[TowerTalk] PL259 Connectors Part 2

[Kevin Stover]

Ditto on the crimping of connectors.
I think it makes a better shield connection than the solder and hope method.
I tried to pull one off a waste piece of coax. Connector clamped in my 
bench vise and two guys pulling on the coax.
Didn't budge. Try that with the soldered connector.

On 5/9/2016 6:07 PM, Jerry Gardner wrote:
> On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 2:35 PM, Timothy A. Holmes <taholmes160 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> In addition to the recommendations from the previous e-mail about the best
>> brand / kind of PL259 connectors, I would also like to ask how is the best
>> way to attach them to the coax (including the different sizes of coax I am
>> likely to encounter)
>>
>> I am trying to achieve a long lasting, water tight installation that I
>> wont have to mess with for many many years.
>>
>> For a long time, I have soldered them, but i have around a 25% failure
>> rate, which could be due to my soldering skills, or to technique.
>>
>> I have also read some about crimping on the connectors, which I have NO
>> experience, but if its better than soldering, I'm open to it, but I Really
>> need some instructions / links etc.
>>
>>
> For many years now I've crimped connectors on coax rather than soldering
> them. I've never had a failure in the many dozens I've done, including the
> ones exposed to the weather.
>
> To do it right, however, you need the proper crimp tool and dies that match
> the connector. Coax prep tools also help as they make it easy to
> consistently strip the coax to the right dimensions without nicking any of
> the conductors.
>
> The biggest win with crimping is that you don't need to heat the connector
> shell and coax braid and risk melting the dielectric. Most of the poorly
> soldered PL-259s I've seen are due to overheating (and melting the
> dielectric) or underheating (resulting in cold joints). Crimping eliminates
> both possibilities. IMO, most hams don't have the soldering skills
> necessary to consistently solder a PL-259 properly.
>
> Most industries (aerospace, military, medical, etc.) and organizations
> (NASA) moved to crimp connectors decades ago.
>
> Search the 'net -- there are links aplenty about crimping connectors onto
> coax. Here's one I've found useful:
> http://www.bcdxc.org/pl259_crimp_on_connectors.htm
>
> 73,
> Jerry
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>
>
>
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-- 
R. Kevin Stover
AC0H
ARRL
FISTS #11993
SKCC #215
NAQCC #3441


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