[TowerTalk] Crimp on Coax connectors

[Steve Maki]

Older Heliax connectors - the bronze style (I'm talking old here) - had 
solder center pins. Nowadays they are of the captured center pin style, 
as are most LMR connectors like EZ400's and COMP-400's.

For braided coax with a solid center conductor, I like connectors that 
have precision captured center pins, where the (beveled) center 
conductor squeezes in with force. After installation, it can slide back 
and forth a tiny bit in the pin if needed due to temperature extremes 
without breaking anything or moving the pin and losing contact with the 
mating connector. Which IS a thing. Maybe not with UHF connectors, but 
with N's, definitely. Not sure if there IS a PL-259 like that, if not, 
there should be.

If the center conductor is stranded, there is no captured center pin 
connector available, for obvious reasons. Well if it's not obvious, it's 
because it would take a miracle to get all the strands inserted into a 
precision pin, and there would be no way to know for sure how successful 
you were.

In that case take your pick, solder or crimp or both...

-Steve K8LX

On 09/08/19 18:56 PM, wc1m73 at gmail.com wrote:

> One point on crimp vs solder center conductors: All the heliax I've ever
> used relies on mechanical connections for the shield and center conductor.
> There's less flexing, but depending on the application (e.g., not a rotor
> loop) I don't see why crimp isn't just as good as solder.
> 
> 73, Dick WC1M