Re: [amsat-bb] N connectors

["John P. Toscano" <tosca005@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL wrote:
> At 09:47 AM 11/21/03 -0500, "Joseph Trombino Jr" <w2kj@bellsouth.net> 
> wrote:
> 
>> I have heard some not so nice things about the new type of N connector 
>> that goes together  like the PL259 connector.  Both the center pin and the 
>> shield are soldered to this two-piece connector.
> 
> I ordered some N connectors once and when they showed up the were the 
> PL259 looking ones and I threw them in the trash.   Try and find some 
> clamp on type.  I've had alot of luck with them.  I've removed all the 
> SO239's from my rigs (except HF) and gone with Chassis N type.

I've always hated soldering the braid on PL-259's, and therefore, I 
avoid using the type of N connector that Joseph and Vince are 
discussing.  It always seems to me to be a challenge to get enough heat 
to reliably melt the solder and join the braid to the connector shield 
without melting the dialectric of the cable and ruining everything.

In addition to that concern, I have heard stories about impedance bumps 
etc., but haven't really researched the question adequately since I 
already had a good enough reason to avoid them.  But if you have 
mastered the art of assembling that style of connector, it may be worth 
checking out the rumors of other problems.

The clamp-type N connectors gave me fits at first.  But once I got the 
hang of doing them correctly, including making sure I used two open-end 
wrenches of the correct size to tighten the halves securely instead of 
trying to "get by" with a pair of pliers or a Crescent wrench (a type of 
adjustable open-end wrench), I have had no more problems assembling 
them, and I would not willingly go back.

Vince, too bad you tossed your in the trash.  I know a guy who loves 
those connectors for one purpose only -- he has found that there is one 
size and style of hardline on which they work very nicely, and he uses 
them for that purpose.  The style of hardline with a spiral corrugation 
to the shield allows him to "screw in" this style of N connector.  As 
the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure!  :)

73 de W0JT

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