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?