Cleaning Coax Seal off of Coax Connectors?

[W1AEX]

I came across a few right angle adapters and barrel connectors that have coax seal (the stuff that's like clay) coating them. After scraping the major globs off, is there a solvent that breaks that stuff down that can be used to clean them up?

Thanks,

Rob

[KA0HCP]

Mineral Spirits (Stoddard Solvent). 

[W1AEX]

Mineral spirits and a stiff toothbrush worked like a champ. Thanks for the tip!

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Not a cleaning tip, but a prevention tip. Wrap the connector with electrical tape and then apply the coax seal. No sticky crap on your connector. I sually put cold shink over the coax seal, just to really tighten it down and to keep dirt and other crud from getting into it.

[ke7trp]

I have this problem right now..  Weird. I was sitting here trying to get that seal off the threads of the connector on some of my hardline. The AZ sun melted that stuff into a liquid and it found its way into the threads.  Good tip Steve.

C

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

That stuff can be a PIA to get off. Until I got clued in to the tape idea, I put the coax seals directly on the connectors. I hate to think of the time I wasted trying to get the crap off to reuse the connectors.   

[KM1H]

A lot of the pro type commercial products come with the seal on the inside and tape is on the outside, its a one piece wrap and its hell to get apart especially up on the tower.

[W1AEX]

Not a cleaning tip, but a prevention tip. Wrap the connector with electrical tape and then apply the coax seal.

Yup, that makes good sense Steve and should clean up fine when the inevitable day comes to do that. Thanks for the common sense!

Carl - When I put new feedlines on the tower, someone handed me a couple feet of that sticky crap and told me how wonderful it was. Fortunately, several people warned me about what a mess it makes, so I dodged that bullet. I have no clue how you could clean that off without destroying the connector on whatever antenna feedpoint you applied it to.

Meanwhile, these "clay-covered" right angle connectors and barrel connectors that were being dumped by a ham across town turned out to be old but really nice Amphenol connectors. After using mineral spirits to finish the cleaning process they shined up nicely and look brand new!

Rob