need help with antenna conectors

[muskie999]

I have a HT yaesu Ft-250, I am going to make an antenna, J-pole, etc. What I need is where to find the connectors to hook up coax to my Ht which can be either sma, or bnc. The radio shack here is worthless unless you want a celluar phone. Need help figuring what I need, so when i look at wherever, with your help, what to order.

 

[Skypilot007]

I think you need one of these...the fourth item down #2976.

SMA Adapters

 

[n5ims]

I think you need one of these...the fourth item down #2976.

SMA Adapters

While that may work, even the seller doesn't recommend it (see the highlighted "CAUTION NOTICE" in that item's Description col). SMA connectors are quite weak and it's recommended that a pigtail cable be used instead, like this Associated Radio ARC109 SO-239 to SMA Male Cable that they recommend as a substitute for item #2976.

 

[muskie999]

Now I am confused. Iwant to build a antenna where I solder, good old coaix, tv cable etc. What I have seen from you folks so far is an adapter that goes to SMA to what I think is like a cb antenna, I have those already.. I will be having coax male coming out of the antenna, to a SMA connector, so it sems I need a female coaix to hook up to the male conector, then an adapter that will go into the SMA into my radio. I hope this makes sense. Thnaks for any help you can give me before hand.

 

[RadioDaze]

Are you saying that you plan to use TV cable for your coax?

 

[muskie999]

I have some heavier cable I plan to use, just want to get the connector problem straightened out.

 

[Skypilot007]

While that may work, even the seller doesn't recommend it (see the highlighted "CAUTION NOTICE" in that item's Description col). SMA connectors are quite weak and it's recommended that a pigtail cable be used instead, like this Associated Radio ARC109 SO-239 to SMA Male Cable that they recommend as a substitute for item #2976.

I saw that and was going to recomend it but figured the OP could make the decision themselves.

On another note....this is really simple stuff. I'm very surprised a licesened ham operator would be asking such a question in the first place.

 

[muskie999]

Yeah guess it is a dumb question, I'll get the answer. thanks.

 

[W2NJS]

YOU have to choose the connector YOU want on the coax that comes out of the J-pole. It does not HAVE to be any specific connector, just the one you want/need which fits the unit to which you are connecting the antenna. The fewer adapters you use the less signal loss you'll have. Adapters are made and readily available these days to change ANY connector to ANY OTHER connector. If you go to a hamfest you find them by the hundreds, literally, on the display tables. You might also find it worth your time to hang out with other hams because that's the way many of us really learned things fast about all this stuff, as well as by getting the mail order catalogs from places such as HRO and AES.

 

[muskie999]

Thanks w2njs, just trying to learn, Oh and SKYPILOT 007, it's spelled "licensed". Figured you may know that being "licensed" and all..

 

[popnokick]

If you don't want to wait for a hamfest and don't want to mail order, are you anywhere near Milwaukee? I can't speak for the specific store in Milwaukee because I haven't been there, but AES (Amateur Electronic Supply) in the other locations I've been to are likely to have what you are looking for.

 

[LtDoc]

muskie999,
The 'CB' connectors you're talking about are a PL-259, male, on the end of the coax, and an SO-239, female, on the antenna or radio chassis. They are very commonly used on HF and some VHF gear.
The little 1/8" thingys are 'SMA' connectors. Various manufacturers use them because they are small, but they also use either male or female connectors on radios and antennas. You have to pay attention to which is used where, doesn't seem to be any 'standard' way of doing that. I'm not familiar with your radio so won't try to guess what type you'd need.
While it's true that 'adapters' tend to introduce a little bit of loss, they also serve a very useful purpose which in a lot of cases 'nullify' that small loss in most cases. It's nice not to have to use them but when you do need to, do so.
- 'Doc

(Oh, BNC connectors are about 1/2 in diameter, and are attached by pushing them onto the opposite gender connector and giving them a 1/4 twist to lock them. I like them much better than those SMAs, but you don't get a choice in most cases. Oh well.)

 

[JeremyB]

Muskie

I would use a SMA-BNC adapter like this: https://www.rfparts.com/diamond/bncj-smap.html
Then a short BNC cable and then switch to the SO-239 or PL-259 to keep strain from damaging the SMA connection on the HT. The shorter the SMA-BNC adapter should result in less strain on the HT connection but some people prefer the Gulyas SMA adapter.

I would rather order parts from gigaparts than even think about ordering from AES. I was in AES-Milwaukee a couple years ago and I was not impressed with the conversations going on between employees after a customer called. Up until that point I was planning on taking home a Yaesu 857D from there, instead I ordered online from gigaparts after I visited the new Cabelas store north of AES

 

[muskie999]

Thanks that answers a lot of questions, I do have several bnc sma adapters, just have connect to this J-pole when I finsh, thanks to all,for the help.

 

[LtDoc]

Radio Shack (local one anyway) has an SMA to SO-239 adaptor with a short link of small coax. That might be an option for you too.
Unless you plan to make your own, pre-made coax feed lines with PL-259's are more common than ones with BNC connectors. As was already said, the least number of 'adapters' used the better. "KISS" it!
- 'Doc

(That doesn't look that nice, so change that "KISS" to "K.I.S.S.".)