[TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s

[Roger (K8RI)]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <donovanf at starpower.net>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 11:07 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s


> Box cutters are dangerous tools, intended to be used at a safe distance 
> from body parts.  Using a box cutter near your opposite hand or other body 
> parts can easily result in an accidental deep cut right to the bone, and 
> now you have a serious injury to deal with.
>
> If you use a box cutter to prepare coaxial cable, be sure you wear a 
> substantial glove on the opposing hand!

I wear LEATHER work gloves on *both* hands <:-)) I have cut myself with one, 
but never while stripping coax.

73
Roger(K8RI)


>
> 73
> Frank
> W3LPL
>
> ---- Original message ----
>>Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 21:26:05 -0400
>>From: "Roger (K8RI)" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
>>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s
>>To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>I understand what you mean, exactly.
>>>
>>> The "fanning" you describe is what happens when the conductor gets
>>> squashed
>>> during the course of cutting it.  This happens if you use diagonal
>>> cutters,
>>
>>I have a problem understanding why would that cause a problem. Yes, it
>>squashes the cable a bit at the cut, but when you strip the cable you are
>>cutting well back from that point. Probably removing 3/4 of an inch of
>>dielectric, another quarter inch of braid and jacket, and another good 
>>half
>>inch of jacket which leaves a half inch of exposed braid the end of which 
>>is
>>about an inch from where the cable was cut.
>>
>>I normally use a "stripper", but even using a box cutter for the stripping
>>I've had no problems like this.
>>Even with the box cutter I first cut the cable with cutters of one sort or
>>another including linemans pliers.
>>Using the "box cutter" I then cut all the way around and deep into the
>>dielectric (not quite to the center conductor), grab a pair of pliers and
>>twist that part off. Then I cut through the jacket and braid about a 
>>quarter
>>inch back and pull both the jacket and braid off. (Normally I only trim 
>>the
>>foil back away from the end of the dielectric, but leave most of it.) The
>>final cut is about a half inch back on the jacket. This one I make deep
>>enough to score the jacket to the point where a bit of flexing or pulling
>>will cause it to seperate.
>>
>>Then again if you use crimp connectors you won't care if the braid bells 
>>out
>>or not as the back of the connector goes under it while the crimp sleeve
>>goes over it. Just remember to put the sleeve on first.
>>
>>> end cutters, etc.  It does *not* happen -- not even a tiny bit -- if you
>>> use
>>> a real cable cutting tool, which is like a pair of mating half-moon
>>> cutting
>>> surfaces that slice through the conductor and completely shear it, 
>>> without
>>> compressing it at all.  The use of the "right tool for the job" 
>>> completely
>>> takes care of the problem with LMR-400.
>>>
>>> But you're right: If you use "dikes" (diagonal cutters) or similar, this
>>> will indeed happen.
>>
>>Haven't had it happen yet using straight edged "cable cutters", or even
>>linemans pliers and I've been using LMR-400 almost since it came out.
>>
>>73
>>
>>Roger (K8RI)
>>
>>
>>>
>>> WB2WIK/6
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Perry - K4PWO [mailto:k4pwo at comcast.net]
>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 1:53 PM
>>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s
>>>
>>> One source of problems fitting PL-259's is that, when you cut the 
>>> LMR-400,
>>> the soft copper clad aluminum "fans" preventing it from sliding into the
>>> connector.  You can file the very tip to "round" the conductor or try
>>> forming it back to round with pliers.  You will always have a little AL
>>> exposed at the cut end but I usually trim the center long, solder the
>>> center
>>>
>>> pin, and then cut the center conductor flush with the PL-259's pin.
>>> Quality
>>>
>>> connectors help too!
>>>
>>> 73 de Perry - K4PWO
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> TowerTalk mailing list
>>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> TowerTalk mailing list
>>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>TowerTalk mailing list
>>TowerTalk at contesting.com
>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk