[Amps] World's worst coax connectors

[Jim Brown]

On 4/20/2023 10:27 AM, Jim Garland wrote:
> "The so-called phono jack used in audio equipment is a nice lesson in 
> bad design, because the inner conductor mates before the shield when you 
> plug it in; 

In the context of RF, why is that bad?

furthermore, the design of the connector is such that both
> shield and center conductor tend to make poor contact.

That depends entirely on the quality of the connector. There's a LOT of 
cheap junk out there, as well as a LOT of cheap junk patch cables. The 
RC connectors that Switchcraft sells are of very high quality and make 
very good contact. I would have no problems using them at the 100W 
level. Neutrik, a first rate EU company, makes a line of lower cost, 
decent quality RCA and 1/8-in connectors that are quite suitable for 
audio and control. Their professional XLR connectors, long the standard 
in pro audio, are the best in the world, with Switchcraft a strong 
second. All of these are designed for solder termination. I've served on 
the AES Standards Committee with engineers from both companies.

There are also a lot of junk UHF, BNC, and type N connectors and 
adapters in the marketplace -- they're sold by flaky vendors virtually 
any ham flea market and all over the internet.

73, Jim K9YC