[TowerTalk] Junk Coonectors (was Re: How lossy are PL-259s at HF?)

[Ed W0YK]

Yes, and it's been excellent.  Make sure the correct tool is exactly matched to the connector, though, and used properly.  Mismatches and misuse cause much of the problems with crimp connections.73,Ed W0YK
-------- Original message --------From: Pete Smith N4ZR <pete.n4zr at gmail.com> Date: 6/18/24  12:38  (GMT-08:00) To: towertalk at contesting.com Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Junk Coonectors (was Re: How lossy are PL-259s at
  HF?) Any experience with DX Engineering PL-259s?  I bought a half-dozen crimp type for RG-8X, on the theory that DXE would stand behind their own name brand.  They are even stamped with a DX Engineering patent notice  - like what's to patent?  They feel a little lighter than WW2 surplus,but...73, Pete N4ZROn 6/18/2024 1:14 PM, Jim Brown wrote:> On 6/18/2024 6:15 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:>> When shopping for UHF connectors at a hamfest, bring an Amphenol male>> and use it to test any connectors that have a UHF female involved.  Do>> I consider this a fool's errand. The only connectors or adapters I > will buy at a hamfest are MIL-surplus or Amphenol-branded, and they're > sold by individual hams. I've probably used a hundred or more of them > over the years, all bought in lots of 50 or 100 from franchised > distributors as part of a group purchase that I or others have > organized for clubs to which I've belonged.>> For more than 25 years, I've served on the Standards Committee of the > Audio Engineering Society, which includes representatives of major > manufacturers like Switchcraft, Neutrik, Shure, AKG, Neumann, > Audio-Tehcnica, Sennheiser, and Beyer Dynamic. (not Amphenol -- they > haven't been in the audio biz for 40-50 years, which Switchcraft and > Neutrik have dominated for that long). Over the years, I've seen many > reports from some of them about counterfeits of their products. With > microphones, the defects are sound quality; with connectors, they're > failure to properly mate, dissimilar metals that you can't solder to > or degrade with time, dielectrics that melt when you try to solder.>> Yes, there are other mfrs of connectors, but I wouldn't go near them > unless I was  a mfr who could vet the company, get samples, see their > quality control. Years ago, W2VJN did that for some antenna switching > products, and he got quality. Our chances of getting quality > connectors are about as good as winning the lottery.>> When I got back on the air in 2003, I was ignorant of this issue with > ham connectors, and bought a lot of adapters to fill my junk box. Over > the next 5-6 years, they caused me untold grief trouble-shooting the > failures they caused in my station.>> 73, Jim K9YC>> _______________________________________________>>>> _______________________________________________> TowerTalk mailing list> TowerTalk at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk______________________________________________________________________________________________TowerTalk mailing listTowerTalk at contesting.comhttp://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk