[TowerTalk] Center pins for Andrew 7/8" coax connectors

[Jeff DePolo]

> I purchased cheaply, 10 different Andrew 7/8"  hardline connectors w/o
> center pins, internal insulators and O rings. O rings are not 
> hard to get,
> but does anyone know of a source to purchase just parts and pieces for
> these connectors? Most are L45N, with 2 - L43W and one L45AW.
> 
> Tnx,
> 
> Ray,
> N6VR

At one time Andrew (now Commscope) used to sell replacement center pins,
O-rings, and gaskets for foam Heliax connectors.  For most connectors, you
could buy the center pins alone, or purchase a "connector reattachment kit"
that included all three parts.  Under Commscope's regime, those days are
long gone, and that series of cable (LDF) the connectors you mention above
were made for hasn't been made in more than a decade.  Your best bet is to
keep looking for used connectors at hamfests or (if you know any local tower
companies) from to-be-scrapped cable runs and collect parts that way.

If you get desperate let me know and I'll look to see if I have anything
that might help you; when we take down/replace cable runs I cut off the
connectors and toss them into a pail and sell whatever I've collected every
year at Dayton, there may be a few LDF5 connectors in there.

By the way, for female type N's (L45N et al), the female contact "fingers"
or "petals" were a separate piece from the rest of the brass thread-in
portion of the connector.  The female contact piece (silver-plated) was
soldered onto the brass part of the assembly.  If the female contacts are
damaged but the rest of the pin assembly is still good, you can replace just
the contacts - dig through your junk box and look for a female contact from
a type N connector for RG-8 (regular military-clamp type such as UG-23B/U)
and you should find it's an identical match.

I don't think I've ever heard of an L43W connector, what kind of connector
is it?

				--- Jeff WN3A


---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus