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.
W7TI

It's not holding by four holes, but by being screwed by the jacket.
Screwing the connector body onto the coax jacket provides weather proofing and
mechanical "connection" between the cable and connector. What you did is to
expose the watersucking braid to rain and braid will eventually break off at
the junction of braid.solder/braid (tiny hair wires). If you never use the coax
outside and don't rock it, you might be OK.
But can you picture "horrible" impedance jump because of your action? Cecil
will never forgive you!
Kinda we were all stupid for all those years doing it the other way? :-)

Yuri

1) It NEEDS weatherproofing.

2) It produces an impedance discontinuity that is larger than that
produced by correct assembly. It will be more noticeable on upper HF and
VHF than 160 or 80 meters.

3) There is no strain relief.

4) If it meets your needs then only weatherproof it.

DD, W1MCE

W7TI wrote:

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?

And whats so wrong about installing the connector the way it was designed?

I've put on hundreds, and have never had trouble soldering the braid unto a
quality connector.

Whats the problem I'm missing here..?
73 de Mike, WB9B

W7TI wrote in message
...
On 22 Jul 2003 23:20:36 GMT, oSaddam (Yuri Blanarovich)
wrote:

It's not holding by four holes, but by being screwed by the jacket.
Screwing the connector body onto the coax jacket provides weather
proofing and
mechanical "connection" between the cable and connector. What you did is
to
expose the watersucking braid to rain and braid will eventually break off
at
the junction of braid.solder/braid (tiny hair wires). If you never use
the coax
outside and don't rock it, you might be OK.
snip

I agree, the "watersucking" braid needs to be waterproofed if used
outdoors.


But can you picture "horrible" impedance jump because of your action?
Cecil
will never forgive you!
snip

Good point. I will do a test on 144 MHz and see if there is a
measurable difference. The diameter of the connector is larger than the
diameter of the braid, but only for about 1/2 inch or so. At microwave
freqs that would be a no-no, but then who uses PL-259s for microwave?

I'll report back what I find.

--
73, Bill W7TI



I have NEVER soldered those damned holes. I remove the outer cover and
"pick" the braid all round. Then I remove the inner cover (center
conductor)and tin it. Then I fold the braid back over the remaining out
cover and then
screw on the adaptor (if any) onto the braid. Then I tighten the adaptor
onto
the body of the connector and tighten with pliers. Then I solder the center
wire
as usual. If there is any braid left I trim it off with a knife. This
compares with
the "old" way and does not cause any more absorption--one ought to moisture-
proof one's outside connectors anyway. Actually, in my experience,
soldering
those stupid holes causes trouble of its own. With the braid soldered, the
braid
suspends the feedline anyway, right? This means that the braid and the
center
pin are in the same "room", as it were. All it takes is one eensy weensy
wire of
that braid to get down into the center and short out the whole thing. By
folding
the braid back AWAY under the adaptor (or under the rear of the PL-259 body)
it isolates the assembly. Besides, it is easier to unsolder a connector and
use it
again. It does work. and I have been doing it for over 30 years.


73

Jerry
K4KWH

Mike:

Like you, I used to ask that. Then I had a couple of clumsy technicians
assigned to me. (Fortunately, not at the same time0.) And, I really
believe they were trying, but they could NOT assemble ANY connector
properly, even after dozens of tries. One could even mess up screw on Type
F. Some people are just not competent with their hands. An illustration in
the other direction: How many people can paint like Michelangelo?

--
Crazy George
Remove NO and SPAM from return address
"MIKEHAACK" wrote in message
...

And whats so wrong about installing the connector the way it was
designed?

I've put on hundreds, and have never had trouble soldering the braid unto
a
quality connector.

Whats the problem I'm missing here..?
73 de Mike, WB9B

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

And whats so wrong about installing the connector the way it was designed?

I've put on hundreds, and have never had trouble soldering the braid unto a
quality connector.

Whats the problem I'm missing here..?
73 de Mike, WB9B

I suspect it might be the word "quality", or the absence thereof.

The high-quality silver-plated PL-259s seem to solder easily enough as
long as you have a high-enough-wattage iron or gun. A small
fixed-wattage, non-temperature-controlled soldering pen probably won't
do the job.

The cheap nickel-plated ones can be a real hassle - the solder doesn't
wet the nickel at all readily, and one can easily end up with a "cold"
solder joint.

I've read recommendations that if you're going to solder a
nickel-plated PL-259, you should take a file and rough off the nickel
in the area around and in the holes, and on the adapter inside (if
present). The brass under the nickel will take the solder somewhat
more readily.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Gee, and I bet you tin the conductor and braid
before starting assembly. What a concept, get the
solder in place so minimal heat and time are
required for a good connection. Who's a thunk!

--
73 es cul

wb3fup
a Salty Bear

"MIKEHAACK" wrote in message
...

And whats so wrong about installing the
connector the way it was designed?

I've put on hundreds, and have never had trouble
soldering the braid unto a
quality connector.

Whats the problem I'm missing here..?
73 de Mike, WB9B

Dave Platt wrote:

Whats the problem I'm missing here..?
73 de Mike, WB9B

I suspect it might be the word "quality", or the absence thereof.

Yep - something about "doing it right", as Peter says also. Not just to
ape the professionals, but because the "right" way is the one that's
most reliable and won't let you down.

A lot of my ham training was in VHF portable contesting, where you and
your friends are out on a hill for a weekend with whatever you brought
with you... and nothing more. It quickly taught me that a little
"quality" in the right places goes a long way toward making the whole
ham radio experience much more enjoyable.

In that particular case, a lot of the spoilt weekends were due to
connectors, of which there are dozens in a complex station. "Quality"
involved assembling connectors properly at home, so they wouldn't fail
up there on the hill - and after we learned that lesson, it all became a
lot more fun.

But there's something else as well, beyond all the practical reasons: I
actually *enjoy* doing ham radio well, with quality.

Perhaps more of us should come out and say that...


Anyhow, back to the PL-259s:

The high-quality silver-plated PL-259s seem to solder easily enough as
long as you have a high-enough-wattage iron or gun. A small
fixed-wattage, non-temperature-controlled soldering pen probably won't
do the job.

That's true, but DON'T BUY A 200W IRON - it's a waste of money!

* Buy a cheap hot-air gun from the DIY store.

* Use it to pre-heat the connector body until your regular little iron
can easily melt solder on the connector body (not just a blob in the
hole, but flowing easily onto the body).

* Take the hot air away, and quickly solder the connector with your
regular iron.

It's quick, easy, low-cost, you get a "free" hot-air gun... and it
produces a top-quality job.

I now use this method for all kinds of heavy-duty soldering, with
nothing larger than a Weller TCP iron.


A good point about removing nickel plating first:

I've read recommendations that if you're going to solder a
nickel-plated PL-259, you should take a file and rough off the nickel
in the area around and in the holes, and on the adapter inside (if
present). The brass under the nickel will take the solder somewhat
more readily.

*Inside* the holes is the important place to remove the nickel. Ream it
out with a drill, or the pointy end of a triangular file.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Crazy George wrote:
Mike:

Like you, I used to ask that. Then I had a couple of clumsy technicians
assigned to me. (Fortunately, not at the same time0.) And, I really
believe they were trying, but they could NOT assemble ANY connector
properly, even after dozens of tries. One could even mess up screw on Type
F. Some people are just not competent with their hands. An illustration in
the other direction: How many people can paint like Michelangelo?

True - but then we don't make redecorating our livelihood...
--
Chris Cox, N0UK/G4JEC NIC Handle: CC345
UnitedHealthGroup, Inc., MN10-W116, UNIX Services & Consulting
6300 Olson Memorial Highway, Golden Valley, MN 55427
email: (work) (home)