This old timer at the Oshkosh airshow showed me a trick for finding a bad coax connector

I was helping him set up a portable ADS-B receiver in his tent, and we kept getting signal dropouts. He pulled out a little spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol and misted the BNC connectors on the antenna cable. He said, 'Watch for the one that steams up fastest, that's your leak path.' Sure enough, one connector fogged up in about 2 seconds, showing a tiny crack in the seal we couldn't even see. Has anyone else used that trick on old fleet birds?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairejenkins12d ago

Love that trick because it shows how much we rely on simple fixes in a world full of fancy tech. Reminds me of mechanics finding vacuum leaks with a spray bottle of soapy water, same basic idea. It's the kind of old-school, hands-on knowledge that seems to be fading away, which is a real shame. You just know that guy has a hundred more tricks like that up his sleeve.

elliotadams12d ago

Seems a bit dramatic to call it a real shame though.

mary7763h ago

Saw my buddy fix a busted fuel line with a piece of garden hose and zip ties once.