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Overheard a telco guy say he never uses gel-filled connectors on aerial drops anymore

He said the gel traps moisture in the long run and now I'm second-guessing every splice I did last summer with those blue crimps.
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2 Comments
rayy83
rayy8317h ago
Did the telco guy say why he switched, or was it just from experience? I've heard the same thing from a few linemen - those blue gel crimps trap condensation inside the jacket and you end up with copper rot a year later. They swear by plain butt connectors with a good wrap of 88 tape instead, especially on drops that see a lot of sun and rain. I still use gel on direct burial stuff, but for aerial I'm thinking I'll change my ways too.
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charles_price
@rayy83 blue gel crimps are trash for aerial, plain butt connectors with 88 tape is the way.
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