Installing a PL-259 (UHF male) connector on RG-8 Style Coax (011)

== LINK to Step-by-Step below ==
There is a lot of frustration with many people in getting a reliable installation of a PL-259 connector (old military designation for what is now known as a UHF Male connector) on RG-8 style coax.
I used to be one of those VERY frustrated people. I have since learned a tried and true method of putting these connectors on a piece of coax and I share that here with you.
If you are careful to follow these instructions as presented, then I have every confidence you will have the same good success that I have (now) in putting these connectors on my coax.
Here is a link to a step-by-step document as well:
drive.google.c...

[@user-uv4xe3cq2y]

Like others, I've been doing it the hard, wrong way. Not anymore, thanks to you, Ralph!

[@mosfet500]

I've been doing these for years .... wrong! Thanks Ralph.

[@eie_for_you]

I had the same reaction when I discovered this method. You are welcome! 🙂

[@edwardmanfredi121]

Excellent presentation Ralph. I have 6 more connectors to mount. Am doing the HF connectors today. I believe your video will be most helpful !

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks, man! I thought the termination method was really robust and easy. Glad it will be of help to you. 😃

[@maurasmith-mitsky762]

I had no idea that this was so complicated. I saw some guys who crimped theirs and only put solder on the tip. Wow. THanks. KC3JJH

[@eie_for_you]

You are welcome! 🙂 Personally, I am not a fan of the crimped connectors. Too many things can go wrong especially if they get out in any kind of weather. So, I'll take the solder-type any day.

[@nilpo]

Crimp connectors only solder the center conductor by design. If you solder a crimp connector they fail if they get bent at all. I prefer solder connectors on solid conductor cable for permanent or outdoor applications. As mentioned in the other comment, they handle the weather better. (I like Times Micro LMR 400) I prefer crimp connectors on stranded core cable for jumpers in the shack. They stand up better to repeated use. (I like TramFlex RG8x.)

[@faisgaffeimbecile1939]

I've been building these recently and I disagree with the final tip solder position of 45° down. I think you're being a little over-concerned with the "solder-wicking". I prefer to have it in the vice (between rubber jaws) at horizontal or slightly tilting back, a few degrees only, so the solder will deliberately flow back up the barrel and will complete and produce a perfect meniscus; - (which describes the surface of the solder joint, anywhere). Don't over indulge the search for perfection. Neat, rounded convex solder menisci is what I look to create. 73's

[@eie_for_you]

My concern with tipping it back is those occasions when I might get a bit too enthusiastic with adding solder and the solder spill out into the barrel of the connector and cause a short. By tipping it down, this minimizes this possibility and produces nice results.

[@nilpo]

@@eie_for_you I like this idea. It's probably overkill, but it forces the solder to wick up which requires the use of enough heat and a quality solder. And those are two of the biggest mistakes I've seen in failed installations.

[@eie_for_you]

@@nilpo Exactly right. I have made the same observations as well. This process makes it MUCH more possible to get it right.

[@nilpo]

@@eie_for_you Number one issue I see other than poor prep is without a doubt not enough heat. Everyone is told to be careful not to melt the insulator so often that they fear using any heat at all. If the solder isn't wicking, keep the heat in until it does. Using a correctly sized soldering iron or correctly adjusted gun will allow you to hold heat on for extended periods of time without overheating. I also see people using tips that are too large and then wondering why it transfers heat so quickly.

[@Shastasays]

Great job Ralph. We are in the process of putting PL259 and N male connectors on our LMR400 cables. Thanks for the tips. (no pun intended) Sheila KD9NGU

[@eie_for_you]

LMR400 is one of those RG-8 type cables. There are quite a few of these of various mfr pn and capabilities. Fortunately, the process of putting a PL-259 on the end of one is pretty much the same. I LIKE N connectors. In my opinion, the "clamp and solder" type connectors for these, while being a bit pricey, are WAY easier to put on. I am not a big fan of crimp connectors for various reasons.

[@chipsawdust5816]

Thanks for the video, sir. I have some UHF connectors a friend gave me that were cut off from an unused cable and would love to see how I can UNsolder them! Meanwhile, I'm using crimp connectors for my new assemblies. Less soldering involved, and my skills are rusty (at least my tools aren't!).

[@eie_for_you]

My method of removal ... hopefully he didn't cut them off flush to the back of the connector. If they did, it makes it a bit more difficult. I take the backshell off entirely. I firmly secure the body of the connector in a vise (not too firmly, but you don't want it to move). I then get a hold of the center conductor with my needle-nosed pliers (I do not use ones with smooth jaws, they have to have some "bite". I heat up the center pin of the connector and pull the center conductor out from behind. Now the insulator and shield are all that is left. Pull the insulator out. Now we just have the shield (the 'hard part'). You will probably have to find a different method of holding the body of the connector as you need to heat the body up to release the shield. The shield may pull apart fairly easily, depending on how this was soldered in place. You could use your soldering gun to heat the solder connections up and pull the shield free either as a unit or in pieces. Some folks use a hot air gun to heat the body up, but this has the potential of melting the innards of the connector. I have followed this procedure on lots of connectors with good success.

[@chipsawdust5816]

@@eie_for_you Aha, from the inside out! That's genius, thank you so much for the reply. Sometimes I get tunnel vision and I don't know that I'd've thought of that. I'm lucky that there's about 3/8" or more of cable still sticking out. I do need to get a hotter soldering iron for it, not sure what to get. I have various torches but that risks melting the innards. These are old Amphenol connectors. I'm fairly new to this but I do know the Amphenol name, which is why they're worth trying to salvage.

[@eie_for_you]

@@chipsawdust5816 Ahhh, that makes it WAY easier cuz you can strip the end to get at a good bit of center conductor to grab. I have a VERY old Radio Shack soldering gun (230 Watt) that I use. It has worked for me for over 20 years.

[@chipsawdust5816]

@@eie_for_you That's a great target for me to shoot at then. Over 200W - I think mine are about a quarter of that! Thank you sir, you are wonderful!

[@eie_for_you]

@@chipsawdust5816 You are very welcome! Glad I could help.

[@marccormier2310]

great job buddy from ve9yj 73 and thanks

[@eie_for_you]

You are welcome!

[@toddanonymous5295]

Good one Ralph, You could install connectors for NASA. I only use silver plated teflon connectors. Why they call them UHF connectors I never understood. I don't like to use them even on 2 meters. Type N constant Z connectors are the only way to go on larger coax.

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks, Todd! Yes, N is always better and, I think, easier to install ... but more expensive to buy.

[@Davejazz]

Good job 👏 👍

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks, man! 🙂

[@acampbell198]

"Don't cut yourself Ralph"😂, that's right about the time I would slice my finger wide open. Thank you for the detailed instructions Ralph. Especially the soldering tips. That's what I have the hardest time with, seem to make a mess of it every time. If you have time, I did have a couple of questions. First, you mention a couple of connector brands you use/like. Do you have a source that you prefer to buy from? I say that Altex carries Amphenol but wondering what your preferred radio supply house is. Second and last question, I noted that you tined the shield but not the center conductor. I've seen others tin the conductor, is there a reason you don't or shouldn't? Again, thanks for the video!

[@eie_for_you]

I usually buy through DigiKey or Mouser. Pasternack also has good quality connectors. As far as tinning the center conductor ... a very good idea to do this. I just failed to do that (my bad). You are very welcome! I am glad that you found the video helpful. 🙂

[@acampbell198]

@@eie_for_you Thank you Ralph! DigiKey has much better prices on the Amphenol terminators than altex.

[@modex20]

You skipped the best part

[@eie_for_you]

?

[@nilpo]

This is utterly unnecessary and mostly voodoo for no real purpose. Tinning the braid is only mildly helpful. It's more a waste of time and makes it harder to get the connector on. Using reamer on an any quality connector is a huge no-no. They are plated to make a better connection and the reamer removes that. You are having issues with tinning your braid because you aren't applying enough heat and you flux appears to be expired by about two decades. (Most fluxes have a shelf life of 6 months to a year.) If you apply the correct amount of heat to bare copper, it will tin just fine. Modern solders all contain enough rosin core to get the job done since you've just exposed the braid for the first time.

[@eie_for_you]

Sorry you feel this way. I know that this has made a tremendous improvement in the quality of the installation on my part and on many of the people I know who have taken up this methodology. Kudos to you for having such success without going through these extra steps. 🙂

[@nilpo]

@@eie_for_you Does this just make the connector more secure for you? Or does it make it somehow perform better electrically?

[@eie_for_you]

@@nilpo Both. With a much better, properly soldered connection between the connector and the braid, the electrical characteristics should also improve. This same soldered connection makes it more mechanically robust. I have seen many, many UHF connectors which have been installed using other methods. In every case of failure or of poor electrical performance, this connection to the braid is almost always the weak point of the installation. Anything that makes it possible for the average person to successfully install a UHF connector on the end of their coax is a good thing.

[@nilpo]

@@eie_for_you I do agree that connection to the braid is the most common failure point. But it seems to me that it's almost always incorrectly installed to begin with (damaged braid, not fully inserted, poorly stripped) or so poorly soldered that's it's actually worse than using none at all. I was just curious if there was some measurable difference. It seems that any difference electrically would be pretty nominal. I do like that you clean after using flux. I avoid flux on the braid after it's assembled because you can't clean it properly and it will lead to deterioration under the connector if left alone. But I find good solder and heat doesn't generally require it either. Newly stripped copper is generally clean enough.