[TowerTalk] Soldering PL-259 Connectors

["Dick Green".]

 >After cutting the coax to length using the markings, I used the W0UN PL259
>course to put connectors on.  This reflector is great!
>

Hey! What's the W0UN PL259 course? I'm always interested in new ways to put
these babies on. If it's something that was previously posted, could someone
e-mail me a copy?

I've been soldering a lot of connectors lately, so, for what it's worth,
here's my method. I think I got most of it off the HamCall CD-ROM:

 First, I prefer to use the silver plated connectors. I've always found it
to be very difficult to solder the chrome plated connectors, no matter how
hot the iron gets. However, the following method should work for either
type.

Enlarge the four holes in the connector shell. You can use a drill, but I
prefer a reaming tool. Making the holes a little larger makes it easier to
get the tip of your iron into the holes. Don't enlarge them too much or the
connector will deform when you screw it on the cable.

Strip off enough of the outer jacket so that when the connector is screwed
on, about 1/4" of the center conductor will stick out the end of the center
pin.

Lightly tin the shield braid from where it exits the end of the jacket to
about 1/2 inch or so. Avoid thick lumps of solder on the braid and use care
not to melt the dielectric.

 Use a tubing cutter to cut the soldered shield braid 3/8 inch from the
jacket, then  pull the remaining shield braid off. If the tubing cutter
isn't real sharp, it will compress the soldered shield braid, making it hard
to just pull off the unused braid. In this case, just cut it down the middle
with some snippers and peel it off.

 Strip the dielectric to bare the center conductor, leaving about 1/8 inch
of it intact after the shield braid (this buffer helps to keep the two
conductors from shorting, which can happen if molten solder drips down the
center pin tube). Tin the exposed center conductor.

Slip the screw ring on the cable (actually, always do this at the beginning
so you don't forget), and screw the connector onto the cable. On most
cables, I prefer to do this by hand. Often I have to wrap the connector with
some cloth to get a good tight grip on it. Sometimes I've had to use pliers
to grip the connector, but care must be used to avoid crushing or deforming
it. Some people use a second pair of pliers to hold the cable, but I've
always has trouble with damaging the cable this way. The important thing is
to avoid twisting the cable. This sometimes happens when there's a tight fit
between the shield braid and the inside of the connector, so be sure to tin
the braid lightly (that also helps to avoid melting the dielectric.) Some
people recommend greasing the cable jacket with a little soap to make it
easier to screw the connector on. I think I tried it once and it helped.

Solder the shield braid to the connector through the four holes. Be sure to
sure to use an iron that's hot enough. I've always gotten the best results
with a Weller temperature controlled iron with a fairly large tip. Keep the
tip of the iron well tinned. I usually heat the edges of the hole first, to
get the connector hot enough to melt the solder, then push the iron through
the hole to heat the braid. When both are hot enough, the solder will flow
freely into the hole and sag downward into concave shape. If it's balling up
or is convex, the iron is not hot enough or needs to be tinned.  If you move
quickly from hole to hole, the connector will retain most of the heat and
you won't have to reheat it much to solder through the next hole. That
avoids overheating the dielectric.

Solder the center conductor to the center pin. Be careful not to drip too
much solder down the center pin tube -- it can slip past the center
conductor and short the sheild braid.

Use an ohmmeter to check for proper continuity and shorts between the shield
and center conductor. If you're making a cable with connectors at both ends,
hook up a dummy load and make sure the SWR is flat.

Hope this is helpful.

73, Dick , WC1M



--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search