PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-599
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 599
OCTOBER 2002
PS 599
OCT 02
45
PS 599
OCT 02
44
The same principle goes for cold,
stiff cable, too. Before coiling it,
warm it up, if possible.
And don’t forget to handle cold cable
carefully. Slow and easy is the way when
you pay out, reel in or flex cable. That
helps avoid cracking the insulation.
If you have to splice or repair cable, use
TL-600 cold weather tape, NSN 5970-00-
685-9059, which comes in a 30-ft roll.
This tape holds fast in cold weather and
can be used without being warmed up.
Most other friction and rubber tapes don’t
hold as well in extreme cold.
Metal connectors and receptacles shrink
in the cold, making cable connections
stubborn. Here again, take care when you
hook up or unhook cables. Rough stuff
invites damage.
Certain places on a cable are
especially vulnerable to cracking
in the cold. These include field ties
and splices and kinks and crimps
in the line. Low temperatures also
shrink and stiffen wire conductors,
making them more liable to break.
Not only is cold cable more likely to crack,
it’s also stiff and harder to handle. A reel of
cable may even freeze into its coiled shape.
The remedy for cold cable is a warm shel-
ter and careful handling. Together they pro-
tect cable from damage and make it easier to
control.
Take tightly coiled cable, unwind it into
bigger coils, and store it where it’s warm
before taking it out in the cold. That’ll reduce
the risk of a pinch or break.
how
did this
happen!?
don’t look at
me! this is the
shape
you
left me in!
are you
warmed
up yet?
I’m
getting
there.
and lay
off the
rough
stuff!
pay out
about
20 feet
of that
cable!
that
may take
awhile…
Insulation
turns stiff
and brittle. It
cracks
and
breaks
open if
cable’s handled
too roughly.
Once that happens,
moisture seeps into
the wire conductors
and causes a short.
Commo Cables…
Extreme
cold is
brutal
on
field and
telephone
cable.
599. 44-45 (C)
8/24/02
4:43 PM
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