[Elecraft] OT: SO-239 Connector Selection

[Ken Kopp]

My experience with SO-239' / PL-259's -was- at
VHF and UHF, and I said so in my posting.

I was made aware of this when the Colorado Springs 
radio club ordered a 4-port divider to feed their 2M 
repeater's antennas and they specified / insisted on 
me building it with SO-239's.  I shipped it and within 
a few days they were complaining of high SWR. 

Before getting the original one back I built and
shipped a second unit, only to get the same report.  
It was only when I built the 3rd unit with N's did it work 
correctly.  

My friends at the NBS labs ... who originated NBS 
yagi design (W0PW / W0EYE) ... along with the
particular power divider design ... explained 
what was going on.  The non-50 ohm SO-239's 
connected to the 35 ohm transmission line / power 
divider were influencing the impedance of divider.

My years at CU's radio astronomy lab and the NBS
cafeteria represent some of the best "learning" in 
my career.  I learned much via napkin tutoring done
by some of the nation's best "radio" minds.

73! Ken Kopp - K0PP