BTW, I should have mentioned earlier after reading the comment about
"filing" the LMR400 center conductor:
Don't *ever* file the center conductor of LMR-400, not even a thousandth of
an inch. The material is copperclad aluminum, and the copper cladding is
very thin. Once you score it, you can expose raw aluminum which is not
solderable and oxidizes within milliseconds of exposure to oxygen.
WB2WIK/6
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Katz [mailto:stevek@jmr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 10:09 AM
To: N3PKC; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s
This isn't true.
The military specification for type PL-259, which is about a 60 year-old
specification now, does not allow for an undersized center pin that only
fits the #13 AWG center conductor of RG8/U or RG213/U. Not at all. Never
did, still doesn't.
RG8 "foam" types like Belden 8214 always had an #11 AWG center conductor,
which is already two steps larger than RG8-RG213. Times FM8 always had a
#10 AWG center conductor, which is already three steps larger than
RG8-RG213, and FM-8's been on the market for 40 years. The "new" cables
like 9913 (which came to market in about 1984) and LMR-400 (which is more
recent) have a #9.5 AWG center conductor that's only a few thousandths of an
inch larger than FM-8.
ALL PL-259's, if they are built correctly to the actual PL-259
specification, will accommodate LMR-400 without modification. The actual
mechanical detail specification provides for it.
-WB2WIK/6
-----Original Message-----
From: N3PKC [mailto:n3pkc@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 10:04 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s
There's problems with using standard or run of the mill PL-259's on newer
9913 and LMR400 because the center conducter is much larger in diameter
than the old RG-8U or 213 they were usually intended for use with.
If you tell the folks you're buying them from and they're experienced enough
(HRO AES), they can give you a connector that should work. LMR400 has the
biggest center conductor of any other RG8 style coax I've worked with but's
easy to file down if needed to fit a connector. I've done this many times
with a little bastard mill file. Often I've lost the copper clad and was
left with aluminum, but it seemed to bond well under the torch. No
complaints over the years though, and the PVC jacket is nice as it melts a
little around the connector and can seal it much better than rubber jacketed
9913. The LMR400 has a very nice attenuation rating and is pretty durable.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Katz" <stevek@jmr.com>
To: <WW5L@gte.net>; "TowerTalk" <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 12:43 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s
> LMR400 = standard PL-259
>
> WB2WIK/6
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Anderson [mailto:WW5L@gte.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 9:26 AM
> To: TowerTalk
> Subject: [TowerTalk] LMR400-PL259s
>
> I'm having to redo my feed through window (XYL wanted new windows) which
> will necessitate cutting the LMR400 preassembled cable I bought 3 years
> ago. Will the "standard" PL259 work on LMR400 or is there a special
> connector I need?
>
> Tom, WW5L
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
|