Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 192, Issue 6

[Drew Vonada-Smith]

Friends,


I've got to disagree with the many comments slamming the old but venerable PL259 and advocating for N.


While the N connector is great from an RF standpoint, one should note that the impedance aspects of the N at HF are irrelevant.  Not small...irrelevant by orders of magnitude.  Even on 6M and 2M, this issue is too tiny to be noticed.


I have had various station reliablity problems in the last two years which I spent a LOT of time curing.  I ave had very large numbers of N connector failures, in the field, outside.  Zero for PL259.  The reason is simple - the PL259 is mechanically rugged and that trumps any possible RF advantage by a mile.  Adapters are something to be avoided, and the center pin of an N female is far to fragile and easily spread out in rough handling.  I have banned all use of N at my station.  Big multis with more high volume experience might chime in.


But the bottom line is, bad connectors are bad connectors.  Find one that is reliable, pay for it gladly, stick with it, and learn how to best assemble it.  Both solder Amphenol parts and good quality UHF crimp units for for me.  If you use solder units, and work outside, you need an appropriately sized torch to do it.


73,
Drew K3PA


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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:00:53 +1300
From: Greg-zl3ix <zl3ix at inet.net.nz>
To: <topband at contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: Rather use N-type (was Re: The answer to PL-259
        soldering/reliability problems)
Message-ID: <ba5fb11d5adcc35c60daae0ced2d01d1 at snap.net.nz>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8



I continue to be mystified by the fact that the amateur radio
community insists on using PL259 connectors. N-type are much more
reliable (used by professional communicators), low cost, can be crimped
easily and quickly and have a well-defined impedance right up into GHz
frequencies.

Back in 2005 I started having contact problems with the
connector on my SteppIR 3-element. There was a thin layer of oxide that
built up around the centre pin of the PL259. I had had similar problems
with other connectors around my shack. I decided to change my entire
station, including the SteppIR, to N-type, and have never looked back.


73, Greg, ZL3IX

On 06.12.2018 13:29, Steve Ireland wrote: