[time-nuts] Connectors

[Robert Atkinson]

Hi Rick,
According to 3M the self amalgamating tape (130) is not UV resistant. They recommend covering it with 33+ to keep the light off.  Not sure about the ScotchKote. The self amalgamating tape forms an air and watertight seal. It has no sulpher so no silver tarnishing. The trick with the 33+ cover layer is to minimse the amount of streach. This stops it unravelling. It's just there to block the UV. In particular, cut the end of the tape, don't pull it or tear it to separate the tape. Here in the UK a common alternative for connector protection was "Denso" tape, a fabric mesh tape filled with a petroleum mastic. http://www.denso.net/densotape/  It was developed for protecting idustrial pipework. Very effective but messy.
Going back to 3M tapes, I've used 130 and a 3M high temperature fibreglass tape to do a roadside repair to a burst car radiator top hose. Used a patch of 130 (not streached or wrapped) over the hole, double wrap of fibreglass to keep that in place. Overlap wrap of 130, more fibreglass, final layer of 130. Lasted for a week of 160 miles a day of highway driving until the new hose arrived. I was working on a custom machine for 3M in early September 2001 (my return was delayed due to the flight ban) and had access to the staff  discount store, I came back with a lifetime supply of tape :-)

Robert G8RPI.




________________________________
 From: Richard (Rick) Karlquist <richard at karlquist.com>
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement <time-nuts at febo.com> 
Sent: Saturday, 13 April 2013, 19:56
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Connectors
 


OK, so we seem to have:

1)  Scotch 130 rubber tape
2)  Scotch 33 electrical tape
3)  Scotchkote

in that order.

So the rubber tape waterproofs
the connection and the scotch kote
protects it from UV, so what does
the electrical tape do?

Or maybe, the electrical tape does
the waterproofing and the rubber tape
just keeps goo off the connector.  But
of course, that can be done with the well
known technique of winding the connector
with electrical tape adhesive side out.

Do we know that the rubber tape is not UV
proof?

Or none of the above.

Can someone in the know clarify this?

Thanks,

Rick
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