[Elecraft] KPA500/Kat500 Cables - PL-259 Question

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I have some PL-259's by Amphenol with what appears to be phenolic
insulation. But then, I've been buying and using them for over half a
century, commercially and as a Ham. Some of my Amphenol connectors probably
go back to the days when they were 10 cents each, brand new, in a barrel at
the surplus store (cue Archie and Edith singing "Those were the days" :-)

Where I see the most unidentified PL-259 connectors is in commercial
installations by companies that buy on price, not brand. 

As long as long as they take solder well, I have never found any difference
in performance, at least below 200 MHz.

That said, I tend to buy Amphenol simply so I don't get a surprise,
especially when buying on-line where I can't inspect the parts first and
returning is a hassle.  

SO-259's (the female connector) can be a little more problematic. Some cheap
ones do not have good multi-section spring contacts to engage the pin on the
male. Still, most off-brands that I've seen are fine. 

Where I cringe around connectors is finding ones improperly mounted on the
coax, with much of the shield broken loose or globs of solder on the center
pin (that mashes and deforms the female socket when the ham-handed - excuse
the expression - installer grabbed his pliers to tighten the sleeve, forcing
the pin into the socket). Where I've come closest to wishing violence on
another tech is at the top of a mast at night in driving rain (shipboard
electronics always fail in storms) trying to separate one of those smashed
connectors. 

And, while I agree that the more expensive Type N connectors provide
superior strength and weather resistance outdoors, I don't bother with them.
Even on ships, the lowly no-name brand PL-259 offers superb performance when
encased in inexpensive "coax-seal" - a putty like material that one simply
molds around the connector and coax. After two or three years exposed to
heavy salt spray at sea and corrosive stack gasses (some antennas are up
near the top of the ship's funnel), cutting away the coax seal reveals a
connector that looks like the day it was installed.

73 Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jim Bennett
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2013 2:56 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector Reflector
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500/Kat500 Cables - PL-259 Question

The UPS guy is set to deliver my KAT500 and KPA500 later this afternoon. In
the mean time, I've been getting "stuff" ready for the blessed event. Some
of that stuff means preparing coax jumpers to run from the K3 to the KPA500
and from the KPA500 to the KAT500. From the KAT500 I may go to my 4:1 balun
directly to my doublet or through a 4-position coax switch - undecided
there. Anyway, many knowledgeable folks have stated, either on this
reflector or on their own web sites, that it's a good idea to stick with
known manufacturers of coax and connectors, such as Belden, Amphenol, The
Wireman, DXE, etc.

Well, I just got a bunch of PL-259 connectors from that last-mentioned
vendor and noticed that they had no brand name on them. Plus, the vendor's
web site doesn't say that they are "Amphenol" brand, but that they ARE
silver plated and teflon insulated. Comparing these connectors with some
other silver / teflon connectors in my parts drawer, I notice a difference
in the center conductor. On the DXE PL-259's, the center pin is 100%
surrounded with what apparently is the white teflon insulation. On the ones
in my bin, there is a small silver-looking "ring" around that center pin,
approximately 1 mm wide, and then teflon as the remainder of the insulation.
The only other difference between these two types of connectors is that the
DXE-supplied PL-259's have a much more coarse "finger grip" area than my
other ones.

So, the question is - with neither of them having any brand name on them,
should one feel comfortable using either of them? How can you tell if a
PL-259 is "crap", other than a lack of teflon insulation and silver plating?

Jim / W6JHB

Folsom, CA (anxiously waiting for Mr. UPS)