just a photo to show how using the right waterproofing products will make a difference.

For the record, the installer who put this up (-cough-Motorola-cough-) didn't do the pre-wrap of tape to keep the connector clean. And they didn't do the after wrap to protect the sealing compound.
None the less, I cut off the goop and here's what the female N connector looked like on the antenna, after 28 years.

Still clean and shiny underneath:

Inside of the N connector is clean, shiny and no signs of water intrusion:

 

[PACNWDude]

Not bad for closing in on 30 years. This was done by Cambium six months ago, contracted by the big (/\/\) in Everett. I doubt it will last as long as your connector.

 

[prcguy]

If they had wrapped the first layer of tape you could have sold the old antenna as new.

I removed an old 5 element Telewave Yagi from one of our sites today. It was installed in 1993 and hasn't been touched since. Worked fine all those years.

Just a photo to show how using the right waterproofing products will make a difference.

For the record, the installer who put this up (-cough-Motorola-cough-) didn't do the pre-wrap of tape to keep the connector clean. And they didn't do the after wrap to protect the sealing compound.
None the less, I cut off the goop and here's what the female N connector looked like on the antenna, after 28 years.

Still clean and shiny underneath:

Inside of the N connector is clean, shiny and no signs of water intrusion:

 

[prcguy]

If thats a couple of monitor ports with metal caps, those need to be wrapped also.

Not bad for closing in on 30 years. This was done by Cambium six months ago, contracted by the big (/\/\) in Everett. I doubt it will last as long as your connector.
View attachment 102899

 

[cmdrwill]

Yup. and the snow and ice will trash the cables. "who the hell did that"..

 

[mancow]

If thats a couple of monitor ports with metal caps, those need to be wrapped also.

How the hell do you wrap something like that? I hate connections in tight areas like that on a flat surface.

 

[mmckenna]

If they had wrapped the first layer of tape you could have sold the old antenna as new.

Yeah, I agree.
This was from our old dispatch center. Motorola put it in along with our trunked system, centracom consoles, etc. Found a ton of issues with that stuff. Didn't make me appreciate Motorola very much. A lot of sloppy work.

 

[prcguy]

Its not fun. Sometimes you have to cut off a short length of Scotch 33+ to wrap an area so you don't have to wrestle with the whole roll of tape. Then start with some overlap onto the flat surface and work up. When the goo goes on let it overlap onto the flat surface then the top layer of tape has to really stretch to cover everything.

When the connector to be wrapped is right up against something I sometimes have to use tweezers to stretch and pull the tape through the gap then grab it on the other side. You do whatever you gotta do to seal it up.

How the hell do you wrap something like that? I hate connections in tight areas like that on a flat surface.

 

[mass-man]

Thanks to you fellows I used brand new Scotch 88 and the mastic 2228 on four BNC and 2 N connectors! Way less messy than the goop...we’ll see how they hold up!

 

[CanesFan95]

So there's a pre-wrap and an after-wrap? So is there another wrap between the two for a total of 3 wrappings?

 

[buddrousa]

1 TAPE
2 Mastic
3 Tape
4 DONE

 

[GTR8000]

If you are using quality rubber tape instead of mastic tape, the first layer of electrical tape is not necessary, as the rubber tape is easily cut away and won't leave any residue.

 

[CanesFan95]

I only did rubber tape first, then electrical tape.

 

[prcguy]

I prefer:

1 Tape
2 Mastic
3 Tape
4 Party!

1 TAPE
2 Mastic
3 Tape
4 DONE

 

[CanesFan95]

Never knew of "mastic" before.

 

[prcguy]

The key point is to not put the gooey snot layer right on the connector. This has little if anything to do with waterproofing or longevity and with the goo right on the connector then covered with tape it will probably last the same 30+ years. The reason you put down the first layer of tape is for the next guy. You don't want someone looking you up 20 years later, punching you in the face and saying thanks for the sh*tty wrap job pal.

If you are using quality rubber tape instead of mastic tape, the first layer of electrical tape is not necessary, as the rubber tape is easily cut away and won't leave any residue.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

This is how I like to do my connections where possible.

Wrap of self fusing silicone/rubber tape (Nashua Strech and Seal is what I typically get) from bottom to top

Double wrap of electrical tape (Super 33+) starting at the top, going down and coming back up with a continuous piece of tape (looking for that cross-hatched pattern in the tape).

Now of course, there are setups where this just doesn't lend well (like on grounding kits) so the butyl tape gets broken out for that and I go bottom to top with electrical tape (the courtesy wrap), bottom to top with butyl tape and then the double wrap with electrical top to bottom and back up.

 

[mmckenna]

You don't want someone looking you up 20 years later, punching you in the face and saying thanks for the sh*tty wrap job pal.

^^^ This. While I may not punch the guy, I may have some suggestions about what he could do with the antenna.

I've worked with a guy before that did:

Tape
Mastic
Tape
ScotchKote

And the vapors from the ScotchKote equals instant party. That stuff will make your head spin.

 

[prcguy]

That should last a long time, but why not do it the industry standard way? It probably costs about the same and takes about the same amount of time and maybe less. Even the industry standard way can be nitpicked, like how much overlap did you use on the tape windings, how far down the cable did you start the wrap and are the wraps oriented so the edge of the tape points upward catching water or pointing down and shedding water?

Did you wrap the tape where it tries to unscrew the connector junction or put a continuous tightening action on it? I've caught myself wrapping the wrong direction only to find the inline connectors have started to unscrew. Take it all apart, regroup and wrap the correct direction.

This is how I like to do my connections where possible.

Wrap of self fusing silicone/rubber tape (Nashua Strech and Seal is what I typically get) from bottom to top

Double wrap of electrical tape (Super 33+) starting at the top, going down and coming back up with a continuous piece of tape (looking for that cross-hatched pattern in the tape).

Now of course, there are setups where this just doesn't lend well (like on grounding kits) so the butyl tape gets broken out for that and I go bottom to top with electrical tape (the courtesy wrap), bottom to top with butyl tape and then the double wrap with electrical top to bottom and back up.

 

[W3DMV]

Your not supposed to stick your nose in the ScotchKote !
I've installed many deep water well pumps over the years where the power cable splices
are always under water and have never had one fail just using a wrap of Scotch 33 and a coating
of ScotchKote. Many of these have been under water for over 10 years, so it's really good
goo, I also use it on my antennas with excellent results, but as you say, keep your nose
out of the can or you will be headed for square eyes and a wild party.
There is nothing better than good quality workmanship. You see water proofing that is
really a work of art, and others that are better left behind.