Please excuse the following rant but PL-259's and coax light my fire.
Of several hundred (thousands) of PL-259's (on RG-8 or similar) I have seen
very, very few that are securely or otherwise attached to the coax braid.
Several years ago I was a volunteer on a ham club's RFI committee. 100% of
the time when I visited the ham station I could give the PL-259 a good jerk
and it would come off of the coax. That sir, is not a good connection, for
RF or otherwise.
Then I would show the ham how I make my connections (tin the braid first)
and how easy it is to get a good connection.
A few months later I go back to the same ham station (another TVI squawk),
give the PL-259 a good jerk, and it's off the coax again.
So I gave up the RFI committee as being a lost cause.
You will not pull PL-259's off of my coax, unless you are a gorilla or don't
care about the skin that used to be on your palm.
Is is my experience that it is not that a good PL-259 to coax connection
cannot be made, it is that the majority of amateur radio operators don't
want to make a good connection.
de Paul, W8AEF
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom Rauch
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2005 12:58 AM
To: bob finger
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Station Ground
> Frank. Experience talking there guys. Beside,
radios/amps/antennas
> are today interconnected by coax, the braid of which is
securely
> attached with a PL-259. What could be better?
Almost anything.
We should really NEVER, especially in a station using an amplifier with a HV
supply inside, depend on the coax shield for an earth safety connection. The
safety ground is important. The RF ground is not, unless something else is
bad.
73 Tom
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