HF OPERATORS Solderless RF Connectors by John White VA7JW NSARC HF Operators 1
CenterPin Technology http://www.centerpin.com/ NSARC HF Operators 2
Connectors of Interest! 50 Ohm RF coax cable! PL-259 most common! PL-258 for Splicing cable ends together! N higher performance, constant Z! BNC H/T antennas & instrumentation! NOTE: only small diameter coax s can be accommodated " Typically RG-58, RG-8X, LMR-240 Ultraflex " Not RG-8 style large diameters coax s NSARC HF Operators 3
Features! Solid Brass Gold plated materials! Simple, fast installation, ~ 1 minute " No stripping of insulation or center conductors " No soldering or special crimping tools " Needle Nose pliers (large) with side cutters will do! Water Resistant O ring seal! Electrically excellent! Physically strong NSARC HF Operators 4
Published Articles TCA January - February 2010 QST March 2011 Short Takes NSARC HF Operators 5
The Technology 1. The Well coax fits snug into the well 2. The Center Pin center pin slides into center conductor of coax 3. The Piercing Fingers -six anvil shaped fingers surround the coax jacket and are pressed down into the jacket to secure the cable as well as penetrating the braid to make the electrical connection NSARC HF Operators 6
PL-259 Connector Shakespeare p/n PL-259-CPB-G Male End + O ring + Retaining Sleeve + Connector Ring! Note that Back Shell keeps fingers compressed! O ring provides weather resistant (not weather proof) seal! Takes RG-58, RG-8X and LMR-240 Ultraflex NSARC HF Operators 7
PL-258 Connector Shakespeare p/n PL-258-CP-G Gemeco p/n PL258-CPB-G End Cap + O ring + Splice + O ring + End Cap! Takes RG-8X and LMR-240 Ultraflex as shown! Takes RG-58 using end shim supplied! Saves cost of buying 2 PL s + a PL-258 barrel NSARC HF Operators 8
N Connector Gemeco p/n N-CP58 Male End + O Ring + End Cap! Only takes RG-58! RG-8X and LMR-240 might work if outer jacket removed and braid folded back on dielectric. Working on this. NSARC HF Operators 9
BNC Connector Gemeco p/n BNC-CP8X Male End + O Ring + End Cap! Takes RG-8X and LMR-240 Ultraflex! Will take RG-58 if end of coax is shimmed out in diameter with ¼ long heat shrink so as to center up in the well NSARC HF Operators 10
Installation! Centerpin home page! View installation animation! Select Coaxial Connectors > more info! View Animation http://www.centerpin.com/centerhome.cfm NSARC HF Operators 11
Installation Pointers! When cutting cable " ensure coax end is not flattened, round it out with pliers " inspect end and clear any braid slivers that could short out to center conductor! Inserting Coax " Rotate connector onto coax to ensure centering on pin! Test Coax after Assembly with DVM on ohms " Measure across cable for shorts " Measure end to end, center pin to center pin, for continuity " Measure end to end, shell to shell, for continuity NSARC HF Operators 12
Performance! VA7JW " Devastatingly easy installation " Measured SWR using AIM 4170 Vector Impedance Meter! 3 cables all at 4.3 m long, terminated in 50 ohm load! Cable 1 RG-8X with soldered Silver Teflon PL-259 / reducers! Cable 2 RG-8X with solderless PL-259! Cable 3 LMR-240 ultraflex with solderless PL-259! Swept measurement from 1 to 150 MHz! No discernable difference! ARRL Labs confirmed, " Ease of installation using only pliers " No loss anomalies when measuring with lab equipment " Quality of connection / no intermittencies " Power handling, 200 watts / 30 MHz / no heating " Mechanically strong NSARC HF Operators 13
SWR Performance Cable 1, Cable 2, Cable 3 virtually no difference due to connectorization NSARC HF Operators 14
Sources of Supply! Local " Burnaby Radio! Stocks the PL-259 offered by Shakespeare! About $12! Check out local marine suppliers! On Line Order (U.S. source, South Carolina ) " Gemeco Marine http://www.gemeco.com/! Download PDF catalog - page 263! Stocks all connectors mentioned here! Pricing ~ $10 range NSARC HF Operators 15
Expensive You Say?! Silver Teflon PL-259 with reducer " Cost $7.50 (Burnaby Radio) " Time to install ~ 20 minutes (prepare coax, assemble & solder) " Chances of soldering it correctly low " Doing it again, another 30 + minutes if not hopeless! PL-259 Solderless " Cost $12.00 (Burnaby Radio) " Time to install 1-2 minutes " Chances of having it correct first time, very high " Ability to redo it at least once, easily, very high NSARC HF Operators 16
Credits & Comments! Thanks to Jay Willoughby " VE7JKW, NSARC club member " Graduate Basic class of 2009 " Employed by M&P Mercury Sales (Marine) Burnaby. " VHF Installer! Jay queried the author as to why he was spending so much time soldering PL-259 s when the marine industry has been installing the solderless PL-259 for VHF marine radios for years. Considering the harsh marine environment - damp, salt spay, vibration & shock, heat, cold, - this constitutes a compelling endorsement for the durability of the product.! Note that the source of the solderless connectors IS the marine industry. Not one Amateur store in the US or Canada carries these connectors so far as this author knows, except Burnaby Radio Communications, who now stocks the PL-259 s. NSARC HF Operators 17