Need help identifying antenna connector and advice going forward

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by chollapete

The original builder ran the VHF antenna cable under the headliner to the point pictured, where there is a tight radius needed to bend the wires through the deck before entering the deck-stepped mast.

Is there a way to finesse the tight radius with a larger loop of some sort that eventually sends the cable in the direction you want it to go?

-Chris

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by GordMay

PL259 connectors come in a 90 Deg version. Perhaps yours do, as well.

BINGO!!! As you described the problem, someone has come up with the answer.

The other proposed answer is to make a wide sweeping curve.

Basically, "you gotta a problem, someone has the answer."

[El Rubio]

Originally Posted by chollapete

@El Rubio (or anyone else): About the crimp tool, I'm a little confused by what tool is correct for what connector. As an electrician, I know that the correct crimp die is determined by the lug being used; i.e., Burndy or Ilsco lugs tell you the color- and number-coded die to use. For battery cables, certain hex crimp tools seem to work with particular brand of lugs.

I've actually run LMR400 at work when a customer needed to bring GPS signals into the interior of an office building. We had a little, "special" hex crimper sent out from the shop just for that. Do you think that crimper would work for PL259s? Thinking about it now, I wouldn't be surprised if we actually were using PL259s on that job. Thanks. I'm going to check out that crimper, as i believe that my boss never sent it back to the shop.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome!

The crimp tool is generally designed for the cable size so any "LMR400" crimper should work with a connector designed to be crimped. So, your shop crimper is probably good for that, or similar sized cabling. Some ratcheting crimpers use interchangeable dies. You might find one that has dies for coax as well a power terminals. Here is a cheap one on ebay, that would do a fine job. just make sure the dies match the cable type. Your GPS installation probably didn't use PL259's as they aren't recommended for use above 300MHz. There's no cutoff line necessarily, and they are commonly used on UHF (450MHz) ham radios without any problems. Above that, it's recommended to use a connector with a captivated center pin. An N type has the center pin inside a metal tube and performs better at higher frequencies. N type's are otherwise the same general size as PL259, or "UHF" connectors. There are a ton of crappy PL259's out there. Mostly the solder-on types. You can make these work, but many are made from pot-metal and are difficult to get the solder to stick. It's tough enough with quality PL-259's, especially if you're hanging in a bosun's chair 50 feet above your deck.


Some people have opinions that soldered connectors are superior and that simply isn't true. Commercial radio installations rarely use soldered connectors, and I would argue, crimped on connectors are far, far less likely to be installed incorrectly.


I like connectors like these PL259's

They're made well, relatively inexpensive, and allow the center pin to be soldered. When prepping the cable, you leave the center conductor extra long, so you can solder it at the tip of the connector and then any excess off. Some crimper dies may not have the correct size smaller cavity for center pin crimping.