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.

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!

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.

"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.

"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
Using a pipe cutter and the plug as a guide, cut the surplus braid
away.

To give credit where it is due, the use of a pipe cutter is a good idea.

It sure beats the gingerly use of a junior hacksaw!

On 10/16/2015 6:36 AM, gareth wrote:
"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
Using a pipe cutter and the plug as a guide, cut the surplus braid
away.

To give credit where it is due, the use of a pipe cutter is a good idea.

It sure beats the gingerly use of a junior hacksaw!


I'm with him on the method, tin the shield, pipe cutter is good, but
I use en exacto or utility knife, guess my pipe cutters are to old and
dull. It's even worth it to tin the holes on the PL-259 and let it cool
before you start.
Oh, and don't forget to install the sleeve first!!

Mikek

"amdx" wrote in message
...
On 10/16/2015 6:36 AM, gareth wrote:
"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
Using a pipe cutter and the plug as a guide, cut the surplus braid
away.
To give credit where it is due, the use of a pipe cutter is a good idea.
It sure beats the gingerly use of a junior hacksaw!
I'm with him on the method, tin the shield, pipe cutter is good, but I
use en exacto or utility knife, guess my pipe cutters are to old and dull.
It's even worth it to tin the holes on the PL-259 and let it cool before
you start.
Oh, and don't forget to install the sleeve first!!

Actually, there is a minor problem with the pipe cutter, and that is that it
only cuts square
if both of the back rollers are sitting on the material being cut, and the
insulation, where the insulation
has not been cut back, sets the pipe cutter askew.

amdx wrote:
On 10/16/2015 6:36 AM, gareth wrote:
"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
Using a pipe cutter and the plug as a guide, cut the surplus braid
away.

To give credit where it is due, the use of a pipe cutter is a good idea.

It sure beats the gingerly use of a junior hacksaw!


I'm with him on the method, tin the shield, pipe cutter is good, but
I use en exacto or utility knife, guess my pipe cutters are to old and
dull. It's even worth it to tin the holes on the PL-259 and let it cool
before you start.
Oh, and don't forget to install the sleeve first!!

Mikek


I keep a small pipe cutter specially for the job. It is a small C type one,
rather than the larger G clamp type. A utility (we would say Stanley) knife
is a bit dangerous in my view, if it slips, used for this task. Ok for the
sheath and inner insulation of course.

Another trick is to cut slowly, so as to preserve the edge on the cutting
wheels. Several gentle cuts, rather than trying to cut too quickly. As a
guide, if you mark the inner, go easier next time. That is my rule of
thumb.

If you think about it, the braid, even when soldered, is probably no harder
than a copper pipe as lead is softer than copper and the braid isn't solid.
There is the tin, of course, but that is why I suggest several cuts.

I've used the technique for decades and I'm pretty sure I've not replaced
the pipe cutter. It has been used by myself and countless licence students
(fitting a plug is required for one of the licence assessments here).

I can't claim to have invented the technique. I'm not sure but I think I
first saw an American amateur use it in the early 80s.