[TowerTalk] Connectors

[Tom Rauch]

> various types? I know I fried some brown ones, but it appears that the
> problem was more from overheating due to poor contact generated heat
> (last on 160), rather than dielectric losses? Also is all white
> insulation is it always teflon or some other stuff (like PVC) too? (I
> guess we can always try the "melt" test if not sure.)

MFJ received some brownish or tan insulation connectors that were 
bad. Radio Shack sells some that are (or were) bad. So you can't 
just go by the color.  

I had one on something I was testing here. It felt like it fit OK, but 
the female looked all swelled-up after a few months of use and the 
male was actually stuck with that female for life.  

I tested a few females, to find out why they became so hot (and I 
mean HOT, they would burn my fingers) they swelled up.

First I connected one in parallel with my feedline on a T connector. 
Since the female swelled up with only voltage across it...and 
without any transmission line current passing through the pin....I 
assumed it was the dielectric's fault.

I confirmed that in a tuner by running just a couple watts with the 
tuner set to produce a few hundred volts on an empty female. Sure 
enough, it got hot and swelled right up.


73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com