is RTV out of order?

[Dee_Ann]

Or is it just me. It was working fine this morning though the colors on the morning show were real dark. I left to go shopping and when I came back it's gone.
Zero and zero on the meters. Anyone else?

 

[tv1952]

If you are talking about the ones on AMC9 at 83w they are working great here in florida

 

[panek75]

Working fine here in Chicago.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Darn it! I guess that means it's something here then. And the sky is crystal clear.
Time to put on the hip waders and tromp through the mud out to the dishes.

 

[tvropro]

Fine here too

 

[Dee_Ann]

Never mind. Fixed it. Bad wire. The wire from the dish to the switch box was bad. Put a spare in it's place and all is well..

Thanks guys!

 

[melgarga]

That 'll teach ya to go shopping.......lol
Working fine here Dee.

 

[Dee_Ann]

That reminds me, the spare wires left behind by him are just about depleted.
I think it's getting real close to the time for me to learn how to make my own.
I think I need to get some tools for that and the ends. I'm going to look back at some old posts you guys made with suggestions on that.

It's not a high priority but it's looming on the horizon.

Thanks again guys! As always you saved me a lot of time and misery..

 

[Tron]

Dee, the best bet for making your own cables is to get a compression tool. There are cheap models available at both Lowes and Home Depot, and you can usually find a tool with a few fittings for under $25. The compression fittings are very easy to put on, the hardest part will probably be learning how to correctly strip the coax cable... But there are tools for that too!

 

[Mr Tony]

so true Tron

I was a "twist on" connector kinda guy for a couple years. Switched to compression connectors and it made it so much easier and havent had any issues with ends anymore

Bought my tool & 10 connectors for like 20 bucks at Lowes

 

[Corrado]

I used to have a buddy that worked for the cable company put them on for me. Now years later I buy the high grade compression PPC connectors in bags of 50.

I fashion my own weatherproof seals. I have these automotive style vacuum fittings that I slice flat o-ring type thin gaskets with a utility knife and they fit right inside just like the ones they sell at a much higher price.

 

[nydiver]

I fashion my own weatherproof seals. I have these automotive style vacuum fittings that I slice flat o-ring type thin gaskets with a utility knife and they fit right inside just like the ones they sell at a much higher price.

There is a reason those PPC connectors DO NOT have a o-ring or "washer" in them. Notice any connector of quality doesn't have them, because they can cause the ground to float, raising the potential for issues later such as lightning strikes, equipment damage, and the dreaded pixelization and tiling.

A proper port seal covers the base of the port and extends up onto the seal area of the connector (and NO the spark plug boot is not a proper port seal). It thereby seals all the threads and the port area from moisture migration. Your spending .25 or more to make a connector that is worth less than .05, it freely allows moisture to penetrate the thread area causing corrosion and decreased grounding, later the butyl rubber your "seal" is made of will break down due to ozone and it will leak like a sieve. With power being freely passed thru the system electrolysis only accelerates the damage.

PPC, SNS, Gilbert, Digiconn, Holland, Stirling, and anyone worth their salt will tell you the same story, O-ring in the nut = non SCTE approved = not in my system

 

[DirectDishNet]

There is a reason those PPC connectors DO NOT have a o-ring or "washer" in them. Notice any connector of quality doesn't have them, because they can cause the ground to float, raising the potential for issues later such as lightning strikes, equipment damage, and the dreaded pixelization and tiling.

A proper port seal covers the base of the port and extends up onto the seal area of the connector (and NO the spark plug boot is not a proper port seal). It thereby seals all the threads and the port area from moisture migration. Your spending .25 or more to make a connector that is worth less than .05, it freely allows moisture to penetrate the thread area causing corrosion and decreased grounding, later the butyl rubber your "seal" is made of will break down due to ozone and it will leak like a sieve. With power being freely passed thru the system electrolysis only accelerates the damage.

PPC, SNS, Gilbert, Digiconn, Holland, Stirling, and anyone worth their salt will tell you the same story, O-ring in the nut = non SCTE approved = not in my system

100% Agree!

 

[Dee_Ann]

My neighbor gave me a jar of silicone goo. It's *thick*, it makes honey look like water. He told me to dip the entire connector into the stuff before hooking it to the whatever. The stuff is NASTY. You can not wash it off with anything I've found, it takes a few days to wear off of your hands. And it's so slippery you can't pick up anything for a few days either.

He said it is 100 weight fuser oil. I can't stand to touch the stuff but I don't think you can get anymore water proof than that stuff.

 

[nydiver]

My neighbor gave me a jar of silicone goo. It's *thick*, it makes honey look like water. He told me to dip the entire connector into the stuff before hooking it to the whatever.

OH NO!!!! NEVER, EVER, PUT ANY "GOO" IN THE FACE OF THE CONNECTOR. This is the worst thing you can do to try and mitigate moisture migration! What happens is the "goo" fills the nut, then when you put it on the port it hydraulically forces the extra goo into the port, this causes the impedance to change. The oil will also create a ground isolation and heighten the chances of pixelization and intermitant or no power of the LNB's. Because your goo is actually a petroleum based oil it will accelerate the deterioration of the butyl rubber o-rings in most normal connectors. PPC is the only major connector that uses EPDM silicone o-rings in normal connectors (Viton inside military connectors) but even these will secum to the additional stabilizer additives inside the high temp fuser oil.

Your neighbor is actually doing you a severe disservice with his suggestion.