Super 88 is slightly thicker (8.5 mils) than 33+ (7 mils).

Otherwise I believe they are they same.

I use only 88. See Posts #71 and 72.

I am looking for roofing tar for waterproofing slope tripod feet/bolts, and I found "PITCH" at Rona. Is this equivalent to roofing tar for waterproofing my tripod feet/bolts ? (I did search this thread for "pitch")

I found this on rona.ca that will be fine:All-Weather Compound with Fibre BAKOR 7267007

Thanks, found it, it is Bakor 810-47, 300ml, available in other sizes too.
Also called Bakor The Ultimate Roof Patch:

http://www.henry.com/fileadmin/pdf/current/tds/BK81047_techdata.pdf

http://www.henry.com/fileadmin/pdf/current/msds/BK81047_msds.pdf

Anyone have experience with PPC Aquaseal RG6 Compression Connectors? Are they water-tight enough for the We(s)t Coast? Would any additional taping/sealing be required around the connectors before putting the antenna on the roof?

Thanks

Comments welcome on my lag screw fix plan.

I've got 4 lag screws that didn't find a truss when I installed my slope tripod (2 legs out of 3 failed, and after checking in the attic, even after careful planning it would have ended this way). After unscrewing the lags, the plan would be to:

Get a piece of 2x4 laying on its side (5.5inches long), which will align with the trusses for depth and cover where the holes are. Then put a 2x6 flat against the nearest trusses on the sides of the holes and this piece of 2x4. Assuming the trusses and 2x4 are all at the same dept, the 2x6 will connect them together. No roofing nails are in the area when I do it this way.

The 2 screws of 1 leg are spaced at 2 inches, the other leg's 2 screws are spaced at 2 3/4 inches. At 5.5 inches long i'd have a bit of space...

What do i use to seal the connections on the antenna and preamp? Electical tape and Weatherproof boots ok or is there something better at homedepot of canadian tire?

For the bolts and wing nuts would it be okay to use loctite on them so that they do not come loose over time?

You can use "Coax-Seal" (http://www.coaxseal.com/), which is a tape that forms a solid barrier around cables and connectors. You can buy it at amateur radio stores such as Radioworld (http://radioworld.ca).

freeair I've merged your post into the thread that contains everything you will ever need to know about the topic. :)

Hello,

I am trying to convince the wife to allow me to mount an antenna (10 element yagi for VHF 13) on the roof. One of the conditions is to paint the antenna so the color blends with the surrounding instead of that default aluminium color.

Will the paint coating adversely affect reception? I was thinking of spray paint the whole antenna with a color that matches my roof

You can as long as you dont paint the terminals. The paint will lower the velocity factor of the antenna and skew the gain curve a very little bit. But in almost all cases, that wont matter. Use a flat color for less eye catching. And one thin coat of the cheap spray paint will last longer than heavy coats of the better stuff.

manteiv I've merged your question into this existing thread on painting OTA antennas and gear, so please see the earlier posts about it and make sure that any paint you want to use has zero metallic elements in it.

Hi all,

I've been playing around with an antenna rigging in my backyard, before I move it up to my roof. My current dilemma/situation is regarding rubber weather boots. My CM-488HD and my CM-7777 preamp came with weather boots. My coax cables already have connectors on them, so I was wondering how important it is to install those boots.

Someone on another post mentioned that you could leave the rubber boots in warm water, at which point they might be more flexible to fit over the RG6 connectors.

However, someone posted on another thread (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=1090449&highlight=rubber+boot#post1090449) that rubber boots aren't very good because they can allow condensation, which is what you specifically don't want.

I've read people on this thread suggesting coax seal tape instead.

So, my question is: should I try to get the weather boots onto the RG6 cable (soften them in warm water to fit them over the connectors) and then apply coax seal tape, or just use the coax seal tape? Or, should I just leave the cable as is, without sealing it (it does have one of those inner rubber rings to seal)?

timojaak, this is a good question. And while there has been some discussion on this in the past, it bears repeating.

In short, I do not recommend using the "boots". My experience has shown that they become a perfect cup that traps water against the connector. They literally fill up and trap water. They don't necessarily need to be exposed to rain to do this, as condensation will accumulate in the boot, especially at this time of year.

The only practical use of the boot is to prevent loosening of the connector. The F spigots on the Channel Master amps are very delicate; you cannot over-torque them. Finger tight only. Thus they can be susceptible to becoming loose.

However, given the aforementioned tendency to trap water, I would recommend using tape around the connector instead. Even using silicone sealant would do a decent job (and that is what I use).

Cable companies use rubber grommets that go around the spigot to prevent loosening. If you can get some of these (not sure of a source), they work very well.

Cable companies use rubber grommets that go around the spigot to prevent loosening. If you can get some of these (not sure of a source), they work very well.

I am guessing that they are for waterproofing purposes as well; Home Depot sells them in packs of 5; Ideal brand.

That's what I used on all my connections.

A proper outdoor-rated connector, such as the Snap n' Seal brand (Thomas & Betts?), is actually watertight in of itself. Bell (for example) never bothered with grommets when they installed my dish a couple years' back. Just exposed Snap n' Seal connectors. And I've never had a problem with my Bell connections.

Though I would agree that grommets likely add some water-tight protection.

If you live in a wet climate (coastal BC for example), I'd recommend more than just the connector itself as weatherproofing.

I am guessing that they are for waterproofing purposes as well; Home Depot sells them in packs of 5; Ideal brand.

That's what I used on all my connections.

Kanebra, do you just place them over where the cable connector is screwed into the antenna or preamp? The product you're talking about, I saw it at Home Depot and it says "For use with IDEAL RG-6, RG-6 Quad and RG-59 F-Style compression connectors to make connections water tight" (italics my own emphasis). So I'm confused if it's only for them or can I use the port seals over any coax cable (I bought pre-connected coax cables at Home Depot).

An installer in my area showed me some duct work sealer.It's a putty like substance that stays soft and it's water proof.I used some on my ota install and it works,after a couple of years I opened some to see and there's no corrosion or anything.

Kanebra, do you just place them over where the cable connector is screwed into the antenna or preamp? The product you're talking about, I saw it at Home Depot and it says "For use with IDEAL RG-6, RG-6 Quad and RG-59 F-Style compression connectors to make connections water tight

Yes, the IDEAL waterproof connectors go on the female F connector; for example, on your splitter/combiner, balun or premap outputs.

I used waterproof connectors (some compression, others crimp, but all outdoor rated) on all my coax connections, but none of them IDEAL and they all work fine.