I had one break once, it was just a coax between my antenna switch, and a 
balun, coax was not under any strain, no water got in just one day 
everything stopped working. I replaced the coax which never moved or 
anything, it was back working. OK, you'd think, bad connector, I replaced 
both connectors, still no good. There must have been a break in the middle 
of the coax somewhere or something but I never found it. I wasted 2 
perfectly good connectors and cut off 2 perfectly good ones, I ended up 
throwing out a perfectly good 30 foot run of coax, or apparently perfectly 
good because I could find no reason for it to not work. I know I checked and 
I forget it it measured shorted or open from one end to the other now, that 
was 6 years ago and I've moved 3 times since then and a lot has changed but 
I know something didn't look right but I never found a reason for it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan R. Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2014 2:19 PM
Subject: Re: Epidemic of connector failures


> Tom, I can understand how connections and connectors fail upstairs as part
> of a rotor loop for example.  Every time you turn the yagis rotor loops 
> are
> flexed, and the constant flexing can lead to metal fatigue for example, 
> but
> connectors on cables that are never move or touched, why the hell do they
> break out of the blue?  As I just said in my prior post, the damn things
> have a mind of their own.
>
> 73
>
>
>
> Alan R. Downing
> Phoenix, AZ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Tom Behler
> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2014 7:55 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Epidemic of connector failures
>
> Well, Steve, let's try to stop this connector epidemic right now!
>
> It does seem that Murphy loves to pay many of us a visit in the 
> winter-time
> or near winter-time.
>
> At least you can fix the problem on the ground.
>
> Hang in there, my friend!
>
> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Steve Forst
> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2014 8:53 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Epidemic of connector failures
>
> Following Alan's recent experience, I'm not sure if 2 failures equals an
> epidemic, but  even the Black Death started with the first 2 victims.
>
> Thought I'd get on 160 last night  and see if any DX in the contest.  My 
> low
> band dipole was dead as a doornail on 160, 80, and 40 meters.
> Thought maybe it had come down in the snow and wind of Wednesday night.
>  In the back yard I found the coax going up  into the sky as usual.
> Barring any failure of the laws of gravity I figured the antenna was still
> up there.
>
> Back in the shack, I found the connector on the cable from the dipole 
> going
> into the 4 position coax switch was intermittent.  It took a bit of a
> jiggle, but  it was obvious in the receiver.  This was a soldered 
> connector
> done by the Wire Man about 10 years ago when I re-cabled the
> station with Davis Bury-flex.    Goes to show that anything can fail,
> even the least likely suspect.
>
> Just went out this morning into the coax entry box, where  all antenna
> cables enter, go to lightening protectors, and  then coax runs through
> the wall and to the shack.    I switched the coax from the 30 meter
> ground plane to the dipole and all is well.    I will have to redo that
> connector, but no real rush.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A