Topband: Connector Integrity was: Re: Mother of all ferrite common-mode coaxial chokes

Pete Smith N4ZR n4zr at contesting.com
Fri Jul 13 09:46:01 PDT 2012


Interesting point on phono plugs.  I wonder if it would be useful to use 
one of the Caig Labs chemicals on those shells to enhance their contact 
with the jack.  They certainly work well on my Cinch-Jones plugs when 
they start to get flakey.

73, Pete N4ZR
The World Contest Station Database, at www.conteststations.com
The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com,
spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and
arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000

On 7/13/2012 12:08 PM, Tom W8JI wrote:
>> If ferrite isolators or beads have been determined to improve the shield
>> performance of a coaxial cable in your hamshack, something is
>> fundamentally wrong either with the cable (but most likely the connectors
>> at either end) or the shielded enclosure(s) its connected to.
>>
>> I've seen literally hundreds of improperly installed PL-259, type N and
>> BNC connectors.  Years ago I stopped allowing anyone to bring coaxial
>> cables into my shack because so many are improperly installed.
> It seems Frank, Jim, myself, and many others are in exact agreement. This is
> because underlying science is universally logical and valid, and proven both
> by measurements and by time in thousands of commercial systems.
>
> Because I use phono plugs that really have improper shield grounding
> integrity, and sometimes the pressure connections add a tiny bit of unwanted
> shield impedance to the groundplane of "the box entrance", I use high
> impedance beads on these particular cables. I also, as a practice, keep an
> eye on those connectors. I use those connectors by necessity, because
> several of my radios use phono plugs for external antenna ports, and there
> is no easy way to change connectors.
>
> In some places, how we attach cables doesn't matter much at all. In other
> places, in particular inside the hose, small errors can create large
> problems. The building entrance is also critical, if we want to keep bad
> things outside.
>
> Save the isolators for outside, where they might do something meaningful.
>
> 73 Tom
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>




More information about the Topband mailing list