Is there any technical significance to the tape on top of MTH PS 1 and PS 2 electronics being transparent yellow? If so, where can it be purchased?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I believe it is a Kevlar (sp??) tape for high temperature and puncture proof qualities. Not sure for source and probably will have to buy large footage and it was expensive when I priced it, but might have been military grade stuff. Been long time ago so the previous sentence may be outdated now.
It's Kapton tape, not Kevlar. You can buy Kapton (or a clone) at many places at reasonable prices.
Here's one of many sources: Kapton Tape at Amazon
There's also tons of listings on eBay if you choose to go that route.
Here's one of many sources: Kapton Tape at Amazon
There's also tons of listings on eBay if you choose to go that route.
You got the K correct, that's true. However, we weren't aiming to bulletproof our trains, though that might be an attractive option in some parts of the country.
Is the reason for the Kapton tape the temperature range?
The principal reason is probably that it's very thin and tough. I doubt the temperature will reach a point where the tape would be an issue.
I use Kapton tape to insulate stuff inside engines and tenders, also it's very handy for TMCC conversions to isolate the tender shell from the frame, thin and tough.
Thanks for the info John & Sam. I do wish the electronics in our trains is bulletproof.
Thanks for the info John & Sam. I do wish the electronics in our trains is bulletproof.
That's where Sam's Kevlar tape comes in.
Interesting price difference. One is $5 and other is $15 for what looks like the same roll. G
Right, I see those prices all over the place, don't know what that means. Must be some difference...
Yep, it's tough, but not impervious to damage.
This stuff is used for much more than just insulating train electronics! <G> If the wikipedia article is to be believed it is used for spacesuits, space telescope sun shields, lunar lander insulation and not so successfully as wire insulation on military airplanes.
Pretty amazing for something I had never heard of until today.
We used a lot of Kapton tape in commercial and military avionics, and to my knowledge, it was used successfully. At least we didn't have any returns related to tape failure. It's light, tough, thin, and a good insulator. All attributes desirable for our use.