This bounced back on my first try to send it.

My thoughts:

1. Do a Google search for “RF doesn't like sharp corners” and see what Google AI has to say.  It’s fairly well accepted that sharp corners are problematic for RF and whenever possible it’s best to avoid them if at all possible.  Sometimes it’s necessary to create sharp corners because of space restrictions, stress on a cable, or other limitations but if you don’t need them, I’d say try not to use them.

2. I’d be curious to know if it was all of the connections or if could be narrowed to down to only one or two that created the issue.

3. Same for the right angle adapters.  Is one possibly faulty in a non-visible way.

4. I recognize that Amphenol is the gold standard but if I was able to make one connection do it with predictable results, I’d also be curious if another brand behaved differently.

5. In the end, it could just come down to No. 1 above; avoid right angle bends whenever possible.

Bob KE2D

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Robert Pantazes
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2025 11:58 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: [SJDXA] Problem with HamShack

In my HamShack the RF cables come into the shack though a widow bulkhead. To dress the cables I installed 90 degree elbow PL-259 type adapters made by Amphenol. The first thing that I noticed is that the RF in the shack  went way up. I tightened all the connectors with a wrench and the problem still persisted.I removed all of  the elbows and the RF in the shack was gone.

Amphenol specs don't show any information of loss.

As a note- I run a maximum of 500 watts on HF. I have 3 HF antennas: a HEX Beam (20 to 6 meters), Doublent (40 & 80 meters) and a End Feed 60 and 30 meter antenna. The problem was on all bands that had an elbow installed.

Anyone see this problem with Elbows?

Thank you.

73,

Bob, W2ARP

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A. Robert Pantazes, SBE CBT, Retired Broadcast Engineer from Broadcast Science.
E-mail address is [email protected] or [email protected]

Our new address as of March 1, 2024 is,

5505 Greenlee Road

Greensboro, NC 27410

Cell phone (609) 338-7038

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Amateur Radio Call is W2ARP, ARRL, W4VEC and Laurel certified Volunteer Examiner for Amateur Radio testing (Extra Class). Member of the Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club, the South Jersey DX Association as Treasurer. Past President of Southern Counties Amateur Radio Association (SCARA), Member of:ARRL, 10-10 Int, Chaverim of Delaware Valley, NAQCC,  Southern Counties Radio Association . Member of the Quarter Century Wireless Association, the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club, the Greensboro Amateur Radio Association, the High Point Amateur Radio Club, Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, Guilford Amateur Society, QCWA Secretary of chapter 196 and member of Chapter 196.