Hello Al,
While this procedure might work well for one person like yourself who
understands the possible consequences, it is basically flawed because
tubing cutters right out of the box are too dull and have too wide of a
"vee" shape to make a clean cut through the various media without
turning the ends of the shield and/or foil in toward the center conductor
while leaving an impression in the dielectric that is a radius instead of
a right angle as required to properly seat against the inner face of the
connector. Further, once tinned, it would be most difficult to re-trim
the butt end back to square.
While a nice neat job with a tubing cutter might perform apparently well
with low power HF, the electrical characteristics would differ from the
ideal, and the insertion loss at the higher frequencies could increase
significantly, especially with the various foam dielectrics. At high
voltage, the margin for error with respect to arcing is reduced as well.
Be careful!
In many years of doing the bloomin' things, we've never seen a better
tool than an electrician's knife (or pocket knife in the same shape) in
the hands of a good technician. We now do hundreds of them every month
and the only other tool on the bench that cuts is a cuticle scissors for
those errant strands that want to peek over the edge of the dielectric!
Yes, we've tried several dozen pet ideas from the trade, etc., including
a modified tubing cutter, and all have been sent back or junked except
for one little Swedish tool for CATV 6 and 59.
73,
Press Jones, N8UG, The Wireman, Inc., Landrum, SC, 29356
Sales (800)727-WIRE(9473) or orders@thewireman.com
Tech help (864)895-4195 or n8ug@thewireman.com
www.thewireman.com and the WIRELINE bargain page
Our 21st year!
On Sun, 26 Jul 1998 10:56:50 EDT ATanner283@aol.com writes:
>
>Hi all....I saw a post a little while back about soldering
>difficulties with
>213 coax. Here is a system I have been using with great success. Get
>yourself
>a small tube cutter, the kind you use for copper tubing. Score the
>plastic
>outer shield with it. Just go deep enuff to barely cut thru the
>plastic only.
>This makes a nice "square " cut. Next, tin the braid. Now take the
>cutter
>again and make a deep score in the tinned braid the correct distance
>from the
>outer covering. Flex the braid a couple of times and it will separate
>in a
>very nice "square" end also. Now take the cutter and cut thru the
>plastic down
>to the wire. I usually don't go the full depth so as not to "ding" the
>center
>connector. Tin center connector. If you have made your lengths correct
>it will
>screw together tightly and the braid WILL fit in the 259 right up to
>the holes
>and past so you can make a very nice connection inside and out. I know
>there
>are variations of this but this works super for me. I ahve used it on
>2213,and
>RG 58. Also with foam, plastic, and air dieletrics. I have also used
>it on the
>extra flexible 213 that I bought last year and it works super. Another
>feller
>ham told me about this, so I am not the originator by any means. Good
>luck and
>73 Al / W8FAX
>
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>
>
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