Tim N9PUZ wrote:
> I had to smile as I read this. I'm sure it's true but we hams would
> sure live up to our reputation for being cheap by purchasing Bury-Flex
>
What do you mean that inexpensive Bury-Flex? I'm in the process of
running over 1000 feet of LMR 600 with 250 feet of Bury-flex for
pigtails at the top of the tower and from the sloping dipoles to the
remote antenna switches. Those N-connectors for LMR-600 make the best
PL-259s look absolutely inexpensive. <:-)) I do use UHF connectors on
the 40 Meter, half wave slopers that are fed with CNT-240 and a KW. The
SWR is relatively low across the entire band so I can get away with
that. I'm not so sure if I fired up the old Alpha 76 at the legal limit
if the CNT-240 would survive. But with the Tokyo Hy-Power HL-1.5Kfx at
1 KE PEP or CW it's held up. I use Bury-Flex or LMR-400 on 75 due to
the high SWR at the band edges.
> and then saving a dollar by not using a couple of brand name, known to
> be good quality connectors.
>
>
I don't really worry about brand name, but rather I sample connectors
and if they meet my specs I use them. This means I seldom get the cheap
ones, but often find I'm not using brand names either. OTOH my LMR-600
Crimp, N-connectors are Times Wire.
As for sources, you can request the "good stuff" from most of the
suppliers. It they still try to sell you the cheap ones, then go else
where. Generally they are quite happy to sell you the more expensive
stuff. They carry the cheap stuff as well to satisfy the demand created
by the really cheap stuff at the swaps.
I can understand being frugal whether by need or desire and even reusing
connectors if they are good ones and in good shape. However with as
many feet of coax and the number of connectors used while operating from
1.8 through 446 MHz I get pretty picky about the quality and rarely ever
reuse connectors. Even if I manage to rough up the center pin in the big
N-connectors I pitch them. After all that's a whole lot cheaper than
having to go up and replace some at 130 feet.
However I am going to try one experiment that might save some connectors
and make a better installation. Cheaper? I'm not so sure with the price
of Copper. Using dead soft copper tubing that will just fit over the
coax jacket I'll take about 6 to 8 inches of copper tube, strip an equal
length of jacket off the coax, slip the copper into place, use the crimp
tool to reduce the copper to where it solidly grips the braid. Then
using flooded heat shrink, weatherproof each end of the tube. Then
using two SS hose clamps, securely fasten the copper to the leg of the
tower. An example would be where the feed line comes from the sloper to
the tower and then down to the remote antenna switch. Another would be
at the base of the tower. This would replace two coax connectors and a
bulk head connector in each lead at the base of the tower while
providing a good ground.
Look at it this way. There are 5 connectors at the antenna switch, one
for the lead to the antenna switch, the bulk head connector in the base
of the equipment box at the base of the tower, and connectors at each
end of the jumper to the 6-pack. Then another long, "single, or common"
run from the 6-pack through the conduit with connectors at the 6-pack
and the bulkhead at the house entrance. That means for the 40 meter band
there are 13 connectors between the rig and the 40 meter antennas. The
same is true for 75 although there are only 8 for 160, 8 for the
tribander, and8 for the 6-meter yagi. It's a 228 foot run to each of
the beams. That's roughly 1000 feet of LMR-600, not counting leads from
the 6-pack (Bury-flex or LMR-400) through the remote switches and on to
the slopers. There are also the two 144/440 Diamond verticals with one
on the tower and one on the North side of the shop with individual runs
of LMR 600from the antennas to the rigs in the den and shop.. Then there
is also the AV-640 at 40 feet on the West end of the shop. Also the 144
and 440 arrays count for individual runs of LMR 600 from the top of the
tower to the den...or shop. Bury-Flex pigtails from the top of the
tower to the antennas. Each UHF/VHF run accounts for 200' of LMR-600
with a pigtail from the rig to bulkhead. (2 connectors) Bulkhead to
equipment bulkhead connector(2 connectors), Bulkhead to top of tower (2
Connectors), Pigtail (2 connectors) power divider with two pigtails to
antennas (5 connectors) for a total of 13 connectors per run (IF I use
the copper tube scheme for grounding the shield) Otherwise you have to
add two more coax connectors and a bulkhead connector per run.
Based on that I want to reduce the likely hood of failure as much as
possible.
73
Roger (K8RI)
> Tim, N9PUZ
>
> Dave Harmon wrote:
>
>> Generally I agree except for a small but critical point.....
>> If you are using Davis Bury-Flex you will need the larger center pin ID of
>> the 83-1SP.
>> Yeah, yeah....I know you can probably find the el' cheapo connectors that
>> will fit the BF but I have never seen any....and I ain't gonna look.
>> One thing I will never do though is cut any strands of the center conductor
>> to make it fit some crummy connector that I have to scrape to get solder to
>> flow.
>> 50 cents is not even chump change.
>> Get the good stuff....parts is not parts.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Dave Harmon
>> K6XYZ[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
>>
>
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