[HCARC] Crimped vs Soldered Coax Connectors??

[Kerry Sandstrom]

Fact 1:  I believe the primary factor for the military is the training 
required.  You use a tool to strip the cable and you use a crimp tool to 
put the connector on.  I believe that a single tool can be used for most 
if not all military connectors and cables.

Fact 2:  True, and in addition, with the demise of tin-lead solder, it 
has only become harder to make a good solder connection. Copper-tin 
solder requires higher temperatures and will not work with old-fashioned 
tinned wires.

Fact 3:  I believe it takes a good large soldering iron to properly 
attach PL-259 connectors.

Facdt 4 (Maybe):  I don't know how easy it is to find extra crimp 
sleeves (ferrules, I think they are called).

I use a lot of type N connectors.  But basically, if it is HF and the 
equipment I'm using uses UHF connectors, that is what I use. For small 
connectors, I'm partial to type TNC although I also use some type BNC 
and also SMA.  For HF, type UHF is perfectly adequate.  For VHF, type N 
should be used.  I don't have any crimp connectors.  I prefer solder 
connectors because I find them easier to reuse.  Reuse is important 
because some of the connectors are extremely expensive new.  Used 
connections are inexpensive because many of them are seldom seen so not 
very popular.  If you use cable with aluminum foil insulation you don't 
have much choice, you have to use a crimp connector.

Although I've been told the strength of the crimp connector - cable 
mechanical connection is better than the old solder connectors, my 
experience has been that crimp connectors are more likely to pull off.  
By the way, I used to have several military techs working for me in the 
mid-70's.  They were quite adept at replacing solder connectors on our 
test cables.  When we converted to crimp connectors, they were equally 
adept.

Kerry





Kerry




On 9/22/2014 4:08 PM, Gary J - N5BAA wrote:
> OPINIONS DESIRED:
>
> Assumption:  Access to a good crimper for Pl-259’s and N Connectors is available.
>
> Fact:  The military seems to have stopped soldering in favor of crimping all of their connectors.  The Air Force in particular finds crimped connectors more durable in planes do to their better ability to withstand vibration, although it might be that they can train airmen better to crimp than to solder.
>
> Fact:  Many of us just are not good solderers.  I will admit this.
>
> Fact:  It takes a more powerful soldering gun to generate enough heat to solder a Pl-259 or N connector, especially outdoors in the breeze or winter.
>
> Maybe a Fact:  If you screw up a crimp, part of the connector might be reusable – just replace the crimp sleeve.
>
> Question:  Is it worth transitioning over from PL-259’s to easier to maintain N connectors, or in the case of New Hams, just starting out with N connectors??
>
> Question:  Is it worth the club or an individual, owning a crimper for club member use for RG-8 (and like diameter LMR-400, Rg-213, etc), 8X, 58, and N connectors??  One crimper with several different Dies will handle almost all Coax up through LMR-400, with the possibility for getting a die for LMR-600 if anyone was so inclined – although I can’t see why use LMR-600 unless you were using higher UHF/VHF freqs.
>
> OPINIONS PLEASE!!!
>
> Gary J
> N5BAA
> ______________________________________________________________
> HCARC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/hcarc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:HCARC at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html