Well, I am lousy at it, and I readily admit it.  I usually use mini-8 coax
(usually known as either RG-8M or RG-8X) with the Large solder-type PL-259
connectors with the UG-176  reducers.  I slide the reducer over the coax
and I strip the insulation back so that the center conductor is bare.I
strip enough of the outer insulation away to expose enough braid to fold
back over the reducer and thread the PL-259 connector over it with the
center conductor protruding thru the center pin so that the end of the wire
is just sticking out of the end of the center pin.  I solder the center pin
like that, trimming any excess wire and solder away.  The problem is that I
haven't mastered a good technique for flowing solder through the little
holes in the main body of the PL-259 to make a good connection with the
braid.  I inevitably get flecks of solder in the threads of the connector,
or else I don't successfully make contact.  I can kind of make a mechnical
connection by pinching the wire braid between the body of the PL 259
connector and the UG-176 reducer, but it is usually a matter of time before
the braid starts making intermittent contact.  I've never found a good
technique for making this connection reliably.

73, de Lou K2LKK







At 08:14 PM 9/14/02 -0400, you wrote:
>I have been wanting to ask this question for a long time, but keep
>forgetting to put it out on the list.
>
>Do any of my fellow blind hams out there have any experience soldering PL259
>coax connectors?  Is there a safe and effective strategy that we could use
>to get this done without having to get sighted help?   If you have ideas,
>spell them out for me, and I may just give them a try.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Best 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ

Louis (Kim) Kline, A.R.S.  K2LKK
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
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Work Tel.  (585) 697-5753