By putting a small layer of tape on the connection first, then the Butyl, and the a more substantial layer of tape, it is much easier to inspect the connection should this be required later down the road. Butyl on coax or wire connections is a real bear to remove beause it sticks to everything and adheres to everything as it is supposed to.
Herb, KV4FZ On 8/4/2012 7:11 PM, Bill Wichers wrote: > Weller's butane soldering iron works really well. It's not a particularly > cheap unit but it should last you a long time (the butane is refillable). > > For weatherproofing, I use butyl rubber splicing "tape" (it doesn't have > adhesive). Stretch it about 30-50 percent while applying it as a spiral over > the exposed solder area and it will stick to itself and make a good seal. You > then need to cover it with a layer of electrical tape to keep it in place > over time. Splices made this way can last a long time. I suspect you could > use coax-seal in place of the butyl tape although it will be messier to work > with. > > I got some of the new(ish) silicone splicing tape at dayton this year to try > for outdoor splices. It seems somewhat similar to the butyl tape in terms of > how it needs to be applied, but the manufacturer claims it is a one-step deal > (no outer layer of electrical tape needed). I haven't tried it yet myself but > it might be worth a look if you want to give it a shot. > > -Bill > > [Sent using Blackberry Messaging] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: topband-boun...@contesting.com <topband-boun...@contesting.com> > To: topband <topband@contesting.com> > Sent: Sat Aug 04 13:22:42 2012 > Subject: Topband: Soldering in the wild! > > After suffering through our infamous "derecho" here in Virginia, I find > that I've got a* lot* of repair work to do on my beverages. Most of the > breaks are in 450 ohm window line, located in remote areas and will require > soldering. My "non-AC electric" soldering equipment seems to have been > lost in the last move and I need to outfit myself with a "wireless" > soldering device! I would be interested in what you use and if you are > satisfied with the results. Thanks. > > 73, > _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK