The little holes in PL259
 

Custos Custodum wrote:
Brian Reay wrote in :

Ralph Mowery wrote:

wrote in message
...
In rec.radio.amateur.antenna gareth
wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in
a PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power
jobbie?

Buy or borrow tools appropriate to the task.


That is the way to do it. Get a big soldering iron that will really
put the heat to it. I have used a Weller soldering gun in the past,
but now use a 100 watt iron. I bought a used one at a hamfest. I
think you can get some at the Hobby Lobby store if in the US. They
sell them to people that make things out of leaded glass sort of like
the old church windows.


An old Solon, ex BT, iron is ideal, I think they are about 50W but the
key thing is they have a decent sized bit. That means a good thermal
mass to get the plug up to temp. quickly.

Mine was 65W, IIRC. Haven't seen it for a while; I think it's out in the
garage. And yes, they are polarised. I can remember holding and staring
at something I was about to solder and reaching out for the iron without
looking. Picked it up by the wrong end. You only do that once!




While I have certainly suffered my share of soldering iron burns, I don't
recall grabbing one by the wrong end- probably due to always using a stand
or holder, at least since the days of replacing my Remploy iron which I was
given when I was about 11. If you don't know the Remploy, it had a
triangular section on the handle which kept the hot end clear of the bench.
I regret no longer having the Remploy.

The ex-BT iron came with an insulated clip on pot-like holder. I was told
these were designed to clip to the old telephone exchange racks.

The little holes in PL259
 

"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...

Brian, a largely unhelpful tirade from you in which the only relevant bit,
and not in itself
helpful is your comment, "solder, with a decent sized iron". However, as
must be apparent to
all your readership, your reply, as always, is a thinly disguised vehicle to
make
several personal remarks.

Why do you continue to behave as does a 5-year-old on a daily basis?

Shame on you.


Ralph Mowery wrote:

wrote in message
...
In rec.radio.amateur.antenna gareth wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Buy or borrow tools appropriate to the task.


That is the way to do it. Get a big soldering iron that will really put
the
heat to it. I have used a Weller soldering gun in the past, but now use
a
100 watt iron. I bought a used one at a hamfest. I think you can get
some
at the Hobby Lobby store if in the US. They sell them to people that
make
things out of leaded glass sort of like the old church windows.


An old Solon, ex BT, iron is ideal, I think they are about 50W but the key
thing is they have a decent sized bit. That means a good thermal mass to
get the plug up to temp. quickly.

In the UK, fitting a Coax plug is part of the Intermediate licence and I
teach the following method, especially for RG213 etc. Strip the PVC
jacket.
Using the plug as a guide, decide which area of the braid will be under
the
holes. Tin the braid, using a bit of liquid flux. The tinning must be very
light. Using a pipe cutter and the plug as a guide, cut the surplus braid
away. The tinning ensures a neat cut with no stray 'whiskers'. Next, trim
away the inner insulation, about 2mm beyond the tinned braid.

You should now be able to assemble the plug and see the inner emerge from
the centre pin and the tinned braid through the holes. A small amount of
liquid flux around the holes and solder, with a decent sized iron, and you
will get a good connection. Solder the inner.

I've taught countless Intermediates this technique, including my daughters
when they were about 10 or so. After all, fitting a 259 is a basic skill.
Anyone who claims to be a home brewer should surely be able to do it.
As for having a soldering iron large enough, it is the kind of thing I
would expect an active model engineer to have- if someone needed to borrow
one.

The little holes in PL259
 

"rickman" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


+1

The little holes in PL259
 

"gareth" wrote in message
...
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259 if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is sound.


.... and thereby hangs a tale ...


I have a large soldering iron which has proved to be dangerous in use,
because the
bit falls out and could not be resolved, until, that is, this morning when I
relaised that
if I jammed some hook-up wire into the hole in parallel with the bit then
the problem
could be resolved.

Result; one soldered PL259

Must close now because my aerail rigger is due in half an hour, but thanks
for all the
positively social hints and tips!


And the moral of this story? ... _NEVER_ buy any tools with the "Draper"
brand.

The little holes in PL259
 

"rickman" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


Rick

wrecking as usual...Someone who knows him told me he was running a book on
the demise of the sick Scottish nurse.......

The little holes in PL259
 

"Jim GM4DHJ ..." wrote in message
...

"rickman" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong
pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


Rick

wrecking as usual...Someone who knows him told me he was running a book on
the demise of the sick Scottish nurse.......

A survey of the posts from STC over the past 3 years will find nothing of
value,
even a confusion between sidetone and sideband,
but hundreds of gratuitously abusive remarks; remarks for which someone
described
him as a narcissistic sociopath.

The little holes in PL259
 

"gareth" wrote in message
...
"Jim GM4DHJ ..." wrote in message
...

"rickman" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong
pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


Rick

wrecking as usual...Someone who knows him told me he was running a book
on the demise of the sick Scottish nurse.......

A survey of the posts from STC over the past 3 years will find nothing of
value,
even a confusion between sidetone and sideband,
but hundreds of gratuitously abusive remarks; remarks for which someone
described
him as a narcissistic sociopath.




which he is ....

The little holes in PL259
 

"gareth" wrote:
"rickman" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


+1

Was the PL259's manual missing the relevant pages, Gareth?

--
STC // M0TEY // twitter.com/ukradioamateur

The little holes in PL259
 

"gareth" wrote:
"Jim GM4DHJ ..." wrote in message
...

"rickman" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong
pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


Rick

wrecking as usual...Someone who knows him told me he was running a book on
the demise of the sick Scottish nurse.......

A survey of the posts from STC over the past 3 years will find nothing of
value,
even a confusion between sidetone and sideband,
but hundreds of gratuitously abusive remarks; remarks for which someone
described
him as a narcissistic sociopath.

Gotten to.

--
STC // M0TEY // twitter.com/ukradioamateur

The little holes in PL259
 

On 10/14/2015 7:23 PM, rickman wrote:
On 10/14/2015 3:08 PM, Stephen Thomas Cole wrote:
"gareth" wrote:
What's the solution to soldering through to the underlying braid in a
PL259
if the only
soldering iron small enough to engage the holes is a low-power jobbie?

Perchance the solution lies in using a junior hacksaw to make a slot
between
two of the holes
so the big iron can get in there?

This is for an outdoors connection, so I want to ensure that it is
sound.

Gareth Alun Evans G4SDW, four decade plus radio amateur, lifelong pursuer
of "technical excellence", and "polymath".

Jesus wept.

This was a nice little discussion until you showed up. What is your
intent exactly?


Didn't you suggest that I resist replying to such posts? Shame on you
for your hypocrisy.