In article ,
(known to some as Highland Ham)
scribed...

snippety

Granted, the Y193 die set won't be useful to you unless you're
crimping contact assemblies for the D-sub coax/regular combo connectors,
but it should not be hard to find appropriate die sets for whatever
connectors you want to work with.

A full description of the HX-4, and a listing of common dies for
it, may be found at this link:
============================================
Crimping might be appropriate for a large volume of coax connectors.
However for a limited number of connectors as applicable to domestic
amateur radio a gland type of cable entry seems more to the point.
BNC- , PL259- and N-connectors are all available with braid sleeve
inserts which highly likely give a better (long term) braid/connector
connection than a crimped arrangement at least for RF ,especially when
used in an outdoor environment.

I would be prepared to debate this. A properly-done crimp
connection, made with high-quality connectors (I'm talking Amphenol RF
or King) and done with a high-grade crimper will be gas-tight. If you
enclose the whole thing in the sealant-lined heat-shrink tubing after
you've made up and tested the cable, there's no reason it won't do just
as well as a gland type.

And, with crimping, you stand a much lower chance of heat damage to
the insulation. ;-)

I do have a short lead with 2 PL259 connectors with both centre pin
and body crimped to RG58 coax which probably originates from the 'CB
trade' .The braid crimp is not a hexagon but cylindrical with side
ridges, like -O- . I would never want to make up leads this way myself.

I absolutely agree. That's why I suggested the Daniels crimper. Its
dies are all hexagon style, per mil specs.

Keep the peace(es).


--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
http://www.bluefeathertech.com -- kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t calm
"Salvadore Dali's computer has surreal ports..."

Dr. Anton T. Squeegee wrote:

I would be prepared to debate this. A properly-done crimp
connection, made with high-quality connectors (I'm talking Amphenol RF
or King) and done with a high-grade crimper will be gas-tight. If you
enclose the whole thing in the sealant-lined heat-shrink tubing after
you've made up and tested the cable, there's no reason it won't do just
as well as a gland type.

I keep reading that crimp connections are more reliable than clamp type,
but my experience sure runs contrary to that conclusion. I have a
sizable quantity of patch and longer RG-58 cables with crimped BNC
connectors. Most are from the Tektronix surplus outlet, but some from
other industrial sources. All were presumably made by skilled people
with the proper equipment, and they were manufactured over a long period
of time. Yet on many cables, the outer insulation has pulled out from
under the crimp, leaving bare shield. Besides an obvious entry point for
water if used outside, the shield wires begin breaking from flexing
against the hard crimp connector end. In contrast, I've never had a
failure of cables I've made myself with crimp type connectors, although
some have gotten very severe and prolonged use.

I imagine that adding sealant-type heat shrink tubing would delay the
onset of the insulation migration problem and reduce shield breakage
after it occurs. But that's an extra step not required for clamp-type
connectors.

In addition, some "precision" cables made with double-shielded cable
were very RF-leaky at the connectors, a problem I solved by replacing
the crimp connectors with clamp type.

So I have what I've read on the one hand, and what I've experienced on
the other. The only conclusion I can reach is that it must be a lot more
difficult to "properly" assemble a crimp connector than most people
realize. I figure that if the pros have so much trouble doing it right,
I don't have a chance. I'll stick with clamp type. My feeling is that
the reason that crimp connectors have become so popular doesn't have
anything to do with reliability but simply that they're faster to
assemble and therefore cheaper.

And, with crimping, you stand a much lower chance of heat damage to
the insulation. ;-)

The only heat involved with clamp type connectors is in soldering the
center pin. Hopefully most people can manage that -- I've never had a
problem, anyway.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Correction:

Roy Lewallen wrote:

. .
against the hard crimp connector end. In contrast, I've never had a
failure of cables I've made myself with crimp type connectors, although
some have gotten very severe and prolonged use.
. .

That last sentence should read ". . .with *clamp* type connectors. . ."
I've never made a crimp type myself.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

I just purchased a crimp tool and dies for RG8/213 from Davis RF... It
was eighty some dollars for the tool, two sets of dies, and a carry
case.. I have a bunch of cabling to make for the station revisions in
progress... This was a whim decision and I will post my thoughts after
I use it a bit...

denny / k8do