[TowerTalk] Soldering Coax Connectors

[wc1m73 at gmail.com]

Good question. I used to try to solder the center conductor through the weep hole of N crimp connectors and ran into similar problems. I stopped doing it because the drawings for all the N crimp connectors I've tried specify crimp die size but, unlike UHF crimp connectors, don't specify "solder" or "crimp/solder".

73, Dick WC1M

-----Original Message-----
From: Gedas <w8bya at mchsi.com> 
Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2019 11:56 PM
To: Bert <balmemo at sympatico.ca>; towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Soldering Coax Connectors

I use crimp and traditional clamp type of connectors. I have a question on the proper way or technique that should be used to solder the center pin of N, BNC, and SMA style connectors onto the coax center conductor w/o making a mess.

I do not have any issues with connectors like PL-259's or pure crimp type connectors but I still struggle to solder just the center conductor of the coax to the center pin w/o making a small mess on the outside of the center pin and w/o melting the dielectric. I use a 25W Weller for the center pin and have tried various tips. I also have tried different solder sizes down to those ideal for SMD work.

How do folks get solder to flow just into the weep hole ? Do you use a tiny pointed tip iron and put that tip into the weep hole and hold it there until the center pin gets hot enough to melt solder? If so do you then keep the iron in the weep hole and dab solder at the tip/pin interface and hope it gets drawn in? Or, do folks use a larger sized iron tip underneath the center pin to heat it up enough so that solder when pushed into the weep hole will melt and cause a good connection?

What about pre tinning the center conductor?

Either way, regardless how careful I am, more times then not I seem to get residual solder all over the outside of the center pin and need to carefully scrap it off with an X-acto blade after things cool off.

And then of course there is the problem with holding the larger iron tip under the center pin too long and start melting the dielectric because the center conductor has been over heated.

Gedas, W8BYA

Gallery at http://w8bya.com
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

On 9/5/2019 11:07 PM, Bert wrote:
> I always solder the pin, regardless!
>
> Bert VE3NR
>
>