Connecting Your LNB

Most LNBs have a slide-down cover. These need no rubber boots or tape. Simply fill the inside of each "F" plug with silicone grease to keep out condensation.

I can not stress too strongly the importance of applying a waterproof grease coating to the copper wires in the 'F' plug. This will prevent corrosion caused by the combination of moisture, air and electricity.

Many otherwise "professional" people attack my suggestion but why take the risk? I am a qualified electronics engineer and one of my previous occupations was "Reliability Test Quality Assurance Engineer" - a job in which I subjected various equipments to rigorous environmental tests in a humidity chamber. In all cases of connections with no protective plating or poor quality plating, the connections that were carrying electric current failed very quickly, due to a build-up of corrosion that forced the metal contacts apart. The best solution I found was silicone grease.

(Also, I would personally squeeze a blob of "Blu-Tack"* over any unused outputs to keep out moisture.)

*The real Blu-Tack®, not "white Tack" or other substitutes that don't survive outdoors.

Picture of obsolete LNB for illustration only.

Do you need Rubber Boots?

Only if you have an older style LNB without the pull-down cover.

Our special flexible rubber boots are designed to provide a tight fit to the cable and "F" connector to keep out moisture.

If the LNB outlets are spaced too close together to permit adjacent boots to fit, you can trim away excess rubber with a sharp blade.

Before fitting each boot you should smear a little petroleum jelly ("Vaseline ®") or, preferably, silicone grease inside. This will allow it to slide easily on the cable and onto the "F" connector. Silicone grease will also help to seal out moisture and allow the boot to be removed more easily in the future. (Petroleum jelly gradually oxidises and is not long-lived). The rubber compound is designed for high-temperature use and is UV resistant. It should last a long time but you can extend its life by smearing silicone grease on the outside (after installation is complete) or applying an oil-based paint.

Too much grease left over? Read about other uses.

Dimensions

• Internal hole: 6.7 mm for cable
• Internal hole: 10 mm for "F" connector
• Length: 71 mm
• Outside diameter: 15 mm at "F" connector
• Outside diameter: 12.4 mm at cable outlet
• Outside diameter: 20 max. across ribbed section

Ensure that each boot is pushed firmly as far as it will go towards the LNB. As a final measure to keep moisture out of the cable, you may make a tiny "O" ring out of "Blu-Tack" or "White-Tack" and insert this inside the "F" connector. Simply take a tiny ball of "Tack" and push it down the protruding copper wire. This may be repeated at the receiver end if there is any possibility that the cable may move and chafe on roof tiles or bricks. Suitable for single-and twin-output LNBs. (May not fit on small 4- or 8-output LNBs.)

UV resistant and guaranteed for 10 years if used with silicone grease as described.

See Fitting F Connectors

Note: If you order cable from us with rubber boots, we do not fit the boots to the cable, for the reasons explained HERE.

Note: rubber boots can not be fitted to cables with compression 'F' plugs - only to cables with plugs that unscrew.

This photo from "What Satellite TV" magazine shows what can happen when inferior rubber boots are used without silicone grease protection. These were not UV resistant and cracked open in sunlight, allowing water to corrode the connections.

By popular request, we are now offering low cost rubber boots!

Economy rubber boot pack. This low cost neoprene boot is available in a pack of 4 for just 99p. We can't guarantee it will last like our flexible boot (above) but it's cheap.

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©2011 SatCure