On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 07:39:10 -0400, "Robert11"
wrote:
Was wondering where you folks order small quantities of made up coax
assemblies, adapters (such as SMA to BNC) and the like from ?
If you really need "small quantities", then consider do it thyself.
Stock up on an assortments of connectors, a few crimpers:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/antennas/Misc/slides/crimpers.html
and a thermal wire stripper:
http://www.teledyneinterconnect.com/products/wire_strippers/wirestrip.asp
Crimpers cost about $35/ea. A used thermal stripper is about $50 on
eBay. RF Industries connectors are $3/ea to $7/ea. There are plenty
for sale from other vendors on eBay. I stock LMR-100, LMR-240,
LMR-400, and the usual RG-6/u and RG-58/cu for CATV and jumper cables.
For the hams, I grudgingly stock UHF connectors, but most of my stuff
is SMA, RP-SMA, RP-TNC, BNC, and Type N.
If you do more than a few LMR-400 cables, consider investing in a $25
stripping tool such as:
http://www.jefatech.com/product/T400STRIP/Low_Loss_400_Strip_Tool.html
or an overpriced version:
http://www.jefatech.com/product/T400PREP/Low_Loss_400_Connector_Prep_Tool.html
Buy a supply of shrink tube and a heat gun for a professional look
(and to hide the mess).
I have a TDR for testing long cables, but an ohms-guesser and pull
test are usually good enough for checking just continuity and for
shorts.
Whether this is an economical solution depends on how many cables are
in a "small quantity" and how often you need to make them.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558