Batboard

hey guys I need to buy a piece of heat shrink to use when I put connectors on RG58, what size do I need to get? Theres some pieces around in our tech room BUT NONE are right size. Ill buy a foot or so from someone if youve got some

Joe Mobley
Tech
East Metro Drug Enforcement Unit
Covington Ga

RG58 coax is about 0.200 inches in diameter.

Most heat-shrink tubing shrinks to 50% of its original size.

This means you probably want something in the 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch range. I bought a small assortment at my local RadioShack once and it had something that worked nicely.

If you want to shrink it over the connector too, you'd have to measure the diameter of that part. If it's a crimp-on connector, it's not much bigger than the coax itself.

Bob M.

10-4

heat shrink at radio shack is total crap.

order from Tessco or in you don't have an account the stuff from GB electrical that local hardware stores sell is just as good, but only available in short lengths per pack.

You can always go down to a West Marine or other marine parts supply store. They'll usually have some very nice adhesive heatshrink in short lengths. I usually use 3/8" on my RG58 crimp connectors.

Tessco has the adhesive stuff too, its damn good stuff.

If you've got a friend who works for the phone company, ask him

They generally have some very good adhesive stuff.

Eww. Icky pick. No thanks.

akardam wrote:Eww. Icky pick. No thanks.

Icky PIC and adhesive filled heatshrink are two different animals, although I suppose that the
latter could be used to terminate the former.
I think the adhesive filled heatshrink is more widely used in the CATV industry, than in telco...
telco cables generally terminate in splice cases, while CATV cables generally terminate in connectors..

Icky PIC is gel filled cable, and yes, it is messy.. I had the pleasure of terminating some about 12 years ago.. use rubber gloves, paint thinner, and kimwipes..

techie wrote:Icky PIC and adhesive filled heatshrink are two different animals

I know what it is, and I've had to work with it before too. It's the nastiest, ICKIest crap to deal with, especially when you're down on a dark, rainy dock at 2am 'cause some drunk bozo decided it would be a good thing to take a wire clipper to your main phone trunk. And it sticks to everything in sight.

So yes, my original comment stands

I know a guy who's allergic to that stuff. His hands come up in hives, and swell up massively if he touches it.

akardam wrote:

techie wrote:Icky PIC and adhesive filled heatshrink are two different animals

I know what it is, and I've had to work with it before too. It's the nastiest, ICKIest crap to deal with, especially when you're down on a dark, rainy dock at 2am 'cause some drunk bozo decided it would be a good thing to take a wire clipper to your main phone trunk. And it sticks to everything in sight.

So yes, my original comment stands

I'll agree that it is nasty stuff, but I guess the question is: Why did you bring it up? We were talking about adhesive heatshrink..

mr.syntrx wrote:If you've got a friend who works for the phone company, ask him

They generally have some very good adhesive stuff.

'nuff said.