Wrapping antenna connectors

[VETCOMMS]

Just curious how others wrap their antenna coax connectors.   I was going to use the 2228 moisture sealing electrical tape installed with sticky side up (is that called a courtesy wrap?).  Start it below the coax connector for the antenna,  continue above the connector and then turn it sticky side down and come back down the coax and end the tape below the antenna connector.

Second layer would be the Scotch 700 vinyl electrical tape applied over the moisture sealing 2228 tape starting below antenna connector and proceeding the same way as what I did with the first layer. 

How do others wrap/ waterproof/weatherproof their antenna connectors?

[WRYZ926]

Most will use self fusing rubber tape and then a good quality electrical tape over top of that for UV protection. Scotch Super 33 is about the best electrical tape to use overtop of the self fusing rubber tape.

Here is the self fusion tape that I use. Proxicast Pro-Grade Extra Strong 30mil Weatherproof Self-Fusing Silicone Rubber Sealing Tape 

[Guest]

Water proof shrink wrap is all I’ve ever used.  Goes on easy comes off easy 

[WRYZ926]

Standard heat shrink tubing will not be very waterproof in a location that gets a lot of rain year round. The marine grade heat shrink tubing will work but it will be messy when trying to remove it since it has heat activated glue inside to ensure it is waterproof.

The self fusing rubber tape wrapped with good electrical tape for UV protection works the best. That combo has been used for a long time for sealing coax connections for amateur radio, CB and TV.

[VETCOMMS]

Thx guys.   I think my Scotch 2228 tape will work good but need to double check that Scotch 700 as I'm not sure it's UV resistant. 

[WRYZ926]

While 3M Scotch Super 33+ is more expensive, it does hold up to UV exposure. 

[VETCOMMS]

OK I'll try again for UV resistant tape.   Thx

[Guest]

In the old days... 1600 Watt 900 MHz pager stuff with 2" hardline coax and connectors bigger than beer cans, we did it this way:

Connectors were actually tightened with a torque wrench. First layer is Scotch electrical tape to allow removal of the following should antenna replacement be required.

Second layer is self galvanizing rubber tape applied to cover the electrical tape plus 2 or more inches below the tape on the coax and completely up onto the lower body of the antenna.

Third layer is an entire roll, sometimes two of Scotch electrical tape. Pull it tight. Cover everything.

Final layer, something called "Scotch Guard". This stuff smells like a cross between pine tar and creosote. It never actually hardens but you still need a box knife to cut through it after is "cures". DO NOT get this on anything you want to keep. Removing it from your fingers with a box knife not recommended.

While paging has gone the way of the Dodo bird I occasionally spot one of our old antennas on a tower we held a rental contract for and after more than 20 years and through inspection with a spotting scope, those connections still look good. The reason a lot of antennas are still up there is, it's to expensive to remove them and sometimes they are being reused by other services.

Those guys who did that tower work were amazing. They would be up the tower for almost two hours, including a 45 minute climb and a 30 minute descent, covered in wasp stings when they got down and still smiling and joking around.

[SteveShannon]

14 hours ago, VETCOMMS said:

I was going to use the 2228 moisture sealing electrical tape installed with sticky side up (is that called a courtesy wrap?).

Doesn’t that defeat the moisture seal?

[VETCOMMS]

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Doesn’t that defeat the moisture seal?

My understanding is that first layer is sticky side out which makes it easier to remove if/ when that time comes.   The rubber tape would still be there along with another layer placed sticky side down, followed by UV resistant outdoor rated electrical tape to keep water out. 

It's something I saw years ago by a tower guy out west,  Guerrillacomm is what we went by.   Just continuing to learn from those more experienced than I.

 

[WRUU653]

I like scotch 103c self fusing rubber tape, a layer of scotchkote (I believe this is what @WRKW566 is talking about) and scotch +33.
If you plan to remove it someday then a layer of glass cloth tape or even some cheep electrical tape would be helpful first because you will have to cut through  the rest to get it off. Rubber gloves are a must when handling the scotchkote, it will stick to your skin. It’s not easy to remove. This is absolutely waterproof. That said there may be a better less permanent solution but I haven’t tried one. 

[VETCOMMS]

OK thanks.   Now to switch gears and little.   Some people think with such a short run that my hardline is overkill.  Some people think LMR400 isn't good enough.   What are your opinions on coax that is thinner and easier to work with for a gmrs repeater antenna that's only 30 feet up.

[OffRoaderX]

1 minute ago, VETCOMMS said:

Some people think LMR400 isn't good enough.   What are your opinions on coax that is thinner and easier to work with for a gmrs repeater antenna that's only 30 feet up.

"Some people" love to spend other people's money and "some people" are incapable of understanding the difference between some guy putting up a hobby radio antenna and a professional-radio station antenna.

LMR400 will work just fine - it is not perfect, but the perfection-per-dollar ratio is plenty high enough for regular people.

[WRYZ926]

48 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

LMR400 will work just fine - it is not perfect, but the perfection-per-dollar ratio is plenty high enough for regular people.

I have to agree. Especially if you keep your runs 100 feet or less. And most people will not have a coax run over 100 feet.

 

56 minutes ago, VETCOMMS said:

Some people think LMR400 isn't good enough.   What are your opinions on coax that is thinner and easier to work with for a gmrs repeater antenna that's only 30 feet up.

I would just stick with LMR400 or equivalent. I did the calculations for LMR400 at 467.600 with an antenna with 6 dBd of gain at 50 watts. You are only looking at a power loss of 18% over 30 feet. But you make that up and more with a 6 dBd gain antenna. which gives you an ERP (effective radiated power) of 164 watts.

I like using  https://kv5r.com/ham-radio/coax-loss-calculator/  to figure out cable loss.

Let's say you have another 20 feet of coax to get from the radio to where the coax comes into the house. You are still getting an ERP of 144 watts.

[VETCOMMS]

For sale 80 feet of Andrews Heliax LDF5 7/8" hardline.   

Thanks for the calculator and all the help.   Much appreciated.   

[WRYZ926]

You're welcome. 

I will suggest to everyone that they bookmark that coax loss calculator. It is quite handy.

[WRWE456]

1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

I will suggest to everyone that they bookmark that coax loss calculator.

Thanks! Bookmarked.

[WRUU653]

5 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

You're welcome. 

I will suggest to everyone that they bookmark that coax loss calculator. It is quite handy.

First thing I did when I saw it. Thanks for posting

[VETCOMMS]

Question for those with Laird FG series antennas.   It says not to block the drain holes on the bottom of the antenna near the connection. How do you wrap the coax/antenna connection when it's so close to the antenna?  Just wrap right up to the base of the antenna?  Originally I was going to wrap with waterproof tape up into the bottom of the antenna but that would block the drain holes. 

What do others do?

[gortex2]

All the laird antenna's I use are wrapped to the base. Dont go around the antenna. 

[Guest]

The old stuff we used did not have drain holes and the things seemed to be full of desiccant as when we did have broken antennas, high wind, lightning etc. they would be full of the stuff. Also, these old antennas were more than two inches in diameter at the base. If you had to preserve the drain hole, you could install a tube that extends it down but like another here said, just don't wrap the bottom of the antenna, just wrap the connector as far up as you can. they also used a rubber and steel clamp to fix the coax a foot or so below the antenna on the tower to keep stuff aligned.