RE: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion
I expect shortly the inner will become softer and tacky white , the impedance will lump and the cable becomes an attenuator . cut it back and add a bit if you must but if the braid is tarnished you will have a continence of problems and quickly until you replace it with new or nearly so . Once replaced wrap the joint with a suitable sealing material / tape which can be found anywhere a cabler or telecomms persons buys stock ( and has been discussed at length) t do otherwise wll be frought with eventual failure , good luck with making a good repair . To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com From: wb2...@roadrunner.com Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 09:24:26 -0400 Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion John - I'll add to my previous response. The fact that the braid had discolored and tarnished is an indication that the integrity of the coax has been compromised. Water has migrated into it along with other contaminants. The result is that the coax is likely to exhibit reduced performance due to changes in it's electrical characteristics. While you may still "get by," I'd suggest that you start planning on replacing the entire run at some point. I have no idea how critical the installation is, so that will dictate the urgency of your ultimate resolution. Maybe it's not that important and you can sustain a total failure at any given time. But if it does deteriorate further and become unusable, it will likely happen at the worst possible moment. At least that's my opinion. Chuck WB2EDV - Original Message - From: "John" To: Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 9:08 AM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion > Thanks to those that responded. I was able to cut the cable back a > little way and use steel wool to clean the braid enough to take solder > > Thanks, > > John > > n3dab wrote: > _ Need a place to rent, buy or share? Let us find your next place for you! http://clk.atdmt.com/NMN/go/157631292/direct/01/
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion
John - I'll add to my previous response. The fact that the braid had discolored and tarnished is an indication that the integrity of the coax has been compromised. Water has migrated into it along with other contaminants. The result is that the coax is likely to exhibit reduced performance due to changes in it's electrical characteristics. While you may still "get by," I'd suggest that you start planning on replacing the entire run at some point. I have no idea how critical the installation is, so that will dictate the urgency of your ultimate resolution. Maybe it's not that important and you can sustain a total failure at any given time. But if it does deteriorate further and become unusable, it will likely happen at the worst possible moment. At least that's my opinion. Chuck WB2EDV - Original Message - From: "John" To: Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 9:08 AM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion > Thanks to those that responded. I was able to cut the cable back a > little way and use steel wool to clean the braid enough to take solder > > Thanks, > > John > > n3dab wrote: >
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion
Thanks to those that responded. I was able to cut the cable back a little way and use steel wool to clean the braid enough to take solder Thanks, John n3dab wrote: >Since you have to diconnect it at the antenna end (the almost unreachable >place ) and it is not for a repeater, why not just cut it back to where it is >convenient to work on it (preferably indoors and weather protected) and >provide a new piece of cable as a jumper to the antenna. If you cut the old >cable back far enough from the exposed end you should be able to get to clean >braid and center conductor, and insert ing a barrel connector wont degrade >your signal enough to worry about. > >Doug N3DAB >
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion
I would agree. The cable must have wicked water. If you don't get back to shiny braid, you'll likely have a very lossy chunk of coax. Chuck WB2EDV - Original Message - From: "n3dab" To: Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 4:50 PM Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Cleaning coax corrosion > Since you have to diconnect it at the antenna end (the almost unreachable > place ) and it is not for a repeater, why not just cut it back to where it > is convenient to work on it (preferably indoors and weather protected) and > provide a new piece of cable as a jumper to the antenna. If you cut the > old cable back far enough from the exposed end you should be able to get > to clean braid and center conductor, and insert ing a barrel connector > wont degrade your signal enough to worry about. > > Doug N3DAB > > --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, John wrote: >> >> >> Hi, >> >> I need to replace a PL-259 on the end of a piece of RG-8U at the antenna >> end. The coax shielding is severely corroded, I can cut back aways and >> still reach but I need to clean the shielding so I can solder on a new >> connector. Any suggestion to do this. >> This is on the roof of a building and the coax is routed around the >> rampart to the antenna mount and almost impossible to replace. >> Before the "cable cops" jump on me it's not for repeater service. >> >> Thanks, >> >> John >> >> -- >> John Mc Hugh, K4AG >> Coordinator for Amateur Radio >> National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC >> Home page:- http://www.wx4nhc.org >>
