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Re: [TowerTalk] Crimp-on PL259

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crimp-on PL259
From: "Martin Sole" <hs0zed@csloxinfo.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2011 07:20:52 +0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Here's my 2 satang(Thai version of a cent though somewhat smaller) worth on
the clamp connectors. I bought some at a local outlet here who offered both
Taiwan made or Japan made. Being a ham (cheap) I bought the BV made ones.
Bad idea. The weak point seems to be the spring ring that holds the rotating
threaded collar on to the shell. In this case the machining was too little
and tightening the outer shell caused it to separate from the body of the
connector. This with normal finger tightening no tools involved.

Whilst I am a firm believer in clamp type connectors, just a warning that
some cheaper ones may not be as robust as we would like.

Cheers
Martin, HS0ZED


-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rroger (K8RI on
TowerTalk)
Sent: 12 February 2011 06:33
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crimp-on PL259

On 2/11/2011 3:27 PM, Mike wrote:
> As part of my tower refurbishment I'm giving crimp connectors (NOT 
> clamp) a try. The first 3 went really smoothly.
>
> No. 4 however had a problem. When I squeezed the crimper, it was like 
> trying to crush a ground rod. The sleeve was barely deformed. Crimping 
> further away from the body, over the coax jacket, was normal, but not
where it should be.
I have close to 100 crimp on, both UHF and N type inside and out with RG-8X,
CNT-240, LMR-400, Davis Bury flex, to LMR 600.  I have both the standard and
UF versions of both the LMR 400 and 600.  I do not recommend the UF versions
of either as the jacket does not stand up well.
I also have a few clamp type in use.

So far, I have never had a crimp type fail and as I said I have a lot of
them.
The only time I ran into what you describe was with the wrong set of dies in
the crimper, but that should not be the case here as you were using the same
type fitting in each case.  It sounds as if *maybe* you were too far up on
the body where the diameter is larger.  There is a step in size and you may
have caught the shoulder which would resist crimping.

I've been using crimp type for quite a while now. As time progresses,
contrary to Peter, I'm switching over to all crimp type as they are so much
faster and more secure.  Proper cable  prep, and the proper tools are
critical.
The crimp should be at the close to the connector edge of the band. With the
jacket extending a ways into the other end of the band which remains
uncrimped.  Just be careful not to catch the edge of the connector as the
dies will fit over the end of the UHF and I believe the N type if you slip
just a tad too close to the end of the band.

> The coax is Buryflex, and the connector fit it well. All the 
> connectors were ordered at the same time, and the ones I have left seem to
be the same diameters.
>
I'll take a look at the UHF ones I have of that size and see if I can repeat
the problem.

73 es good luck,

Roger (K8RI)
> Anybody have an idea what I ran into?
>
> 73, Mike NF4L
> _______________________________________________
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>
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