[TowerTalk] Some advice about crimp ;type coax connectors

Patrick Greenlee patrick_g at windstream.net
Wed Nov 19 08:03:41 EST 2014 

Roger, Thanks for letting me stroll down memory lane with you.  My dad had 
one of those blow torch soldering irons when I was growing up.  Then along 
came the BIG electric irons with sufficient heat capacity in their large 
copper tip to do some serious soldering before cooling too much.  I have one 
in good operating condition, not as robust as the early ones but 
substantial.

I graduated to soldering guns and the small pencil irons in the 60's. (First 
ham lisc 1962 KN5DBP)

Don, I have a couple butane fueled soldering irons of a size suited for GP 
wiring and can solder a coax connector. they are small, light, and make 
considerable heat. They were inexpensive when I got mine.  Google on "butane 
soldering iron" and you will see that even Radio Shack sells them.  Several 
available from Weller, Wall, Portasol, etc. in various kits or bare bones. I 
haven't used mine in hurricane winds but in a fair breeze with success. I 
did use two at one time for a more extreme than normal connection.  Butane 
soldering tools are small, lightweight, and work better than most battery 
powered ones, especially if you have to do several connections as they don't 
fall off in performance like the battery powered ones do.

Butane fuel is widely available, sold for refueling butane cigarette 
lighters.

Patrick   NJ5G

-----Original Message----- 
From: Roger (K8RI) on TT
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 2:09 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Some advice about crimp ;type coax connectors

On 11/18/2014 10:10 PM, Don wrote:

My first soldering iron, used kerosene,  It made those 100 Watt Irons
look delicate and suited my skill level, or lack there of. It mounted in
the Hook and Grove on top of a blow torch.  Biggest problem with those
was getting them started and they weren't for tower work.  Too big,
heavy, and they had to be kept upright.

Starting was fun.  You "Pumped up" the tank, filled the "boat" under the
"burner" (in still air), lit the kerosene. when the boat was nearly
empty you "cracked" the throttle to the burner.  If lucky, you were
rewarded with a blue flame and a sound like an ox/acetylene torch. You
slowly advanced the throttle in steps. Too much, too quick and it'd
flood out and you had to start over. When it was really roaring, (they
had a distinctive sound) you placed the "soldering iron" in the hook and
notch, gave it a few minutes and it'd go through wheel weights like a
225 Watt gun through that tiny wire solder.  This was before PC boards.
Some had a thicker section behind the "tip" for a heat reservoir so you
could easily solder 1" copper pipe.  Delicate? it was not! <:-))
Didn't work well in wind either.  Sure worked well on RG-8 braid though.
You could tin the entire end in a couple seconds with practice.

Did I mention this was in the 50s and early 60s.  It was good for making
solder connection on wire antennas.  I don't know of anyone that used
the much more convenient copper or brass split-bolt connectors.

There have been a number of pointers to locating the old, big, electric
iron the plumbers used oh so many years past.

73

Roger (K8RI)


> Which brings a question to mind. Why is there not available for sale a 
> decent battery powered soldering iron. Sure would be nice when in the air 
> not to be tied to an AC power cord. I did a search (probably not very 
> deep) and found some battery powered irons but nothing that would deal 
> with a few UHF connectors out and away from the 'house'. A friend from 
> Australia who was in the 2-way radio business had a couple he brought when 
> he immigrated from Oz but I've been unable to find that they are made 
> anymore.
>
> Anyone have information on such a tool for use while up in the air??
>
> Don W7WLL
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Roger (K8RI) on TT
> Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 2:08 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Some advice about crimp ;type coax connectors
>
> On 11/18/2014 2:04 AM, Jim Thomson wrote:
>
> As I stated early on, my preference is 7-16 except for price.
> The Times Wire N-Type are non captive.  At the time, I couldn't find any.
>
> I use crimp type for the same reason.  I have over 100 connectors in my
> system and making crimp connections while a 10' "up there" sure beats
> soldering them, particularly this time of year.
> OTOH that's no longer a problem as I can no longer climb and have to pay
> to have it done. Again the crimp save time and now, money. <:-))
>
> I can't see N-type connectors as superior to UHF except for UHF and SHF
> and again the 7-16 are superior.
>
> Agree with you completely Jim.
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8
>
>> Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 00:36:55 -0500
>> From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Some advice about crimp ;type coax connectors
>>
>> I've used a number of connectors, most of which are the Times Wire crimp
>> connectors.  I like them as they come with a length of heat shrink.
>> They are a very well made connector, but with the 100' vertical run
>> still need the loops at top and bottom.
>>
>> As to a loop,  Why never?   I must disagree.  I see no reason not to use
>> them and a number for using them.
>> As long as the loop is not too tight, center migration is not a problem,
>> nor is lightening with the shield bonded to the tower, top and bottom.
>>
>> The same for tape. I do not like the large ty-wraps as they put too much
>> pressure on a small spot. and two wraps ever two feet gives a secure
>> hold. I run the coax along a tower leg, inside the tower, bonded to the
>> top and bottom of the tower. Put on in reasonable weather, I've never
>> had any come off or loose.  Tape in cold weather is not a good
>> idea.After this many years, I've been given no reason to change.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>
>> ##  are the Times Wire type-N  crimp connectors.... captivated or non 
>> captivated ?
>> At the telco I worked at, the cell dept would use crimp style type N 
>> connectors.
>> Crimp style were used, simply cuz they had a heck of a lot of connectors 
>> to install.
>> In some applications, > 100 connectors had to be installed.
>>
>> ##  The story I got years ago was that both captivated and non captivated 
>> type N
>> connectors were available,and that the captivated type N  was the 
>> preferred one to
>> use.
>>
>> ##  Just b4 I retired in nov 2009, they had just converted to 7-16 Din. 
>> Most of the other
>> cell cos  had already been using 7-16 Dins since day 1.   If you have 
>> ever seen a type N
>> on a huge piece of heliax, you will soon see why.   Looking at a coffee 
>> mug size connector
>> with a puny type N pin is laughable. A type N pin is the same as the pin 
>> on a BNC.
>>
>> ##  I was going to embark on my own type N conversion program and gave up 
>> on it.
>> UHF connectors have bigger pins than type N.  There is no RF  on the pin 
>> anyway..its
>> all flowing along the barrel  of the mating female that the pin engages.
>>
>> ## Andrew stopped making UHF connectors for .875 inch heliax a long time 
>> ago.
>> LC connectors are out of vogue these days.  The only game in town is the 
>> type N and the
>> 7-16Din.   Andrew, Times, etc, all offer both type N and 7-16 Din for 
>> their cables.
>> If you have ever seen a 7-16 Din,  you wont be using a type N anytime 
>> soon. The
>> pin in a 7-16 Din is huge, like a .22 shell.   The OD of the female that 
>> the pin engages
>> is 7mm OD.   The ID of the mating sleeve is 16mm.
>>
>> ##  You can also get crimp style 7-16 dins for ANY cable..including 
>> RG-393, 58-U, heliax,
>> LMR-400/600/1200,  etc.
>>
>> ##  I still  use plane UHF connectors for stuff like 213 U... albeit they 
>> are silver plated
>> and teflon dielectric.   The silver plated type are real EASY to 
>> solder.... vs the nickel
>> plated types.
>>
>> ##  A loop at the top and bottom of the tower is not going to hurt 
>> anything...provided its
>> a big enough turn radius.
>>
>>
>> Jim   VE7RF
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>


-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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