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Re: [TowerTalk] Reliability (or not) of SMA connectors

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Reliability (or not) of SMA connectors
From: Gary NA6O via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Reply-to: gwj@me.com
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2022 14:27:54 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I’ve worked on dozens of different airborne and army ground-mobile RF 
assemblies over my career, as well as poking my nose inside many pieces of 
commercial RF gear. SMA connectors were everywhere. NEVER have I seen or heard 
of any kind of sealant, overcoat, or anything of the sort on any SMA connector. 
Above all, putting anything inside the threads is simply asking for trouble. 
TORQUE IT PROPERLY and be done with it. A quality SMA connector is a 
high-precision machined assembly and must be treated with care. See the old HP 
application note AN-326. They are in fact vibration-resistant when correctly 
installed. Proper torque is also mandatory to avoid well-known frequency 
response aberrations in the mid-GHz range due to waveguide effects.

Of course, if your connectors are all crap and/or damaged, none of the above 
applies...

Gary, NA6O
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