Hi,

I have never had good luck with crimp on pl259 coax connectors and I've 
never had a connector go bad with the procedure that I described earlier.  I 
do use Anderson crimp on power poles and they have been working for me, but 
I will never use a crimp on pl259 coax connector, I have seen too many 
failures with them.  I do use crimp on F connectors, but you have to be very 
careful on how you crimp them so they won't pull apart.

Bob Tinney, K8LR, [log in to unmask]
Skype, bobtinn
Life is full of challenges, that's what makes it interesting!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Bob Tinney" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 8:17 AM
Subject: Re: Installing coax connectors


those threads are supposed to screw in to the jacket of the coax, which is
why they're so sharp, to grab that for some strain relief, usually when you
screw them on with the braid folded back over the jacked, it destroys the
braid so you don't have much of a connection left when you're done and I've
seen more than a few connectors fall off that way if put under any strain
load at all. If you have a reducer on it for the thinner coax you can do it
but not with bigger coaxes. Also, what you can do with the stranded center
conductors to make them fit in the center pin of the connector better is
take a little solder and put that on the conductor before putting it in the
pin and solder the strands together, but make sure to slowly but firmly move
the soldering gun back and forth on it to think the solder out and make it
so it won't clump, that will make it just as good as a solid center
conductor for putting in the center pin, no stray strands get folded back,
and also if you get it right and really get comfortable with how to do it,
it can leave you a very thin layer of solder on the pin so when you're
soldering the tip, if you use low melt solder, it will melt that solder too
and really get you a great soldered connection that will hold throughout the
pin not just at the end. that's how I do that part, in fact I always solder
the center conductors like that if they're stranded no matter what the size
of the coax.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Tinney" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 12:33 AM
Subject: Installing coax connectors


> Hi Howard,
>
> Here is my 2 cents on coax connectors.  This is for rg8 type coax.  First
> those coax cutters sound great, but I don't own one so I just use old wire
> cutters.  Put the sleeve of the connector on first or you'll have to do
> this
> job twice.  I line the tip of the center pin of the connector up with the
> end of the coax cable and cut off the outer insulation just behind where
> the
> threads are on the body of the connector.  I remove just the outer
> covering
> over the braded shield.  I just use a jack knife to do this.  I then fold
> the braid back over the covering.  I then cut the insulation off the
> center
> conductor about one half inch from my first cut using the same jack knife.
>
> It is sometimes very hard to get all of the center conductor wires in to
> the
> center pin if your using flexible coax, but with a little playing, it can
> be
> done.  Solid center conductor is no problem.
>
> After I've folded the shield over the outer covering, and removed the
> insulation from the center conductor, I work the center conductor in to
> the
> center pin of the connector and once I'm sure that all wires have gone in
> to
> the center pin, I simply screw the coax connector on to the coax shield
> that
> is folded over the outer cover.  Remember that there are threads inside of
> the connector to accept rg58 adaptors.  I screw the body of the connector
> on
> to the coax cable until it tightens.  At this point the center conductor
> should be sticking out slightly from the center pin of the connector.  I
> first check the connector for a short    , and then I solder the center
> pin
> and I'm done.
>
>
> There's another idea for you, Howard!
>
> Bob Tinney, K8LR, [log in to unmask]
> Skype, bobtinn
> Life is full of challenges, that's what makes it interesting!
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Howard Traxler" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 3:33 PM
> Subject: Installing coax connectors
>
>
> Wondering if someone could make an audio tutorial/podcast for "how to
> install a PL-259.  I've done it, but I'm sure it wasn't the right way--or,
> at least, there must be an easier way.
>
> Thanks, anybody.
>
> The Other Howard, WA9RYF
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ed Malmgren" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 3:22 PM
> Subject: connectors
>
>
>> Okay Fred, any time.  I can't remember if you purchased coax cutting
>> pliers.
>> R F connectors sells a pair for eleven bux which sure makes the job
>> easier.
>> They don't flatten the center conductor.  73  Just thought I would
>> mention
>> it.  73
>> Ed  K7UC