The AM Forum

Last weekend at the Livermore, Ca. swap there was a fellow with some new hard line connectors. Along with the connectors he had boxes of coax seal and I mention what a mess that would make if you had to remove it. He reached in his truck and said "this is the stuff you really need". He show me a small roll of Rescue Tape, which is a self-fusing silicone repair product. I had never heard of this product and after he show me how to use it, I was sold. He bought his at Ace hardware but I couldn't find it at our local store. The piece he wrapped around my finger stayed pliable and after a few minutes I couldn't separate the turns because they were fused together. The company who makes this stuff has a website with instructions for using it. Looks like it may be good for more than just antenna work. You can find them here: http://www.rescuetape.com/home

I haven't use any yet but I bought a roll from Amazon.

Bob
wb6kwt 

Sounds like good stuff.  I wonder how waterproof it really is.  Several years ago I spliced a piece of coax and buried it.  I wrapped the splice with coax seal, then coated the coax seal with roofing tar, covered the tar with cloth and added a second coat of roofing tar.  A bout a year later I replaced the spliced piece.  I cut into the old piece to see how well the splice held up.  It was full of water.

I'm pretty sure that's nothing more than Scotch 70 tape.

73,
Darrell, WA5VGO

Darrell said:

The stuff we use to make electrical splices. It works dandy and keeps the moisture out of PL-259~SO-239 connectors.

I first got onto this stuff when I found a dozen new rolls of it in an original box for $1 at Maryland State Surplus.  It was black with a dark green stripe down the middle, and the thickness was tapered so that the thickest part was along the stripe. This helped you space each turn of the wrap while keeping some stretch on it which helps it fuse.

(http://www.arlon-std.com/pages/images/tape2.jpg)

I think the meelatary originally developed it as a clean, removable, water and dust sealant. The mil spec instructions said the stuff was NOT ultraviolet resistant however, so when used outdoors you were supposed to wrap the finished job in electrical tape to protect it against the sun.

I've had antenna connections out in the yard wrapped 10 years in the stuff, and by slicing the wrap with a razor blade, you can peel it away and get to the connections like the day you made the union.

http://www.arlon-std.com/pages/fusetape.html
 

I wrap my connectors with teflon plumbers tape,then with scotch 33 plastic....Lee

The coax seal stuff works great. But you should wrap the connector with electrical tape first. Then apply the coax seal. The place a layer of cold shrink over the coax seal. I've never had this setup leak, even when I buried one on the ground for two years.

Uline (http//www.uline.com) carries the silicone self-fusing tape in 1" and 2" widths and several colors.  I use it on all outdoor connections/connectors, and have never had any issues with it.

It's part of the triumvirate of universal repair items:  Duct tape, hot glue, and this stuff :-)

Grant/NQ5T

That sound like great tape. Gonna get some. I think between the tape and the liquid tape it could make a great waterproof seal.

I have been using Liquid Tape for over five years .

No problems with UV, cracking or removal. I put it  on antenna connections that I have soldered to keep the oxide off. If your working with copper clad and you bare the steal, flow some solder over the scrape and put some of this stuff on and your good to go. Works great on sealing coax where chipmunks or squirrels chomp into it.
I used it to splice some underground direct burial wire here at the cabin and so far, it works.