I was taping my coax connectors wrong for 15 years until a new guy on my crew pointed it out.

3 comments

3 Comments

Is it really that big of a deal though? I mean, if the signal is fine and it's not letting water in, who cares how you wrapped the tape? Seems like one of those things old timers get picky about for no real reason.

aarons3612d ago

You ever see those videos where they cut open old coax cables? I read a forum post where a guy said the wrong wrap can let moisture wick up under the tape over time, even if it looks sealed now. It's not about the signal right this second, it's about the connection turning to green mush in five years. That's why the old guys are so strict about starting on the jacket, it stops that creeping moisture thing. It seems picky until you're the one on a ladder in the rain fixing a bad connection.

thomas_young12d ago

Oh man, that hits home. I've seen so many people just wrap the tape around the connector without starting on the cable jacket first. You gotta get that seal over the cable, then work your way up. It's one of those little things nobody shows you, and then you just keep doing it wrong forever.