Amphenol coax connectors frequency range

Status
Not open for further replies.

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
That chart tells me that N connectors are only rated to 18MHz - I find that very hard to believe.
 

ab5r

Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
555
Agree with MAJOCO. Could that top horizontal line be in GHz??? It is NOT identified.
 

KC8ESL

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
550
Location
Mentor, Ohio
I believe that because it is intended for people in the industry, shoddy as the graph may be (especially for a company like Amphenol RF division), it is implied that the X axis is GHz scale.
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
See right down the bottom is "UHF" and it says it goes to 0.3! 0.3 what we don't know but I always thought that they were not good at UHF at all and that 30MHz was about where they started to give a bump in the 50ohm or whatever impedance they were supposed to be. Umpteen years ago I used to install Instrument Landing Systems and all we used on them were screw "C" connectors on both the 112 and 330MHz systems. DME up at 1000MHz used the 1" Andrews heliax big fat connectors but they seem to think that mini 3.5mm are good - don't be silly!
 

KC8ESL

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
550
Location
Mentor, Ohio
UHF is typically good up to 300MHz in any other reference that you'll see. It can be inferred (on a professional level) that it is expressed in GHz on the X axis.

Amphenol RF 182130 UHF Male Crimp-9913,LMR40 | TESSCO

Now scroll to the bottom of the link I just provided under "Tech Specs" - where, ironically, it claims 0 - 2.5GHz... I will provide the text here as well, but I am using the above link as the reference for said material.

"UHF connectors are general purpose connectors developed for use in low frequency systems up to 300 MHz and originally designed for use radio industry. UHF connectors feature a threaded coupling. LMR is a registered trademark of Times Microwave Systems."
 

WB9YBM

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
1,390
Maybe I missed it but I didn't see the rating for PL-259/SO-239. Just "FYI" at Motorola we used the PL-259/SO-239 connectors up to about 900MHz (although it should be noted this was under ideal conditions in our R&D department...)
 

KevinC

Big Dog...celebrating 10 years of abuse!
Super Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2001
Messages
11,340
Location
Home
Maybe I missed it but I didn't see the rating for PL-259/SO-239. Just "FYI" at Motorola we used the PL-259/SO-239 connectors up to about 900MHz (although it should be noted this was under ideal conditions in our R&D department...)

It's called the "UHF" connector.
 

W5lz

Active Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2019
Messages
617
After understanding that the scale was in Ghz, it makes sense, or at least is more believable. Typically, the scale I see most is in Mhz, and that made the whole thing 'wrong'. Oh well...
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,228
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Most N connectors are rated to about 10GHz with the better machined stainless steel versions rated to 18GHz tops. This is because above about 18GHz the center conductor to inside shield distance is close to the point where RF can propagate in both transmission line mode and wave guide mode, causing two different paths within the coax and signals can arrive at the other end out of phase and cancel.

Above about 18GHz you have to step down the internal dimensions of the connector and go with something the size of an SMA connector, but SMA is only rated to about 18GHz so you would be using a compatible "K" connector good to 40GHz or 3.5mm good to about 34GHz or 2.92mm good to about 40GHz and all these will interface with each other mechanically. This was all covered in your Microwave 101 class, were you paying more attention with the girl in the next aisle over with the short skirt?

Otherwise good quality PL-259s can be used well above 300Mhz, it just depends on what return loss or VSWR you can live with. BTW the cool girls in class all went for the APC-7 connector.

That chart tells me that N connectors are only rated to 18MHz - I find that very hard to believe.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top