[TowerTalk] RE: Crappy PL259's

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/22/01 12:58:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
sm2cew@telia.com writes:

<< 
 I never solder the shield to the connector. I just cut the outer jacket off
 and screw the connector on to the shield and solder the center conductor.
 Been doing it for 30 years and have not had a problem no matter what
 connectors I use. 
 This way they are also VERY easy to re use.
 
 Ready to be flamed.. :-))
 
 73/Peter SM2CEW
 www.qsl.net/sm2cew
 
 At 17:28 2001-10-22 , you wrote:
 >
 >When I do solder connectors to the shield, I use a big soldering 
 >gun and hit the connector near the holes with a grinder or file before 
 >soldering.
 >
 >I never have a problem soldering when I do that, no matter who's 
 >connectors I am using.
 >73, Tom W8JI
 >W8JI@contesting.com 
 > >>
I didn't have any solder one time and just screwed the coax in the connector. 
 I pinched the center pin on the center wire for a good connection there.  I 
forgot about it as it worked I thought.  I had SWR changes from time to time, 
RF in the shack and even connector heating with 1 KW AM before I realized 
what was causing it.  The shield has got to be soldered even inside the shack.

In the last Century I had an article in CQ on coax showing how I drilled out 
the 4 holes with a 9/64 drill to enlarge the hole a bit and I also bevel the 
hole with a larger drill.  Those holes have always been too damn small. This 
works great.  

The use of a 250W iron I have to believe is perhaps causing a solder problem. 
I use a heavy tipped 47W iron.  The larger and beveled hole enables the iron 
tip to get deeper in the hole for heat transfer.  

Pollyfoam coax will start to foam out the holes if you don't get the solder 
to flow soon enough.  Some times the foam flows before the solder does.  When 
that happens cut it off and start over.  Enlarging and beveling the holes 
speeds up the solder flow.  I've also wrapped the shield with a bare #30 or 
smaller copper wire then carefully tinned it, and let it cool before screwing 
it in the connector and then soldering through the holes.  I've even 
preheated the connector and tinned the holes before screwing the coax into 
the connector.  These techniques have worked on every connector I've used.  
k7gco

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