[Elecraft] KAT500 ANT1 problem

[David Christ]

5/32” inches is 0.156” which is 3.968 mm.  So if the Asian manufacturer considers 4 mm easier and close enough the pin will be oversize.    WW II drawings give the pin diameter as max/min 0.158/0.154 .  5/32 is right in the middle of this range.  I don’t have the MILSPEC documentation but guess this is likely the dimension. Whether that is enough to create problems, I don’t know.

But I also saw a drawing where the pin diameter was specified as large as 4.01 mm.

Buying only from manufacturers with a known track record of QA and following MIL Specs seems to be wise.

David K0LUM

> On Jul 12, 2021, at 10:09 AM, <john at kk9a.com> <john at kk9a.com> wrote:
> 
> A PL-259 should have a 5/32" (4mm) pin.
> 
> John KK9A  
> 
> 
> kd4iz wrote:
> 
> What had apparently happened was that I had a batch of the offshore made
> "Amazon Special" PL-259s that appear to have a slightly oversize center pin.
> The patch cable used until recently had one of them on one end. It had
> spread the leaves on the ANT1 SO259 just enough that a good connector, when
> perfectly centered and seated, did not make contact! Gentle recentering of
> the leaves with a miniature flat blade screw drive yielded relief and a
> self-administered head smack.
> Jack Spitznagel - KD4IZ
> Science River LLC
> Biomedical Consulting Services
> 
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