Waterproof COAX Cable the Way The Techs Do It! 

Hayden I consider your work 99% better than most channels. This video was brilliant right up to promoting a brand of cable that sponsors you. Its unethical for any operator with financial interest in any product review to first, just dont abuse the trust youve worked hard to earn.. and last, clearly reveal financial interest so recommendations are ethical. M&P is specified as great stuff but is not 99% more effective than other brands. Thats just hyperbolic baloney. Its most certainly better than rg58 cheaply aquired via Amazon for Amateur radio work. And its absolutely the most important gear in VHF and higher. But please be honest to the community and bring the whole spectrum of good names and type of cable. I buy government surplus thats certainly higher rating than Hyperflex 13. LMR 600 or even 400 from Times Microwave or Andrews is far above Hyperflex 10. As you rated lmr 240 alongside HF 10 is not really an option with VHF and higher. Im really not even comfortable using 240 when surplus lmr 400 can be aquired from a number of surplus government vendors. Low loss, high quality cable is the single most important aspect of an effective station. Losing 2db in less than 100 feet is not acceptable. Connectors are critical too. I was at a ham fest yesterday and left with a dozen Amphenol connectors from. you guessed it, SURPLUS GOVERNMENT AUCTION. $3 each for minty fresh coupling and new lmr 400 type N connectors that both clamp and get center pin soldered. Your a great YTer and I consider you a friend and just ask you to put the community before corporate sponsors.

@@radioteststhis video was not sponsored by M&P in anyway. I provide disclosures when such videos are. Thank you

Self Sealing Silicone Tape. Lowe's has it in the plumbing department and I've been using it on my coax. Retired USAF :)

33+ Scott tape is the best. Also used Scott 88+ as well.

Great tips! Scotch Super 33+ is the business, $$$ but as you say buy once cry once.

That’s where I learned it from

Which oxide inhibitor do you use, Muds?

DeoxiT. Expensive but you only need to use a drop.

Awesome! Hope to hear you on the air soon 🎙️👍

It's amazing too when you tie a cable to a tower leg how it moves over time and rubs away the tape!

Great tip!

Yep, I've always used adhesive lined heatshrink on any outdoor connections, you just need to be careful not to overheat the connections under the heatshrink.

Thanks Dave!

Yes glue lined heatshrink is good too 👍

👌 perfect 👍

Not necessary if you get the good stuff. I cover radio sites all over my country and even ones 15+ years old with self sealing rubber tape are still holding up today.

Wow that must be cold there, because Tasmania is cold as too, that is where Haydon lives.

What about denzo over the top of the self amalgamating tape?

You lap the overlap with laps

on the threads? doesnt that affect the contact for the coax screen to the mating half?

​@ILoveMyBikes it does indeed. It creates an insulated capacitance that's detrimental to conductivity. Only copper based products or common automotive dialectric grease is suitable. DX Engineering has great sealant.

You can buy panels that insert next to the window if you have horizontal sliding windows, that acts as your pass through and is removable.

You mean when the cable is disconnected? I've done similar to you, using amalgamating tape around the cable / bag, then put a small hole in the bag so that if it's not totally waterproof, the water will drain out. (I like to use the M&P style connectors that are supposedly waterproof themselves anyway) I'd love to hear any better ideas.

Lol it's always embarrassing talking about 11m stuff on the reflector.

Low loss vs flexibility. LMR240 and 400 have lower loss, but are rigid centre conductors

Dunno what charts you're looking at but the ones I'm seeing, its closer to half the loss of "regular" coax. And I'm not interested in LL400 or whatever because it's solid core and copper plated steel at that .

@@oldfartonabmx2122 " Regular Coax " ? 🤔.....? Perhaps you need to really study, instead of memorizing the answers ! With your comment, you have made a huge leap, mixing Apples & Oranges ! Very dependent on what you wish to accomplish ! And believe it or not, a solid conductor is really what you want ! Just because it doesn't fit your plan, doesn't mean it's wrong ! Try not to paint with such a large brush ! You may end up covered in paint ! But thanks anyway ! 👍😉

@@sleeve8651 size for size champ. you're welcome.

Self-vulcanizing tape in general :) I have heard they are quite UV sensitive, so normal electrical tape on top of self-vulcanizing one.

In my experience glue lined heatshrink tends to crack along the glue line when exposed to stress, vibration or extremes of temperature. Once it is cracked then water ingress will follow.

@VK3ZPF "glue line" The stuff I'm familiar with doesn't have a glue line that I'm aware of, also, when I've cut it off (very difficult to do) it seems to be homogeneous and flexible. Have you had long term experience with this method and then subsequently cut it off afterwards? I feel a Project Farm long term test is in order! ; )

@mjktrash "glue lined" is the same as "adhesive lined". Once heated the adhesive goes hard and is no longer flexible. This is what leads to cracking. Some antenna manufacturers use glue lined heatshrink on the coax connector and then advise to tape over the heatshrink in the same method as taping connectors.

@@VK3ZPF Ah, lined vs line. I thought you were saying there existed an axial line in the glue that let water in. As far as hardening, I haven't seen that, but I don't doubt it. Different exposures and/or manufacturers. UV exposure eats almost anything given enough time

I’ve found the same thing. Plus it’s harder to get off later