----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Barthelow" <aa6eg@hotmail.com>
To: "Pete Michaelis - N8TR" <pete.n8tr@gmail.com>;
<towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:02 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Amphenol PL259
>
> Yet another lifetime experience with PL-259s...
> I am of the "use a Black Diamond, heavy tip, 175 watt iron persuasion",
> (second only to crimp-on connectors) and like Pete, I found the fully hot,
> big stick of copper tip works well, even on the nickel plated connectors,
> though I file them, to brass if I have the luxury.
>
> Two additional tricks I found; I made a 4 flat ~45 degree champfered
> chisel tip on the iron, which on mine, is about the diameter of a 7.62 mm
> bullet. If I clean and tin the tip, and hold it vertical (down) and apply
> a generous amount of "tinning" I get a big, near spherical "boule" of
> molten clean solder hanging from the chiseled tip. Gently lower that
> boule right onto the PL-259 hole, where the boule perimeter perfectly
> meets the entire circumference simultaneously, and the boule perfectly
> applies massive heat to the perimeter of the hole, and most of the
> connnector so well, that it is probably only 2 seconds before at least 3
> of the 4 holes and environs are plenty hot to instantly accept and melt
> applied solder through them.
>
> As to tinning the braid, I have found that a perfect meticulous tinnng
> with minimal solder does such a perfect job, that the tinned, solder
> soaked braid sometimes has a clear air gap all the way around, inside and
> not touching the connector body, so no, or little conduction heating
> occurs, and there is a lot more metal mass in the braid (now) which has
> soaked up the tinning solder. So it does not accept heat as well, and
> sinks a lot of heat before temp catches up to melt solder through the
> holes. So I usually do not tin the braid, but leave the woven braid
> loose, or helped along with a spiral pre-twist in the direction that the
> connector is screwed on--
> (carefully now, no free pieces to wander around ) which usually makes it
> expand slightly to meet and touch the inside of the holes. Then, when
> the hot tip-boule of clean, molten solder touches the hole, it also almost
> instantly is sucked up into the braid, and laps over, perfectly, onto the
> connector body at the hole. The solder has to heat a lot less mass when
> the braid is not pre-tinned.
>
> To keep tugging motions of the cable from breaking the many fine braid
> wire to solder interfaces over time, I am sure, prior to soldering, to
> twist hard by hand, the connector to the coax, so that the internal
> connector threads, engage, kinda cut their own threads on the cable
> jacket, limiting relative motion between the cable and the connector.
>
> Of course, if I have my correct crimping tools and connectors with me,
> they win out EVERY single time.
>
> All the best, Pat Barthelow AA6EG Skype: sparky599aa6eg@k6bj.org
>
> Jamesburg Moonbounce Team
>
> http://www.jamesburgdish.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:13:48 -0400
>> To: towertalk@contesting.com
>> From: pete.n8tr@gmail.com
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Amphenol PL259
>>
>> At 01:33 PM 10/28/2008, Jim Brown wrote:
>>
>> >I've installed lots of both nickel and silver-plated Amphenols, and I've
>> >used the same scraping trick to solder to the nickels. The silvers are
>> >WELL
> > >WORTH the small additional cost. The LAST thing I want to do is apply
> > >any more heat than necessary and take the chance of melting a cable
> > >dielectric. If an iron has a tip with appreciable thermal mass, the
> > >connector heats up fast and the soldering of the holes can be done
> > >quickly. I use a wet sponge to cool the connector after soldering (I
> > >also tin the braid before inserting the cable into the connector). I
> > >have installed many PL259's on to cables with both foam and solid
> > >polyethylene dielectric without any problems.
>>
>> 73 Pete - N8TR
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