Once I have the outer covering cut off, I tin the shield all around,
lightly. I then use a tubing cutter to cut through the tinned shield. I
finish cutting through the dielectric with a box cutter. Then I pull off the
dielectric. I then tin the center conductor. Then I twist on the PL-259. If
you don't over-tin, then the 259 turns on easy. I just hold the coax in one
hand while I twist on the 259. The outer covering is cut so that once the
259 is all the way on, The outer covering is about 1/3 - 1/2 way into the
259. Then I solder through the 4 holes. When I take off the solder iron, the
solder should suck in each hole. I do one hole at a time. I press the tip of
the iron in the hole and let the solder flow in the hole to the coax shield
and 259. I then solder the center conductor. I hold the iron along side the
tip and feed the solder into the center pin. The center conductor can be
trimmed before you solder. I usually have the center conductor cut to length
so that when I put on the 259 it is just about flush with the tip. Once I
have good solder flow, I remove the iron and while still molten, I wipe the
tip with a rag. This prevents solder bumps on the tip which can cause a
problem when trying to use the 259. By the way I use silver Pl-259's. They
solder to easy. I also use nickel tinned ones. Before soldering through the
4 holes, I sand or scrape around the holes so it is easier to solder.
Does this help? Need more info? Once you get the hang of it, you can have a
very good soldered PL-259 that will last years.
Tony
N2TK
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Coleman [mailto:aa4lr@arrl.net]
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 17:32
To: n2tk@arrl.net; ka4inm@tampabay.rr.com; 'Tower Talk'
Subject: RE: [Towertalk] Re: Coax Connector Losses - Does anyone know?
On 5/31/02 9:25 AM, N2TK at tony.kaz@verizon.net wrote:
>You don't pull the shied through the 4 holes. You first tin the shield then
>install the PL-259. Then you solder the tinned shield through the 4 holes
so
>that you have a good electrical connection.
You know, the problem I often have with this technique is that I cannot
put the connector barrel on to the RG-213 if there's too much tinning.
The coax tends to twist and distort, and I can't really grab it with
pliers without damaging it.
So, what's the best way to put a PL-259 connector on? How do you hold to
coax still while rotating the connector barrel?
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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