Kim Elmore wrote:
> I've wondered about this, too. Yet, I have another connector that has
> been fine all this time, used on the same length of coax and has not
> yet given me any trouble. If it fails in the same way, I'll be more
> convinced of the fatigue hypothesis.
>
> In an N-connector, isn't the center pin free to float around a bit?
> It's been a while since I dealt with them. Which types are the more
> reliable in this regard? Is Amphenol the magic word?
>
> Kim Elmore N5OP
Kim,
It could be that the other connector is in the process of failing. I
would expect that the number of cycles to failure would vary over a
population of connections. One thing you could do, Kim, is to try to
examine the failed connection to see if the solder didn't wet properly
or if the actual solder itself failed. To do this for a PL-259 center
pin, you would somehow have to slice the center pin in two along a plane
that contains the pin axis. Then you would slice the pin off at the base
of the connector body and peel the two halves of the pin away from the
coax center conductor to reveal the contact area for the solder joint.
Again this assumes it is the center pin, but with 9913, I would expect
the center pin to be a more likely culprit than the shield.
I don't know offhand which N-connectors have captive center pins and
which don't. The connectors that I had fail on me were at a club
station. This was somebody elses handiwork. I just made the smoke come
out :-)
73, Mike W4EF.............................
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