[Amps] Fwd: Re: soldering vs crimping

[Paul Christensen]

> As for the shield, there's no question in my mind that crimping is 
> superior to soldering.

When I was working for RKO Radio in Chicago back in the early '80s, we 
analyzed return loss measurements of various crimp v. soldered connections. 
This was an important consideration when measuring synchronous AM noise in a 
bandwidth-limited FM system.  Among other factors, accuracy in the depth of 
measurement was dependent on the quality of connector.  Crimp N connectors 
were superior to soldered N for this purpose.

I have no doubt that a well-crimped connector is better, at least for the 
short term.  However, I have a problem with a universal statement that all 
crimp connectors are the better performing type regardless of environment 
and age of the crimp.

For outdoor installations where the connector is exposed to water, ice, or 
high levels of humidity, I cannot see using crimp UHF/BNC/N connectors. 
For indoor cabling, I've standardized on RG-400 coax with crimp connectors. 
They work well although in instrumentation cables that I use often where 
they are subject to a lot of handling, the soldered connectors have held up 
better over time.

So, I think the environment needs to be qualified before we claim that one 
type of connector is superior that of another.

Paul, W9AC