[Elecraft] Coax cable

[Jeremiah McCarthy]

Hi, Jesse:

There are several good ways to unravel the braid on coax...One way is to use a sharp pointed tool, like an awl, a dental pick, an ice pick, or even a BIG needle, and, starting near the end, inset the point into the braid and push the point of the tool outward toward the end of the cable, unraveling the braid...Continue doing that, working back a little at a time towards the cut end of the outer jacket until you have it all unraveled...

Another way is to lay the cable on the table and simply comb it with a fine wire brush, starting at the end of the bare braid and working back towards the cut end of outer jacket, rotating the cable on the table as you go...A wire brush is also good to use to comb the braid out over the grounding ring when installing BNC's, after which the braid can be trimmed with cuticle scissors...A suede brush is ideal...

Still another way is to grasp the end of the unraveled braid and push it inward towards the cut end of the outer jacket, causing it to bunch up near the end of the outer jacket...Then take an awl and open up a hole in the bunched up braid near the end of the outer jacket...Bend the cable over sharply at the hole and, using the awl, work the inner conductor out through the hole...This leaves the braid unraveled and intact...It can now be pulled straight forming a braided wire...

The banana plugs are intended to be plugged into your DMM which you will be using as a read-out when using the probe...Soldering to the banana plugs can be a challenge because the plug has to be held stationary somehow...A vise will soak up the heat preventing good soldering...A spring type wooden clothespin is handy for holding the banana plug when soldering, it won't soak up the heat...

Hope this helps...GL and 73

Jerry, wa2dkg