Satellite TV cable strange corrosion
I had to troubleshoot my Winegard Traveler satellite dish as my DirecTV receiver wasn't communication with it.
I found corrosion on the cable out from my SWM unit, which I had to install to make my Genie receiver work. There was lots of corrosion in the fitting, so I thought I found the problem. I replaced the whole SWM unit and made a new fitting, but it still didn't work.
I found another very corroded fitting inside the 'power to SWM' port on the power inserter, which is the other end of the cable coming out of the SWM. The thing is; I understand how the outside fitting could have got compromised, as it is outside in the weather, but the power inserter is inside, right under the TV and surrounded by other electronic stuff. In fact, right above the 'power to SWM' is the 'signal to IRD' which is connected to the receiver, and it's fine.
I live in a very dry climate. It's been raining recently, but my trailer is dry. A month or so ago, the wind blew open a skylight and let a little water fall on the couch, but it dried out quickly through slightly open vents with the drapes open to let the sun in. It's at the other end of the trailer from my fittings anyway.
Very little humidity at limited times over less than four years wouldn't seem to be enough to cause the extent of the corrosion I saw. I needed a new power inserter and a new fitting, and everything is fine now.
Is there some kind of harmonic effect that would cause corrosion on the other end of a good 20' long coax cable from where it was exposed to the weather? Even after re-stripping the cable inches from the corroded fitting, the stinger (the wire down the middle) still had a patina on it that I filed a bit to make it shiny. On both fittings.
I found corrosion on the cable out from my SWM unit, which I had to install to make my Genie receiver work. There was lots of corrosion in the fitting, so I thought I found the problem. I replaced the whole SWM unit and made a new fitting, but it still didn't work.
I found another very corroded fitting inside the 'power to SWM' port on the power inserter, which is the other end of the cable coming out of the SWM. The thing is; I understand how the outside fitting could have got compromised, as it is outside in the weather, but the power inserter is inside, right under the TV and surrounded by other electronic stuff. In fact, right above the 'power to SWM' is the 'signal to IRD' which is connected to the receiver, and it's fine.
I live in a very dry climate. It's been raining recently, but my trailer is dry. A month or so ago, the wind blew open a skylight and let a little water fall on the couch, but it dried out quickly through slightly open vents with the drapes open to let the sun in. It's at the other end of the trailer from my fittings anyway.
Very little humidity at limited times over less than four years wouldn't seem to be enough to cause the extent of the corrosion I saw. I needed a new power inserter and a new fitting, and everything is fine now.
Is there some kind of harmonic effect that would cause corrosion on the other end of a good 20' long coax cable from where it was exposed to the weather? Even after re-stripping the cable inches from the corroded fitting, the stinger (the wire down the middle) still had a patina on it that I filed a bit to make it shiny. On both fittings.
