KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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Crimp, but do it properly

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 11:37 AM PDT
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One of the ongoing debates in amateur radio is whether to crimp or solder
coaxial connectors. Im pretty much a crimp guy, now that I have the proper
crimper. Below is some information from ABR Industries on how they ensure
that their crimps are reliable.








The technical side.Crimping



When crimping a connector onto coax, such as this crimp-on PL-259
connector, make sure that the wire has no scrapes, nicks, or other damage.




Proper crimping is a function that is as critical to the assembly business.
The technique is just as important as soldering. For most people is
difficult to understand that when this process is done correctly, the end
result will have as excellent conductivity, consistent shield
effectiveness, and increased termination strength. Which translates to a
longer life of the assembly.




Below is the general guidelines ABR Industries follows as part of the
Quality Control procedure for crimping.



All strands have been deformed enough, into a trapezoidal shape, to
cold-flow into the terminal body.The compression force is not too light,
nor too strong. ABR uses 90 lb 110 lb range as an equipment standard.The
connector body is not overly deformed. No buckling on edges or rounded
ends.Wires must be in solid working condition, cannot have scrapes, nicks,
severing or other damages. This comes from the rotary stripper.Insulation
should not show any signs of pinching, pulling, fraying, discoloration, or
charring.Large voids are not left inside the crimp (caused by not enough
wire inside the connector). Which is QC checked before shrinking the
tubing.The wire should have as many strands as possible, so that a few
damaged or un-inserted wires will not adversely affect the crimp density,
and thus degrade the electrical and mechanical properties of the connection.

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