W7TI:

To do it right you gotta spend a little money and get the right tools.

To do it "right" you gotta buy a great big 200 watt soldering iron and pour
the heat to it
for a only a short time. The coax braid is then soldered all around, not
just tacked down
with a little surface solder at those four little holes.

Do it but don't skimp on tools, "Just do it right!"

--
Peter K1PO
Indialantic By-the-Sea, FL.


"W7TI" wrote in message
...
Maybe this has been done before, but it's the first time I've heard of
this method.

While struggling as usual to attach some PL-259s to some Belden 9913F,
it occurred to me that the four little holes for soldering the braid
were not really needed. Instead, I soldered the braid directly to the
connector at the point where it entered. Picture at:

www.dslextreme.com/users/teeaye/coax.jpg

I soldered it all around the connector, although I suppose only one
point would be ok.

The braid is exposed so it would need weatherproofing for outside use.
But all in all, it seems to me to be far superior to trying to solder
through the little holes. It's much stronger and you can easily see if
you have a good connection.

Also, only a small-wattage iron is needed. I used a 40-watt Weller,
which is not hot enough doing it the normal way. There is less metal
acting as a heat sink.

Another advantage is you can trim the braid much farther back from where
you strip the center conductor. This helps reduce the chances of a
stray strand causing a short.

The only drawback I can see would be if the coax were hanging down and
swinging in the breeze - the solder could develop metal fatigue over
time. On the other hand, the coax should be strain-relieved anyway,
else it's just holding on by the four holes and the center conductor.
Not much better, if at all.

Comments?

--
73, Bill W7TI