[TowerTalk] PL-259 - can connectors be recycled?

[Steven Katz]

My take on this is:   This is difficult to accomplish successfully IF the connectors were originally properly installed.

That’s because what holds the cable into the connector isn't solder:   Soldering makes the electrical bonds; the mechanical bond is accomplished when the connector is tightly threaded onto the cable jacket, so unless you can unthread it (possibly by melting the cable jacket material until it flows), after removing all the solder, the cable will still be in the connector.

The old PL-259s were mostly Amphenol, using a dielectric material they called Rexolite, which some think is phenolic, but it's not -- it's better but is still a thermoset resin used for its excellent thermal and high frequency properties (it's good into the GHz range with extremely low dissipation factor and a dielectric constant very close to polyethylene) but will eventually burn, so some care must be taken with overheating the connector.

It's worth a try, of course, but if the original connectors were really well installed (tightly screwing them on prior to soldering) this may be more work than it's worth.   If some ham didn't install them properly, then it could be much easier.

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Mike Fatchett W0MU
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2024 2:52 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] PL-259 - can connectors be recycled?

They are probably a bit more expensive now.  What is your time worth?  I just buy new.

W0MU

On 7/14/2024 11:38 AM, David Shindler wrote:
> Colleagues,
>
> Thanks all for discussion and good advice on co-ax connectors.
>
> I have some old (at least 50 yrs) silver-plated PL-259 connectors that presumably are good quality.
>
> The problem is that they are properly and solidly soldered to co-ax.
>
> Has anyone had success at desoldering PL-259 connectors and removing 
> the co-ax.? If so, any guidance on how to do this would be 
> appreciated.  (I do not have professional de-soldering tools - just 
> the basics.)
>
> David, VA3IIF
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk