[TowerTalk] Crimp on Coax connectors

[wc1m73 at gmail.com]

I used solder connectors exclusively for many years, but switched to crimp a
while back. I've had no problems at all. 

One reason I switched was because I had a few instances of problems with
overheating the shield braid on UHF solder connectors. That can melt the
dielectric, and sometimes I didn't realize it until the connector failed
later. Also had instances of the tinned shield breaking at its interface
with the non-tinned shield as the cable flexed. Tinning the shield and
soldering it takes more time than crimping, and it's difficult to get the
connector hot enough to solder the shield to it without melting the
dielectric, especially when installing a connector outdoors, and especially
when it's cold.

I think as long as you use the right connectors and crimp dies, and do the
prep correctly, crimp connectors are faster and easier to install and are
more reliable than solder connectors. It's much easier and faster to replace
a crimp connector outdoors.

I used to get my connectors from RF Parts or The RF Connection, and I have
an RF Industries ratcheting crimp tool with various dies. It came with a
good quality metal stripping tool, the kind that makes multiple cuts as you
spin it around the cable. This system worked pretty well, but the stripping
tool sometimes didn't cut through completely or cut too far, and I felt the
blade spacing wasn't ideal for the RF Industries connectors I was using. As
for those, I tried several models of their UHF connectors for LMR-400 size
cable and I wasn't able to find one with a center conductor tube that easily
fits the BuryFlex and LMR-400UF coax I use. Even for the best one I found,
the center conductor strands had to be perfectly straight and tightly
twisted before tinning, and even then I'd often have to remove a strand or
shave a little solder off the center conductor to get it into the tube.

Not so with the DXE UHF connectors, which are custom made for them. The
center tube of their DXE-PL259CS8U connectors easily accommodates tinned
BuryFlex and LMR-400UF. It's a pleasure to use them compared with the RF
Industries connectors.

I also really like the DXE cable prep tools, which are far superior to the
RF Industries stripper I was using. You have to be careful to match the tool
to the type of coax and connector you're using. For the DXE Engineering
LMR-400 compatible connectors (DXE-PL259CS8U), you want part number
DXE-UT-405C-P1.

DXE doesn't have a custom N crimp connector, but they sell Amphenol N crimp
connectors for LMR-400 compatible cables and have a prep tool specifically
designed for them. It's part number DXE-UT-405C-N1. Amphenol has two crimp
connectors for LMR-400 compatible cables. The one DXE sells is their part
number AML-172102H-2. The last 2 is for two connectors. The actual Amphenol
part number is 172102H243. Amphenol has another compatible connector with
part number 172102H243-11. The only difference appears to be that the one
DXE sells is designed for finger tightening, while the other one can be
tightened with a wrench. I was able to get a somewhat better deal on larger
quantities of the 172102H243-11 connectors from one of the major online
suppliers (Mouser?) so I went with them.

I also got the compatible DXE cable gripping tool, DXE-CGH-8U. Not strictly
necessary, but it makes the job a little easier, especially if you have
arthritis or a weak grip in the hand holding the coax.

Bottom line: go for it.

73, Dick WC1M

-----Original Message-----
From: Julio Peralta <jperalta4 at verizon.net> 
Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2019 11:17 AM
To: Tower Talk <TowerTalk at contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Crimp on Coax connectors

I'm going to have to cut and apply coax connectors to existing runs of RG8
type coax in the process of installing my SPG.

 

It's my intention to use crimp on coax connectors. I'm wondering if anyone
has had any problems with them? This is assuming they will be sufficiently
water proofed using one of the many techniques discussed here many times.

 

I really like the crimp connectors available from DX Engineering even though
they're a little more expensive.

 

Julio, W4HY