[TowerTalk] Crimp on Coax connectors

[Bert]

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Bert VE3NR



On 9/5/2019 4:01 PM, Jamie WW3S wrote:
> whats the difference between LMR-400 and RG-400 ?
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: wc1m73 at gmail.com
> To: "'Julio Peralta'" <jperalta4 at verizon.net>; "'Tower Talk'" 
> <TowerTalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: 9/5/2019 1:53:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crimp on Coax connectors
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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