Wellllll... As to soldering PL-259s I cut everything to length, tin the
braid before putting things together and then use a BIG (I believe in brute
force) soldering gun to solder the braid to the connector getting the area
around the holes just hot enough for the solder to flow. It's not a method
for everyone as you really do have to get in and out fast or you can melt
everything. I've never had a failed connection or melted the dielectric.
HOWEVER That was when I soldered them. Now, like Denny (and with some
suggestions from Denny and guidance from others on the group. Thanks all!) I
got smart and purchased a couple of crimping tools and a box full of
connectors. I still need a good stripper though...for the coax that is.
I'd add that N type crimp connectors are not very expensive and the ones to
fit LMR-600 are the same price as the ones that fit LMR-400 while the clamp
type for the 600 are about 5 to 6 times as much.
UHF are inexpensive and as Denny says, much faster to install.
Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com
> An excellent write up Dick, by a obviously experienced ham...
> Now, having noted that; let me comment that by the time you wait on the
> solder gun to get hot enough to tin the braid on the first end I will have
> both connectors crimped on and the tools put back away, the coax hooked up
> to the gear, and be sitting around heckling you...
> Like many I have resisted crimped connectors in my ham shack for decades
> while using them on my airplanes... I finally woke up and smelled the
> coffeee (tea in my case)... I bought a good crimper tool, a set of dies,
> coax stripper and some connectors... Started redoing the very old,
> hodgepodge, cabling on my station in preparation for the new Orion,
> etc., - in the old days it would have taken me most of the afternoon to
> make up the jumpers, with the crimper setup in less than an hour I had
> installed 20 connectors, recabled the radios into the new configuration,
> and was done... I just ordered another batch of connectors in preparation
> for a new set of antenna arrays with remote switching...
> If you do more than 3 PL259's a year you need a crimper...
>
> denny / k8do
>
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