Minor damage to dish cable

[Yespage]

While landscaping I may have... err... I mean... my wife... yes, my wife may have scuffed the cable that goes from the dish to the receiver. It isn't a major hit, but I scuffed (wait no, my wife scuffed) the black covering off and you can the individual metal strands.

The signal to the receiver seems to have been unaffected as the wire was only scuffed. I was wondering what was the best course of action for the cable that I accidentally, I mean my wife accidentally scuffed. Electric tape enough after using some canned air to blow off the soil? Should I leave it alone?

 

[raoul5788]

Can you get a shrink wrap tube on it? That would be my first choice. If not, you should replace the damaged section. Failing that, I'd put some silicone on it and then good quality electrical tape, not the cheap stuff. It won't last long.

 

[garys]

That should work if the exposed area is very minor. If left open, you will probably have a big problem when it gets wet.

 

[nelson61]

Tape it up with good quality electrical tape - 3M - and take your wife out to dinner. You probably just exposed the shield (ground) and just need to put some protection back on it to keep moisture out.

 

[aquaman67]

How close to the end is it and how much slack do you have?

If it's close enough to the end, you could just cut that section out and put on a new end.

If it's not possible, tape it up good and wait to see if it ever gives you problems. If you do notice problems, you know where to start.

 

[dare2be]

While landscaping I may have... err... I mean... my wife... yes, my wife may have scuffed the cable that goes from the dish to the receiver. It isn't a major hit, but I scuffed (wait no, my wife scuffed) the black covering off and you can the individual metal strands.

That sounds like just the shielding is exposed, not the actual wire that carries the signal. I agree that a good silicone/electrical tape covering job should suffice to keep the moisture out.

 

[Hall]

The signal to the receiver seems to have been unaffected....

This is the key though some (not so far, at least !) will go overboard and insist you replace the cable as you're bound to have trouble..... Clean it up, seal it, and tape it and move on. If anything does act up, this would be the first thing to suspect, I guess.

 

[Dgenx321]

Like others said. Get some Dielectric Silicone Grease, and electric tape it up.

Heres some Dielectric Silicone Grease.

http://www.toolboxsupply.com/dielectric-silicone-grease-1-2-oz.html

 

[boba]

YOU WILL HAVE PROBLEMS AS SOON AS IT RAINS IF NOT BEFORE!!! As an old "C" band installer that "scuffed" cable is an open invitation to trouble. The center conductor and the braid form an electrical circuit for 18volts of DC power. Buried there is water in the ground especially in a garden that will soak into the cable and corrode the braid, you probably won't last a month before your signal degrades. I never found anything besides a Telephone Co. Epoxe kit that would seal out water.

 

[stardust3]

It is definitely a place for moisture to infiltrate & will cause trouble down the road.

Since it's only a nick something like the pic attached will outlast the cable & beyond.

Go to ebay or google and search for a "gel splice kit"

 

[stardust3]

Here you go, a long lasting, cheap & easy fix.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CANUSA-GELSEAL-CE59-6-RG6-RG59-COAX-REPAIR-SPLICE-/120770931299#vi-content

 

[dare2be]

YOU WILL HAVE PROBLEMS AS SOON AS IT RAINS IF NOT BEFORE!!! As an old "C" band installer that "scuffed" cable is an open invitation to trouble. The center conductor and the braid form an electrical circuit for 18volts of DC power. Buried there is water in the ground especially in a garden that will soak into the cable and corrode the braid, you probably won't last a month before your signal degrades. I never found anything besides a Telephone Co. Epoxe kit that would seal out water.

No one said that the cable was buried.

 

[Yespage]

The cable is "buried" in the sense of a couple inches in the ground. I actually was very diligent to locate it while doing the work, so I didn't slice a shovel right through it. Sadly scuff'd the line while scalping the grass instead. I siliconed the line and will tape that up after it sets. If it works, it works, if not, I'll look into a more complicated fix.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

 

[dare2be]

No one said that the cable was buried.

Ok, now they did.

 

[scsttrooper]

The best fix would be Butyl tape. I believe that you might even be able to find it at Radio Shack as "Coax Wrap" but who knows any more with Radio Slack... The Butyl tape wraps around the coax and forms an air / water tight seal that will not degrade under the harshest of conditions when applied correctly.

Just my two cents.

 

[Tampa8]

100% on the butyl tape can be used for sealing glass so it is very water resistant. I've come close - er - my wife has come close to doing the same thing.

 

[sam_gordon]

What about getting some "liquid electrical tape" from Lowe's/Home Depot? Isn't that supposed to be a watertight seal once dry?

 

[scsttrooper]

Hey... I just noticed that you are in Lexington, KY. I graduated from Woodford Co. and U.K. "GO CATS"... Any way... Go to your local Home Depot and buy this stuff: [h=2]Model # 684201[/h][h=2]Store SKU # 267011[/h]

Here in Myrtle Beach it is $7.28. It is a silicone tape that is self fusing when wrapped around its self. The tighter you stretch it when wrapping it around the coax the better it works. Make sure you overlap it by at least 1/2".

Good Luck...

 

[sam_gordon]

Hey... I just noticed that you are in Lexington, KY. I graduated from Woodford Co. and U.K. "GO CATS"... Any way... Go to your local Home Depot and buy this stuff: Model # 684201

Store SKU # 267011



Here in Myrtle Beach it is $7.28. It is a silicone tape that is self fusing when wrapped around its self. The tighter you stretch it when wrapping it around the coax the better it works. Make sure you overlap it by at least 1/2".

Good Luck...

I'm not the OP. I was just offering a suggestion. Here's what I was thinking about... http://www.lowes.com/pd_118455-1781...entURL=?Ntt=liquid+electrical+tape&facetInfo=

$6.87.

 

[jmfangio]

Can you get a shrink wrap tube on it? That would be my first choice. If not, you should replace the damaged section. Failing that, I'd put some silicone on it and then good quality electrical tape, not the cheap stuff. It won't last long.

Regardless of what temporary repair technique used. The cable is damaged and depending on the weather, it will fail. If there was enough force to damage the outer sheath, the dielectric foam is damaged. This damage changes the electric characteristics of the cable and depending can dramatically alter signal quality and strength.

Coaxial cable is not robust. It can be significantly damaged by stretching or bending too sharply. Even a small nick in the braid will sometimes render a cable useless.

There has been much discussion on the proper tools for attaching connectors to a coaxial cable. These discussion center around how to attach a connector without damaging the cable. This is why high quality cable is purchased and worked on with proper tools. These are high frequency radio signals and not common household wiring.

Make the temporary repair but save up for a proper repair by replacing the cable.