CATV Hardline Fitting

[Kg4w at aol.com]

After reading the recent post from K1VX re:
placement of a PL-259 onto CATV hardline, I
decided to pull the following out of my 
archives. Jims method looks very good & 
listed below is just anouther way of doing 
the job that i have used for yrs. 
The procedure below is for use with 3/4 
inch CATV line.

STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE-  
1- GET A COPPER (OR BRASS) REDUCTION FITTING 
   MADE TO THREAD ONTO A PC OF 3/4 IN
   THREADED PIPE. THE OTHER END IS MADE TO 
   SOLDER ONTO A 1/2 IN COPPER PIPE.

2- REMOVE ALL EXCEPT THE CENTER CONDUCTER OF 
   THE HARDLINE FOR A DISTANCE OF ABT 3" FROM
   THE END. THEN REMOVE THE "BLACK JACKET" IF
   U HAVE IT FOR ABOUT 2IN FROM END OF SHEATH.

3- NOW SLOWLY THREAD THE COPPER FITTING ONTO
   THE SHEATH BY GOING A TURN OR SO THEN 
   BACKING OFF & GO ANOUTHER TURN TILL U HVE 
   CUT ENOUGH THREADS TO ALLOW ALL THREADS
   ON THE COPPER FITTING TO BE USED. 
   LIGHT OIL AIDS IN THE THREADING PROCESS 
   AS DOES HAVING SOMEONE OR THING TO HOLD THE
   COAX STILL WHILE THREADING. ALTHOUGH I HAVE
   DONE MANY OF THESE ALONE AND ITS NO BIG DEAL.
   THE ADAPTER IS MADE TO ACCEPT A WRENCH SO 
   THIS GIVES LEVERAGE IN THE THREADING PROCESS.

4- CLEAN ALL FILINGS ETC FROM AROUND THE NEWLY
   THREADED END WHEN COMPLETE.

5- NOW, TAKE PIPE CUTTERS & CUT OFF A PIECE
   OF 1/2 IN COPPER TUBING 1" LONG OR JUST LONG
   ENOUGH TO FILL THE RECESS RECESS IN THE 
   REDUCTION FITTING PLUS ABT 1/8". PUT SOME 
   SOLDERING PASTE ON THE 1" PC & PLACE IT ALL
   WAY INTO THE FITTING SO THAT THE END THAT
   WAS CUT WITH THE PIPE CUTTERS IS PROTRUDING
   OUT THE END OF THE FITTING. 

6- GET A GOOD PL259 & REMOVE THE CENTER PIN BY
   DRILLING IT OUT WITH A BIT LEAVING A HOLE BIG
   ENOUGH FOR THE CENTER COND OF CATV LINE TO
   "JUST" SLIDE THROUGH.

7- NOW CLEAN (WITH A FINE FILE) THE OUTER SURFACE
   OF THE BACK END OF THE PL259 (THE END THAT 
   NORMALLY SCREWS ONTO JACKET OF RG-8)

8- NOW SHOVE THE REAR END OF THE PL259 UP INTO 
   THE END OF THE 1/2 INCH TUBING. NORMALLY THE
   SWAGE DOWN THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE TUBING CUTTERS
   WILL MAKE A NICE FIT FOR THE PL259, IN FACT U 
   MAY NEED TO "REAM" IT A LITTLE FOR A SNUG FIT.
   PLACE ALL BUT ABOUT 1/8 IN OF THE BACK OF THE
   PL-259 INTO THE FITTING.

9- ONCE U HAVE IT SO IT FITS SNUG, PLACE  WHOLE 
   THING IN A VICE WITH THE PL-259 END POINTING
   DOWNWARD GIVING ACCESS THROUGH THE BIG 
   THREADED END DOWNWARD. NOW USE A TORCH & "SWEAT"
   OR SOLDER THE JOINT, AS YOU WOULD WHEN DOING A
   NORMAL WATER PIPE BEING CAREFULL NOT TO GET 
   THE PL-259 TOO HOT. APPLY SOILDER TO THE 
   JUNCTION OF THE OUTER EDGE OF THE PL-259 &
   INNER EDGE OF THE TUBING PLUS THE JUNCTION OF
   THE OUTER EDGE OF THE TUBING & THE INNER 
   SURFACE OF THE ADAPTER. BE CAREFULL NOT TO GET
   ANY SOLDER DOWN INSIDE THE PL-259 WHERE IT MAY
   LATER CONTACR THE "CENTER CONDUCTOR" OF THE
   HARDLINE.   

10-NOW THREAD THE FINISHED PRODUCT ALL WAY ONTO
   THE COAX SHIELD & MARK THE CENTER CONDUCTOR 
   WHERE U WANT TO CUT IT SO ITS THE RIGHT LENGTH
   TO BECOME THE "NEW" CENTER CONDUCTOR OF THE 
   PL-259.

11-REMOVE THE FINISHED PRODUCT & CUT THE CENTER 
   CONDUCTOR & ROUND OFF THE END WITH A FILE & 
   ALSO REDUCE THE DIAMETER A LITTLE AROUND THE
   END SO IT'LL FIT BETTER INTO A SO-239 LATER.

12-CLEAN ALL PARTICLES ETC FROM THE COAX & PUT 
   SOME "NO OX" OR "CONDUCTION GREESE" ON THE 
   THREADS AND SCREW IT ON & TAPE THE JOINT
   BETWEEN THE SHIELD & THE FITTING. THIS 
   COMPLETES THE PROCESS.

THE "SCREW ON" PORTION OF THE PL-259 NEVER 
COMES OFF DURING THIS PROCESS UNLESS U WANT
TO TAKE IT OFF WHILE DRILLING OUT THE CENTER 
OR FILING THE REAR BUT DONT FORGET TO PUT IT 
ON B4 U LIGHT DE TORCH !!

73 de Ed KG4W


>From Tom Francis <tomf at neca.com>  Sun Apr 28 17:16:53 1996
From: Tom Francis <tomf at neca.com> (Tom Francis)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 12:16:53 -0400
Subject: Rohn SS series towers
Message-ID: <199604281616.MAA29502 at orion.neca.com>

Hi folks and thanks for reading this post....

Gave up on the tubular tower idea for my second
tower after reading comments from this reflector 
so decided to solicit some more advice....

Anyone on the reflector have any experience
with the SS series of Rohn tower? Any better
than 45? Is it hard to install?  

Any information would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks es 73...

Tom, NM1Q (tomf at neca.com)



>From Dan Robbins <kl7y at alaska.net>  Sun Apr 28 19:14:20 1996
From: Dan Robbins <kl7y at alaska.net> (Dan Robbins)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 10:14:20 -0800
Subject: loose guy wires
Message-ID: <9604281814.AB18029 at alaska.net>

Many hams do seem to leave their towers with loose guy wires.  I have never
seen a tower that failed because the guys were too tight.  This failure mode
would cause a buckling of a leg at the very bottom of the tower where the
compression stress is the greatest.  All the failures I have seen were
bendovers at the midpoint or higher, usually due to guy failures,
excessively steep guy angles or loose guys.  The top of your tower should be
solid with no sway or twist.  You could breakdance on a top of a properly
guyed tower, they're that solid.  Personally, I would hate to miss a CONTEST
because one of my stupid towers fell over.

                                                Dan KL7Y