Waterproofing connectors

[mikewazowski]

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.

If you’ve got enough room, you can sometimes backwrap onto a screwdriver or pencil and use that to unwrap it in the tight spot.

 

[PACNWDude]

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

Yes, they left the metal port covers open to the environment. In Everett, WA it will have water in it in a few weeks/months. (Ensuring they get called to repair the unit at some point.)

 

[mmckenna]

Yes, they left the metal port covers open to the environment. In Everett, WA it will have water in it in a few weeks/months. (Ensuring they get called to repair the unit at some point.)

This was an old AT&T/Pacific Bell trick.
Near the ocean, leave the cabinet doors open at the end of the day (Preferably Thursday). At night, the fog would roll in, water would condense, phone lines would get awful sounding, customers would complain. Next morning, said tech would have to go back out to investigate, find moisture, spend several hours by the beach on Friday 'drying the equipment out'. Repeat as necessary.

 

[merlin]

Back in my tower jockey days, I used the Method much like Project25_MASTR. Only difference is packing the connectors with Dow Corning # 4 compound. This will last decades and like new unwrapped.
I do the same today but hold the electrical tape and cover with 'Flex-Seal' .
Did plenty of waveguide flanges, a good coating of # 4 on the rubber seals and wrapped.
No dry rotting and waveguide held pressure a year between inspections.
No messy stickum goo and the # 4 just wipes off.
( Perfect for waterproofing ignition systems too.)

 

[mmckenna]

Back in my tower jockey days, I used the Method much like Project25_MASTR. Only difference is packing the connectors with Dow Corning # 4 compound.

Interesting, haven't seen that before. So like a thicker form of dielectric grease?

You put it inside the connector and used it on waveguide flanges?

 

[merlin]

Yes, they left the metal port covers open to the environment. In Everett, WA it will have water in it in a few weeks/months. (Ensuring they get called to repair the unit at some point.)

Just very shoddy work is my notion, I used to hate calls for rework.

 

[merlin]

Interesting, haven't seen that before. So like a thicker form of dielectric grease?

You put it inside the connector and used it on waveguide flanges?

Yea, it is a silicone grease dilectric and water displacement. I first discovered it packed in the radio module for radiosond. Dupont sells it under trade name Mollycote 4. I get it from aircraft spruce and specialty.
Great for battery terminals and such. I used to find 8 Oz tubes for a few dollars, now like 5 Oz and $15.
I never packed the waveguide itself, but a little has no effect art all.
Your car ever stall going through deep puddles ? this will prevent that,,great stuff in my book.

 

[prcguy]

Not sure I would use that inside an RF connector since its only got test data to 100KHz. There is another dielectric grease which you can put inside a connector to displace moisture and its use through a couple of GHz. Its called "Stuff" and is very common in the satellite industry to treat connectors. I have some in a tool box somewhere but haven't used it in awhile. STUF DIELECTRIC WATERPOOFING FILLER INFORMATION PAGE

Yea, it is a silicone grease dilectric and water displacement. I first discovered it packed in the radio module for radiosond. Dupont sells it under trade name Mollycote 4. I get it from aircraft spruce and specialty.
Great for battery terminals and such. I used to find 8 Oz tubes for a few dollars, now like 5 Oz and $15.
I never packed the waveguide itself, but a little has no effect art all.
Your car ever stall going through deep puddles ? this will prevent that,,great stuff in my book.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

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.

Simple answer...it's what Commscope began shipping me four or five years ago for weatherproofing (1.5" wide self fusing silicone though, not the 1" wide blue I used here). The other reason, my former employer was very forgetful on making sure weatherproofing, grounding supplies and mounts were ordered so sometimes what was used was whatever I could get from Home Depot.

On more of a personal preference though...butyl tape tends to stick more to my hands than what I'm trying to weather proof in triple degree weather so I tend to not use it during the summer. It also doesn't stick to itself nearly as well in the winter (especially in areas of high humidity) so I tend to not use it in the winter either unless I have to.

 

[mikewazowski]

Pretty much the same stuff we use here. Scotch 130C followed up by Scotch 33.

 

[PACNWDude]

Not sure I would use that inside an RF connector since its only got test data to 100KHz. There is another dielectric grease which you can put inside a connector to displace moisture and its use through a couple of GHz. Its called "Stuff" and is very common in the satellite industry to treat connectors. I have some in a tool box somewhere but haven't used it in awhile. STUF DIELECTRIC WATERPOOFING FILLER INFORMATION PAGE

Stuf, very good for coaxial connectors. I bought tubes of this from Fry's Electronics as they were shutting down my local store.

 

[Golay]

I'm sure there are many ways to waterproof right. Here's what I do:
1. First a layer of 3M 88 electrical tape. Cover all metal of course.
2. Then a layer of 3M 2242 rubber tape. Cover all the 88 and extend some. Stretch the 2242 until it turns gray as I'm wrapping.
3. Then another layer of 88. Cover all the 2242 and extend some.

 

[consys]

Start w/ plain'ol electrical tape on the cable . THEN- twist it 180 and wrap the connectors with the sticky side out. Twist again and cover the sticky. Cover with your choice of filler rubber, scotch cote ect. Easy & clean to get apart later.

 

[CanesFan95]

Dip it in a cement bucket. Let dry.

 

[ramal121]

Dip it in a cement bucket. Let dry.

Don't forget to cover the cement with Scotchkote after it sets!