[Elecraft] Soldering PL-259s (WAS: Fw: RG-213 BNC connector)

[Doug Person]

To solder PL-259's I use a propane torch.  I am able to get the body hot 
enough quickly enough to flow the solder without over heating the coax.  
I use fairly thick solder.  I am able to completely fill the solder 
holes which helps to ward off moisture getting in.  Some coax has a low 
melting temperature and will be a problem.  Typically , this type of 
coax is a problem even with a soldering gun or high-watt iron.

73, Doug -- K0DXV

Bill W5WVO wrote:
> Yup, very true. At HF frequencies, loss is not the issue. (Even at 144 MHz
> the loss is not significant if the connectors are mounted/installed
> correctly. Above that, at UHF frequencies, things go downhill pretty fast.
> That must be why they call 'em UHF connectors. Uh, yeah.)
>
> The REAL problem with traditional PL-259 connectors (besides the need to
> weatherproof, but you better weatherproof the N connectors just as well!) is
> that they are oftentimes installed badly -- sometimes in such a manner that
> they malfunction intermittently. This can cause all sorts of havoc. It
> happened to me.
>
> The PL-259s were on either end of a short RG-8/X jumper connecting my rig to
> the antenna tuner, and (as I finally figured out) one of them would arc
> short whenever the RF voltage reached a certain point. On SSB, that was on
> voice peaks, of course. Whenever that would happen, the SWR would soar
> instantly, the TX SWR protection circuit would cut in, and the peak would be
> clipped off. Sounded just like a transmitter or mic connector problem. Took
> me a month to finally swap out that coax jumper, after trying everything
> else under the sun. Boy, was I embarrassed, as I had made the durn thing
> myself! This is about the time I got deadly serious about learning how to do
> these connectors right.
>
> There is much lore, folk wisdom, and mythology about how to properly install
> a PL-259 -- much of it bad -- but there is also a lot of really sound advice
> out there on the web. I've had the best luck installing it exactly as the
> manufacturer specifies. (Gee, imagine that!!) Complying with the specified
> cut dimensions is especially important. But you need HEAT CAPACITY, and lots
> of it. Other than outdoor water intrusion, the principle cause of PL-259
> failure, indoors or out, is poor soldering, and this is often caused by
> inadequate soldering iron power. Inadequate soldering iron power leads to
> excessive time applying heat, which in turn causes heat to transfer
> excessively to the vulnerable inner dielectric and outer jacket material.
> You should be using a 100W iron (or larger) with a well-tinned chisel tip
> that fits in the "notch" where the solder holes are. You want maximum
> contact area. (Others have had good luck with other soldering tools, but
> this is what has worked best for me.) I hold the connector body still in a
> Vise-Grip, which pulls heat away from the shell of the connector where the
> outer jacket contacts it. Solder the connector in the shortest time possible
> consistent with correct results -- just long enough to get complete solder
> flow with good concave fillets in the solder holes (no balls or blobs).
> Quick, efficient soldering will minimize dielectric and jacket heating and
> deforming. It is somehow counter-intuitive to many hams that in order to
> minimize heat damage to the coax, you need to use more heat. But that's how
> it works.  :-)
>
> Bill W5WVO
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael Melland" <w9wis at yahoo.com>
> To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 12:16 PM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Fw: RG-213 BNC connector
>
>
>   
>> I won't argue that the N connector may be a better choice for any number
>>     
> of reasons, but don't rush out to change out a PL259 fearing excessive
> signal loss... a PL-259 isn't in any way (especially at HF) "High Loss"....
>   
>> >From the Wirebook IV, pages 3.2 and 3.3....  Alan Bloom, N1AL, used an
>>     
> HP8753 RF network analyzer to compare losses of UHF vs. N connectors.
>   
>> Both connectors measured 0 db loss up to 100 MHz.
>> At 150 MHz, the N has 0 db loss, the UHF has .01 db loss.
>> At 450 MHz, the N has 0 db loss, the UHF has .09 db loss.
>>
>> Other studies show similar results ...
>>
>> --
>>
>> Michael Melland, W9WIS
>> Redgranite, WI USA
>> "Non Sibi Sed Patriae"
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>
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