Fittings tight or loose on LNBS?

[ZandarKoad]

Simple question: Should the fittings on the LNBs of a Super Dish be hand tight (eg, fairly loose) or should they be tool tight (eg, use a 7/16" wrentch to make it just 'snug')?

Pro-Tight argument: They are outside fittings, and they should be properly weatherized. That includes using tools to tighten. You should never leave outside fittings only hand tight. You are in danger of letting moisture in, and corroding the connection.

Pro-Loose argument: The LNBs are fragile pieces of equipment, similar to recievers. And you should never use tools to tighten fittings on recievers. You are in danger of twisting components inside and breaking the connection.

 

[goaliebob99]

They should be hand tight.. If you tighen them any with a tool it could potentaly cause the stinger to penitrate the metal thing the stinger slides into (cant remember the exat term.) but I remember reading that from a tech update a while back ago. As long as your using weather boots you shouldnt have to worry about weatherizing the connections because they will allready be weatherised.

 

[RandallA]

What about switches? Switches ports look a little stronger than say an LNB port or receiver, should they be hand tight?

 

[JPointerWI]

The easy answer is any connector that is a moulded part of the chassis eg switches, LNB's, should be tightened about 1/4 turn past hand tight to ensure a weather tight connection. Connections to bulkhead connectors, eg receivers, wall plates, TV's, VCR's should ONLY be hand tightened, NEVER use a wrench.

 

[ZandarKoad]

They should be hand tight.. If you tighen them any with a tool it could potentaly cause the stinger to penitrate the metal thing the stinger slides into (cant remember the exat term.) but I remember reading that from a tech update a while back ago. As long as your using weather boots you shouldnt have to worry about weatherizing the connections because they will allready be weatherised.

Wouldn't that concern be related more to the LENGTH of the stinger and less to how tight it is? The difference between hand tight and tool tight is probably only about 1/32nd of an inch deeper...

I'm a tool tight supporter, but my shop owner/operator is a hand tight supporter.

 

[cdru]

Make both sides happy. Use a tool to snug it up slightly beyond hand tight. You reduce the risk of twisting off the connector inside the component while also ensuring that there is a weathertight fit.

 

[ZandarKoad]

Make both sides happy. Use a tool to snug it up slightly beyond hand tight. You reduce the risk of twisting off the connector inside the component while also ensuring that there is a weathertight fit.

Sounds good to me.

 

[Lorenzo]

I think all connections should be tool tight if the female socket is mounted on a metal chassis. This leaves out tv sets and most consumer equipment. In all cases the person doing the tightening should keep an eye on the female port that your are tightening a male connector to. If the chassis mounted female port startes to spin because of your tightening you need another 7/16 wrench to hold it and keep it from spinning. The true fix is to open up the equipment and tighten the nut on the inside that holds the female port tight to the chassis.

I've seen connector manufacturers reccommend one eighth or one sixth turn beyond hand tight. Some cable guys use a special 7/16 torque wrench to tighten to the recommended tightness.

I'm a firm believer in wrench tightening all outdoor connections and using coax seal and black tape on the connector for weather proofing. This is doubly important if the coax line carries voltage as well as signal.

 

[Frank Jr.]

Isn't it the male end mounted to the chassis? I also use a wrench and seal my connections.

 

[RandallA]

Male is the connector, female is the port where you "insert" the connector.

 

[webbydude]

Another argument in favor of tool tight is the fact there are too many times where I felt it was hand tight and it really had a lot more "tool tight" room to give. If it's not tight enough, you allow for the possibility of signal degradation and introduction of outside noise into the line. In way, you can think of RF signals as water. If the connection isn't tight, you'll have signal "spilling" out and allowing outside noise in. That's just my 2-cents worth

 

[Van]

On lnbfs, switchs, and ground blocks its finger tight and then a gentle tug with the hand wrench so as to not allow the fitting to be removed with fingers, on the receiver its finger snug.

 

[bweiteka]

Ditto what Van says. Outside fittings are most weathertight when wrench tight, but not too much. I've seen DP34 ports ruined by being tightened down too hard.

 

[Mike500]

The design torque is 30 inch pounds. They make a torque wrench for tightening them.

1/16 turn past finger tight is correct.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I'm a tool tight supporter, but my shop owner/operator is a hand tight supporter.

1/16 turn past finger tight is correct.

It all depends on how strong your fingers are, and whether you pay attention to aligning the coax while tightening the connector. I usually wiggle the line a bit while tightening it to make sure it seats fully. Not a lot of people can loosen my "hand-tight" without a wrench.

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

I have a Cable trap tool that basically looks like a channel has been cut out of a piece of pipe. I turn it till it slips on LNB's and till its snug on receivers/VCR's and TV's.

It was $45 but it’s handy for those darn VCR's/TV's where the nipple is 1/4" from the side of the plastic housing there sunk into.

 

[Texanmutt]

I have a Cable trap tool that basically looks like a channel has been cut out of a piece of pipe. I turn it till it slips on LNB's and till its snug on receivers/VCR's and TV's.

It was $45 but it’s handy for those darn VCR's/TV's where the nipple is 1/4" from the side of the plastic housing there sunk into.

45 bucks! I got my shield tool for $4

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

Maybe it was the can wrench that lets me into just about every Telco box other than Central Offices that cost me $45.

I know one was $20 and the other was $45. The trap tool I have is not one of those short Little stubby wrenches for filters with no security collars.

 

[bcshields]

Hmm... just out of laziness i used hand tight except for ground blocks. Since they are where they corrode the fastest around here and there's no internal components to break... etc etc...

Besides, aren't stingers supposed to be snipped so they aren't 2mm beyond the connector? I always flipped my diag cutters over and if it passed that point I cut the stinger to size.

 

[Texanmutt]

Maybe it was the can wrench that lets me into just about every Telco box other than Central Offices that cost me $45.

I know one was $20 and the other was $45. The trap tool I have is not one of those short Little stubby wrenches for filters with no security collars.

Wow. I got my can wrench for $15 and my other shield tool (the long one for traps) for $19. That sounds like a pretty high price for tools.