Anyone know a good source for SMA to "X" adapters and SMA to "X" pigtails?

[Merovingian]

I have seen the SMA to whatever adapters on Amazon as well as SMA to whatever pigtails. I don't know the quality of these as they either come directly from China or are sold by someone who probably got them from China. Or do I need to worry about the quality? and any old connectors will do?

I would like to get high quality connectors / adapters / pigtails but I don't want to pay $20 - $60 a piece for them or something like that. What I have seen, they all look alike and cost a few dollars a piece.

Anyone know of one or more places that sell quality connectors / adapters? Or is Amazon stuff as good as any?

Thanks!

 

[mmckenna]

I've built my own as long as I can remember. After buying a couple of jumpers back in my CB days, I realized I was getting hosed.

I know, you probably don't want to invest in your own tools, but if you are going to be doing it a lot, it will start to pay off. Decent connectors are a few bucks each. Get 20 feet or so of good cable (LMR-195, LMR-240, etc) and you'll be all set.

For scanner use, it's not going to make a huge difference. Yeah, connectors have loss, they all do. The bigger issue I've run across is cheap gold plating on the low end connectors. If you are not going to be cycling them a lot, then it's rarely an issue. If you are going to be plugging/unplugging a lot, then you'll want the good stuff. If you are running test equipment, then you'll want the good stuff, also.

But for hobby use, reasonably priced is usually good enough.
Basically you are paying a premium for someone to assemble the cable. The cost is in the labor.

If you do buy from someone else, pay attention to the connector quality. It's hard to find info on the Cheap Chinese cables/connectors, but a decent seller should have some info for you.
Also, make sure you get cables that have heat shrink or some other form of strain relief at the connectors. It does make a difference.

Worst stuff I've seen is the connectors installed on the Tram antenna mounts. The crimp on the PL-259 connector was a single pin punch through the crimp ring. Without the strain relief, the whole thing fell apart in my hands.

Companies like the Antenna Farm are pretty reputable and will make custom cables for you. Might be a good option. There you can spec the cable and the connectors individually, so at least you know what you are getting. Not cheap, but properly done.

 

[a417]

I think it's kind of a crapshoot at that price point. Amazon allows the market to be flooded with off the boat junk that gets bogus reviews, and then sells them as fast as they can get them. If you're not going to buy them from amphenol / mouser / digikey / telewave ... you're basically going to take the sellers word for it.

Making patch cables isn't hard, and it is kind of a rite of initiation into the field. You can get your hands on some quality connectors and cable pieces and try your own. You can learn the ins & outs of cables, and then you can tailor each to exactly what you need.

...and it's a bit of an ego boost when you make a slick looking one off patch cable that is electrically sound, well shielded and fits your purpose to within the micron.

 

[Merovingian]

Thank you for all of the information. I plan to use LMR-400 from my antennas to the SDR receivers. I'm going to have the cables made up, probably by USA Coax. I've never stripped and crimped cables with N type connectors before and I want it done right, plus I would have to buy all of the tools (cutters, strippers, crimpers), I've already spent a bunch of money to try to get my SDR radio antennas bought, mounted and grounded.

All of my antennas have N connectors and my grounding buss are all Polyphaser N arrestors.

I was asking about the small SMA to N adapters or SMA to whatever adapters I may need to connect between the antenna cable and my SDR radios. Which is why I was asking about the little thin 6" -1' SMA to N coax cable that would connect my SDR to my heavy LMR-400 N connector.

I've built my own as long as I can remember. After buying a couple of jumpers back in my CB days, I realized I was getting hosed.

I know, you probably don't want to invest in your own tools, but if you are going to be doing it a lot, it will start to pay off. Decent connectors are a few bucks each. Get 20 feet or so of good cable (LMR-195, LMR-240, etc) and you'll be all set.

For scanner use, it's not going to make a huge difference. Yeah, connectors have loss, they all do. The bigger issue I've run across is cheap gold plating on the low end connectors. If you are not going to be cycling them a lot, then it's rarely an issue. If you are going to be plugging/unplugging a lot, then you'll want the good stuff. If you are running test equipment, then you'll want the good stuff, also.

But for hobby use, reasonably priced is usually good enough.
Basically you are paying a premium for someone to assemble the cable. The cost is in the labor.

If you do buy from someone else, pay attention to the connector quality. It's hard to find info on the Cheap Chinese cables/connectors, but a decent seller should have some info for you.
Also, make sure you get cables that have heat shrink or some other form of strain relief at the connectors. It does make a difference.

Worst stuff I've seen is the connectors installed on the Tram antenna mounts. The crimp on the PL-259 connector was a single pin punch through the crimp ring. Without the strain relief, the whole thing fell apart in my hands.

Companies like the Antenna Farm are pretty reputable and will make custom cables for you. Might be a good option. There you can spec the cable and the connectors individually, so at least you know what you are getting. Not cheap, but properly done.

 

[Merovingian]

Thanks. I'll try searching Mouser or DigiKey to see if I can find something. I hadn't heard of Telewave, I'll look them up.

I've done coax for Satellite and TV antennas but not for the N type connectors. I think I'll have them professionally made so I know they are right.

Thanks.

I think it's kind of a crapshoot at that price point. Amazon allows the market to be flooded with off the boat junk that gets bogus reviews, and then sells them as fast as they can get them. If you're not going to buy them from amphenol / mouser / digikey / telewave ... you're basically going to take the sellers word for it.

Making patch cables isn't hard, and it is kind of a rite of initiation into the field. You can get your hands on some quality connectors and cable pieces and try your own. You can learn the ins & outs of cables, and then you can tailor each to exactly what you need.

...and it's a bit of an ego boost when you make a slick looking one off patch cable that is electrically sound, well shielded and fits your purpose to within the micron.

 

[mmckenna]

I was asking about the small SMA to N adapters or SMA to whatever adapters I may need to connect between the antenna cable and my SDR radios. Which is why I was asking about the little thin 6" -1' SMA to N coax cable that would connect my SDR to my heavy LMR-400 N connector.

Sounds like you have a decent set up.

Run something like LMR-240 or LMR-195 from the Polyphasers to your SDR's. Get the cables made with a Male N connector to match the Polyphaser and an SMA male to connect to the SDR. The lighter cable will have negligible additional losses and the more flexible cable won't damage connectors.

Or, just use an adapter and connect the SDR directly to the Polyphaser and run a USB extension cable to your computer. A USB extension cable will be cheaper.

Telewave makes good stuff. Cables & Connectors, Jumper Cable Assemblies - United States | Telewave, Inc
But it's going to be expensive, and not likely noticeably better than other manufacturers.

If you are going for custom built, try these guys: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/coaxial-cable-342/custom-made-cable-assemblies-344/
Spend the extra money to have the heat shrink put on the connectors. It helps with strain relief.

 

[jonwienke]

MPD Digital makes good stuff too.

 

[Merovingian]

Heh, it seems that USACoax is MPD Digital's custom order site, which is where I was thinking of getting mine made anyway.

MPD Digital makes good stuff too.

 

[Merovingian]

Sounds like you have a decent set up.

Thanks. I hope so, I'm still working on getting it setup, I have 4 antennas to put up after I get all of the grounding stuff done. After that I have the coax cables left to run.

Run something like LMR-240 or LMR-195 from the Polyphasers to your SDR's. Get the cables made with a Male N connector to match the Polyphaser and an SMA male to connect to the SDR. The lighter cable will have negligible additional losses and the more flexible cable won't damage connectors.

I was planning to run LMR-400 all the way up to my desk, then using the really thin 6" or 1' coax (pigtail?) to connect it to my SDRs. I will think about your idea of the lighter cables from the arrestor to my desk but I want to keep losses to an absolute minimum. The run from the arrestor to my desk will probably be around 15' or so. The run from my antennas to the arrestor is probably 25'-30' maybe that is not so far to mo

Or, just use an adapter and connect the SDR directly to the Polyphaser and run a USB extension cable to your computer. A USB extension cable will be cheaper.

I probably won't go that route I want to avoid lightning damage to my SDRs, if I did that I would probably forget to disconnect them when a storm comes. Also I'll need to switch cables on the SDRs to use different antennas, HF, VHF, UHF, ect. . .

Telewave makes good stuff. Cables & Connectors, Jumper Cable Assemblies - United States | Telewave, Inc
But it's going to be expensive, and not likely noticeably better than other manufacturers.

If you are going for custom built, try these guys: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/coaxial-cable-342/custom-made-cable-assemblies-344/
Spend the extra money to have the heat shrink put on the connectors. It helps with strain relief.

Thanks. I'll take a look. Oh, I had looked at The Antenna Farm previously, they had a lot of choices when it came to connectors. I choose N connector and there is like 10-15 to choose from, some $6 other $13. . . I didn't know if more expensive was better to not. . . Which is why I was going to use USA Coax. They were a little simpler, or maybe I'm not as sophisticated when it comes to connectors.

 

[a417]

Thanks. I'll try searching Mouser or DigiKey to see if I can find something. I hadn't heard of Telewave, I'll look them up.

I've done coax for Satellite and TV antennas but not for the N type connectors. I think I'll have them professionally made so I know they are right.

Thanks.

tessco.

forgot them.

 

[Merovingian]

tessco.

forgot them.

I didn't chack them for cables and adapters but I did order my lightning arrestors through them.

 

[a417]

I actually don't know if they sell pigtails, I just know I get bags of connectors and bulk cable from them when the time arises.