Is Using An SMA Male To SO239 Adapter On The HP-1 Risky?

[JASII]

I have been using the Uniden Home Patrol HP-1 for the past few months now and I am getting ready to get a mobile antenna for it. I am trying to decide if I want to get a mobile antenna that just terminates in an SMA connector or if I want to use one that has a PL259 and then use a SMA Male To SO239 Adapter. My concern is that the bigger PL259/SO239, since it is a bit bigger, might put the SMA connector on the Uniden HP-1 at greater risk of damage, since the PL259 is a bit bigger. In either case I may also use a 90 degree right angle adapter as well. Anyway, does anybody have any thought on this? I guess the other thought is, in an mobile installation, maybe the SMA would look slightly less noticeable, since it is smaller. And I suppose the fewer adapters the better when it comes to RF loss, etc.

[jaspence]

Use one of the adapters that have at least a couple of feet of coax in between the SMA part and the PL connector. This will relieve the weight being directly applied to the radio connector. The coax is usually a miniature variety and will put very little if any strain on the radio.

[w1wra]

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[w1wra]

If you want to do something quickly, Radio Shack has a (pricey) solution:

1.64-Ft. (0.5M) SMA Female to SO239 Female RG-316 Cable : Cables | RadioShack.com
SMA Male to SMA Male Coupler : Couplers | RadioShack.com

Not the cheapest option, but I know most Radio Shacks near me carry both parts.

Another option:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/parts/4513.html
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...s/smadapt.html (for your 90 degree adapter)

I have done a simular setup with a ham radio HT with no major loss issues. I like the pigtail approach to help reduce stress on your SMA connector.

Good luck!

[LtDoc]

If you use reasonable care in how you route and support the feed line there should be no extraordinary strain on anything. That adaptor will probably work just dandy. I'm surprised that the antenna maker doesn't offer an antenna with the proper connector.
- 'Doc

[joking]

Originally Posted by LtDoc

If you use reasonable care in how you route and support the feed line there should be no extraordinary strain on anything. That adaptor will probably work just dandy. I'm surprised that the antenna maker doesn't offer an antenna with the proper connector.
- 'Doc

Second the info about being careful about the strain - I had to send my HP-1 in for repair - I transfer it frequently between house and car where I hook it up to a mobile antenna with BNC connector - apparently it did something to the connector as they had to replace it

[K9WG]

Originally Posted by LtDoc

If you use reasonable care in how you route and support the feed line there should be no extraordinary strain on anything. That adaptor will probably work just dandy. I'm surprised that the antenna maker doesn't offer an antenna with the proper connector.
- 'Doc

While what you say is true, I can just see dropping, bumping or otherwise hitting the adapter.... It might work for you but us all thumbs people would be in bad shape.....

[n5ims]

I second the suggestion of using a short jumper instead of a solid adapter. Let the short piece of coax handle all of the stress and strain of any movements and keep the scanner's connection safe.

[W2NJS]

Short story about the SMA connector: Cute, small, etc., correct. However, it was not designed for the rigors of being continuously disconnected and connected on a scanner or any other radio. I read once that the MTBF (that means "how soon it will fail") is stated to be a few hundred cycles, which in the lifetime of a scanner or portable is not much at all. My advice for putting an aftermarket antenna on any radio would be NOT use any adapter but get an antenna with the correct SMA connector installed. If you're involved with an antenna feedline that has a PL259 termination make up an SO-239/SMA jumper coax to keep the strain off the radio's connector. A few bucks spent doing so may save you the expense of sending the unit back for service due to a broken SMA connection.

[JASII]

Originally Posted by w1wra

.....Associated Radio ARC109 SO-239 to SMA Male Cable.....

I think I will look for one of these or try to find it for a little less money, like here:

UHF SO239 female SO-239 to SMA male plug RF adapter pigtail cable RG58 1M | eBay

or here

http://www.jefatech.com/product/100SMAUHFF19.html

or maybe if I get real lucky I can find a pigtail with an SO-239 on one end and a right angle SMA on the other end like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8in-UHF-SO23...-/160858959038



Thanks for the tip!

[ResQguy]

Why are you stuck on PL259s? They aren't terribly good for high frequencies. I use this on my HP1 BNC female nut bulkhead to SMA male right angle RG316 pigtail cable 15cm | eBay

[JASII]

I just happen to have a few antenna mounts at home and most of them have PL259 connectors on them. When I was more active in amateur radio, my amateur mobiles on 2 meters and 440 had SO239s on them. Have they switched that now, too, on mobiles? What is the difference in loss between a BNC and a PL259? I seem to recall that the N connector is less lossy, but less commonly found on equipment.