[TowerTalk] PL259 Connectors Part 2

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

 >:-)
Bob, it was my skill, or rather the lack there of that caused me to quit 
reusing connectors. I too, have had the center pin pull out, I even 
trashed Phenolic Insulators (before Teflon) and boy, that stuff really 
stinks!
So I'm a member of the Been there, Done That, but no T-shirt" club.
If a mistake can be made, I've probably done it<sigh>
I'm probably done making them at 100 feet though.

73

Roger (K8RI)


On 5/12/2016 Thursday 6:04 PM, Bob K6UJ wrote:
> Roger,
>
> I have to confess, I have reused PL-259's back when I was a novice and 
> financially insecure :-)
> The old PL-259's could take a lot more heat abuse and I could get away 
> with it.  (Although a few
> got so hot the center pin pulled right out of the dielectric :-)
> I now must live with the shame of reusing connectors, 
> sigh..................hihi
>
> 73,
> Bob
> K6UJ
>
> On 5/12/16 2:45 PM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
>> Simple use of reducers.
>>
>> With the proper amount of center conductor exposed, remove between an 
>> eighth to a quarter inch of jacket exposing the braid.  I prefer an 
>> eighth
>> Slide/push the coax through the reducer, flare the braid onto the 
>> (inner) end of the reducer and solder the braid to the end of the 
>> reducer. Trim any excess braid and solder from the end of the reducer.
>> Pretty much the same as recommended plus solder.  Solid, secure, 
>> easily checked (before assembly), and prep requiring only a little skill
>> Still, Crimp is  easier, faster, no heat to damage coax,and produces 
>> consistent results.
>>
>> SO2R with two stations (HF, VHF, and UHF),  six pack, remote antenna 
>> switches, three transceivers, two amps, two tuners, two towers, many 
>> antennas. Enough that I usually purchase connectors 50 or a hundred 
>> at a time.  7 to 10 connectors between rig and each antenna. It 
>> varies from ~50 to nearly 100 connectors in the system.  Good, 
>> properly adjusted strippers for each model coax and crimpers with the 
>> proper dies.  Connectors from 8X, RG-400, BuryFlex, LMR-400, 
>> LMR-600.  I can not imagine soldering connectors for this setup.
>>
>> One thing I did (Jerry will love this) with the old, clamp type, 
>> N-type connectors was to pot them with epoxy.  Single use for sure, 
>> but I never had one fail <LOL>
>> Actually I consider most of the connectors in the station single use 
>> be they, solder, crimp, or clamp types.  When I remove connectors I 
>> normally pitch them.
>> The big expensive ones for hard line, I'd save, but I don't have any 
>> of those.
>>
>> With a single station with one or two antennas, I can see saving the 
>> cost of strippers and crimpers, but when running power with multiple 
>> antennas plus tuners those tools and methods save a lot of time and 
>> frustration.
>>
>> Even as a poor, as yet to get a job, Novice, I still never reused 
>> solder type connectors. We'd never heard of crimp type 55 years ago.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>
>>
>> On 5/12/2016 Thursday 4:29 PM, Jerry Gardner wrote:
>>> It seems to me that people keep coming up with all sorts of wild and 
>>> crazy
>>> ways to solder PL-259 connectors. I suppose this is because the 
>>> original
>>> method developed by Amphenol decades ago has perceived shortcomings,
>>> particularly in how that method prescribes soldering the coax braid 
>>> to the
>>> connector. Some of these "solutions" just make me wince, while 
>>> others make
>>> me a little nauseous.
>>>
>>>
>>> The prep time involved with some of these methods is lengthy and 
>>> tedious
>>> and, in my opinion, unnecessary. Why go to all that trouble for 
>>> something
>>> as simple as connecting a connector to a cable? Just because hams 
>>> seem to
>>> be wedded to soldering? Using a coax prep tool and crimper, I can strip
>>> coax and crimp a connector on in about 45 seconds from start to 
>>> finish. Try
>>> that with some of the bizarre methods advocated here and on other ham
>>> websites.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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