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Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Attach a PL-259 to a 1/2" hardline

To: <guy_molinari@hotmail.com>, <wa5rtg@gmail.com>, <k8ri-on-towertalk@tm.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Attach a PL-259 to a 1/2" hardline
From: Wayne Kline <w3ea@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 13:08:56 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Gentelman      Quite a few neat ideas,, but as with any adaptation there is 
more then one way to skin a cat.  At one time my  stations 4 towers and the 4 
SQ were feed with  75 OHM 3/4 "  OD catv line. Some jacked, some bare and some 
had the Flooded Jacked , A sticky bear to clean :( How I came up with solving 
my 30 plus connectors was.   a 1/2 NPT female to 1/2 copper tubing  adaptor,  I 
then got dabble barrel connectors removed the snap ring removing the center 
cond and the two insulators place the  hollow barrel into the female 1/32 
copper tube end and soldered it  like a sweat joint ! ( making  sure you keep 
the snap ring end up)  I then through a few trial and errors cut the outside 
aluminum jacket with a rotating tubing cutter,  cleaned the foam off the center 
cond, trimmed to the barrel length,To secure this unit on the Cable I used a 
1/2 black pipe TEE  using the center as a Die, the rolled cut jacket let it 
thread on  cutting ( deforming the jacket in to a NPT).  A sl
 ather or penatrox  tighten it up insert the  top insulator and re-install the 
internal  snap ring. Presto .. A water tight .750 caty line  UHF   end.   YMMV  
 Wayne W3EA   
 > Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 06:32:22 -0800
> From: guy_molinari@hotmail.com
> To: wa5rtg@gmail.com; K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net
> CC: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd:  Attach a PL-259 to a 1/2" hardline
> 
> Stan showed me this approach and it worked out well.
> 
> 73,
> Guy N7ZG
> 
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless Smartphone
> 
> Stan Stockton <wa5rtg@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> >I have 1/2 inch CATV hardline feeding my verticals on 80m 4 Square.  I just 
> >used about six inches of .625" OD  (5/8") x .058" wall tubing slit about 2.5 
> >inches and four times on either end to fit over the back of the PL-259 and 
> >outer jacket of hardlline and used some hose clamps.  Takes about ten 
> >minutes start to finish, and cost is minimal.   A little Penatrox, some 
> >Scotch 88, soldered center conductor and I've not had a problem in 8 years.
> >
> >Stan, K5GO
> >
> >Sent from my iPad
> >
> >On Nov 7, 2012, at 10:49 PM, K8RI <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net> wrote:
> >
> >> On 11/7/2012 10:28 PM, Kelly Taylor wrote:
> >>> One thing I considered but never tried was simply using a double-female 
> >>> UHF
> >>> adapter, with the centre conductor of the hardline exposed so that when it
> >>> fit into one end of the adapter the end of the adapter was up against the
> >>> aluminum jacket. Then 1/2-inch ID aluminum tubing slitted at both ends 
> >>> could
> >>> be compressed into the jacket and adapter threads with hose clamps.
> >> 
> >> I've never tried it, but "I think" the jacket is both thin enough and soft 
> >> enough it could be compressed onto the connector with out slitting. You 
> >> also might be able to turn a couple of brass or hard aluminum alloy to 
> >> press over the ends to hold the jacket tight onto the fitting.  It'd take 
> >> some experimenting as there probably isn't more than 1 or 2 thousandths 
> >> between too loose and too tight for the rings.
> >> 
> >> Or skin the threads off so it'd make a tight fit inside.
> >> 
> >> 
> >>> 
> >>> There might need to be some work done to the centre conductor of the
> >>> hardline to ensure a snug fit and it probably needs some kind of oxide
> >> 
> >> 3/4" hard line fits just fine. The half inch is a bit small for a direct 
> >> fit.  OTOH you might be able to redo the center connector so it would 
> >> clamp onto a smaller center connector.
> >> 
> >>> inhibitor between the aluminum and the body of the adapter, as well as 
> >>> good
> >>> waterproofing.
> >>> 
> >> 
> >> 73
> >> 
> >> Roger (K8RI)
> >>> More elegant might be to choose an ID and wall thickness for the tubing 
> >>> such
> >>> that you could swag it to fit over the aluminum jacket AND tap it to 
> >>> accept
> >>> the threads on the UHF adapter. Then perhaps you only need one hose clamp.
> >>> 
> >>> 73, kelly
> >>> ve4xt
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> On 11/7/12 11:06 PM, "K8RI" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net> wrote:
> >>> 
> >>>> On 11/7/2012 9:20 PM, Missouri Guy wrote:
> >>>>> FWIW...I needed connectors for the 1/2 aluminum coax
> >>>>> quite a few years ago.  I didn't think of K8RI's neat idea
> >>>>> of the brass fittings back then.  What I did was to make
> >>>>> an adapter-sleeve with a ~1" length of 1/2" i.d. aluminum tubing.
> >>>>> The tubing fit over the standard PL-259 connector
> >>>>> and the coax.
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> I found a thick steel washer in the junk box
> >>>>> that is about the same size as the CUTTER WHEEL in a copper tubing
> >>>>> cutter.
> >>>>> I rounded off the edge of the washer and installed it in the
> >>>>> cutter.  I then used the "cutter" to ROLL two indented rings
> >>>>> on each end of the aluminum tubing (4 rings total).  That worked, but I
> >>>>> found that the aluminum coax was TOO SOFT to "fuse"
> >>>>> to the aluminum sleeve.  I solved that problem by making
> >>>>> some hard plastic inserts that "just fit" inside the coax.
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> I removed the foam inside the coax with a homebrew
> >>>>> hollow "drill" made from a chunk of mild steel so the
> >>>>> inserts could slide in.  It worked well and the connections
> >>>>> are still good many years later.
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> Yeah, you may have to use a small lathe to make the inserts, but I know
> >>>>> some of you have one in your shop.  Those inserts may be needed
> >>>>> *IF* you find that the brass compression fittings that Roger used
> >>>>> are somewhat loose when compressed over the soft aluminum
> >>>>> coax.
> >>>> 
> >>>> I like your idea and I'm trying to picture it a bit better.  It has a
> >>>> certain elegance to it, but unfortunately takes a bit more work and I've
> >>>> noticed a lot of us are not extremely gifted on ambition...at least I'm
> >>>> not. OTOH I can't resist a challenge, particularly if it doesn't cost 
> >>>> much.
> >>>> 
> >>>> I wonder if a swagging tool couldn't be built to fit the jacket tightly
> >>>> onto the PL-259 Barrel? This would give a large area of contact and
> >>>> might be strong enough to hold well.  The problem with swagging onto the
> >>>> barrel is the Aluminum tends to spring back.  OTOH swagging to an ID
> >>>> slightly undersize with a bit of a bell on the end of the jacket and
> >>>> then pressing the PL-259 into the end of the coax jacket might work
> >>>> well.  Now some one just needs to make the tools to do this well. <:-)).
> >>>> 
> >>>> As in writing computer programs, there are usually far more than one way
> >>>> to get the same result.  My approach was neat and easy, but you are
> >>>> correct in that using the compression fitting the coax is a bit small
> >>>> for the fitting. It will tighten down fine, but it takes care to keep
> >>>> things straight. Of course if you have a good lathe and a bit of skill,
> >>>> you can build the equivalent of of a 7-16 DIN. With some brass rod of
> >>>> the proper size you can also build the connectors used on Heliax. Those
> >>>> are fairly simple, but it takes about a 4" rod and that brass rod is
> >>>> kinda pricey!
> >>>> 
> >>>> 73
> >>>> 
> >>>> Roger (K8RI)
> >>>> 
> >>>> 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> 73,
> >>>>> Charlie, N0TT
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:01:07 -0500 K8RI <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
> >>>>> writes:
> >>>>>> On 11/7/2012 5:32 PM, Tom KD8DEG wrote:
> >>>>>>> I use standard copper pipe compression fittings if the cable is
> >>>>>> the
> >>>>>>> aluminum 75 ohm cabel tv line. They work great.
> >>>>>> 
> >>>>>> A couple ways of making adapters.
> >>>>>> http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/conn.htm
> >>>>>> 
> >>>>>> 73
> >>>>>> 
> >>>>>> Roger (K8RI)
> >>>>>> 
> >>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>> Tom KD8DEG
> >>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Maki"
> >>>>>> <lists@oakcom.org>
> >>>>>>> To: "towertalk" <towertalk@contesting.com>
> >>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 10:00 AM
> >>>>>>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Attach a PL-259 to a 1/2" hardline
> >>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> Well, they do make female F connectors for anything up to .750,
> >>>>>> but
> >>>>>>>> normally it's terminated with pin connectors. The pin connectors
> >>>>>>>> though are useful as a starting point to transition to UHF.
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> -Steve K8LX
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> On 11/7/2012 9:49 AM, Jim W7RY wrote:
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>>> Is this 75 Ohm CATV cable?
> >>>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>>> If so, there are NO standard adapters or connectors. The cable
> >>>>>> TV
> >>>>>>>>> industry does not use "connectors" on this type of coax. The
> >>>>>> cable
> >>>>>>>>> connects directly to the device through a hole in the side of
> >>>>>> the
> >>>>>>>>> device.
> >>>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>>> 73
> >>>>>>>>> Jim W7RY
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> 
> >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>>>> 
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