[TowerTalk] N or UHF?

[Jim Chaggaris]

I use the newer N connectors that install much like a PL-259.  They are high
quality and I've never had a problem.  I also use the Andrew Heliax N
connectors with the captive pin and have never had a problem.

All my outdoor connections use N connectors.  I use UHF connectors on all
indoor connections.  I have to disagree that the Pl-259 is a better
connector.  It's not waterproof and overall power capability is lower than
with N connectors.

"Your mileage may vary"....

73's
 
Jim N9WW
 
James Chaggaris
President
PowerOne Corp.
1020 Cedar Avenue
Suite 110
St. Charles, IL 60174
Phn: 630-443-6500
Fax: 630-443-6505
Cell: 630-669-2241
www.pwrone.com

 
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Clint Talmadge
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 4:57 PM
To: K8RI on TowerTalk; TOWERTALK at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] N or UHF?

I will echo what Dan Hearn has said with a little more detail.  In an N
connector the center pin is positioned in the connector by the center
conductor.  When the cable gets cold the copper contracts and draws the
center pin out of the mating connector.   While working at a small company
in New Hampshire, we ran a cable to the roof for an antenna to provide clock
signals for a system we were developing.  Every morning the clock would not
see the antenna.  We would trouble shoot it to the cable, take it out and
replace it and everything would work fine.  Next morning, same thing!
Someone noticed we had been "fixing" it using "yesterday's" cable.  When we
tried to figure out how a cable could heal itself overnight, we came upon
the temperature difference of the cable run outside the wall in the New
Hampshire winter and one that had spent the night coiled up in the warm shop
on the floor.
If memory serves me, NO1V, Ernie Cote was the one who finally deduced the
problem.


PL-259's center pin is fixed to the shell so cannot move in and out. Go with
PL-259's

Clint - W5CPT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: K8RI on TowerTalk 
  To: TOWERTALK at contesting.com 
  Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 3:24 PM
  Subject: [TowerTalk] N or UHF?


  It's just a small thing, but I'm running some LMR-600 and 5/8 Heliax up
the 
  tower for six and two. From the rig to the antennas is roughly 228 feet. 
  The pigtails from the entrance bulkhead are LMR-400 UF.  I grounded the 
  LMR-400 cable jacket at the base of the tower using UHF bulkhead
connectors 
  through a bracket bolted to the tower legs (waterproofed with flooded heat

  shrink).

  I can ground the two new cables the same way, or I can use a double female
N 
  connector clamped to a leg of the tower. I'll be doing the same thing at
the 
  top of the tower where the pigtails hook to the LMR-600 and Heliax.

  The only drawback I can see with the N connectors is the lower voltage
break 
  down and although they are inherently water proof/resistant that is
placing 
  a lot of faith in a little gasket. Of course I can do the flooded heat 
  shrink treatment on those as well. OTOH clamping directly to a tower leg 
  probably gives the best angle for diverting lightning off the coax.

  At six and two meters I doubt the extra loss for either type of connector
is 
  worth taking into consideration. Due to RF exposure levels I'm limited to 
  380 watts key down (continuous) into the 2-meter array but at the 20% SSB 
  duty cycle I can still run the legal limit (when I get the amp).  I can
run 
  the legal limit, any mode, on six.

  Any one have any good reasons/thoughts for going one way or the other?

   BTW IF for some reason, some where along the line a message gets tagged
as 
  spam *Please* remove that tag before replying as the message will get
dumped 
  at my ISP and I'll never see it. The same is true for answering anything 
  with the word "Digest" in the subject. They will not come through. I
haven't 
  received any messages with the word digest in the subject line since early

  last spring.

  Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
  N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
  www.rogerhalstead.com 

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