Hello, I've had my 436hp for a few years now, and I've just now noticed how the SMA connector keeps loosening over time. I'm using the adapter for BNC antennas but I also have a rubber washer under the BNC adapter which seemed to help but in the end the locking nut for the SMA connector keeps loosening unless I use an SMA style antenna. I'm assuming I might just have to switch to using SMA antennas now? If anyone has any ideas let me know, thanks!
BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Loose 436hp sma connector?
- Thread starter Abqactive
- Start date
Just tighten it up good. I have been using sma to BEC since like 2016 and swap antenna all the time. I don’t have to tighten to often. I don’t recall it coming with a rubber washer.
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- Jun 30, 2020
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Or use the blue Lock Tight (or however it is spelled).
I thought about that but I wasn't sure if it might cause some kind of electrical issue between the antenna contact and the nut or something. They make this green wicking loctite that I think might work but I dont want to cause irreversible damage.
Loctite®, and other anaerobic thread locking compounds, are not an insulator when used as intended. Any machined screw thread has miniscule gaps in the threads. If these gaps didn't exist, you'd have a very hard time screwing mating components together. Anaerobic thread locking compounds fill these gaps thus making the threaded parts more difficult to unscrew. But, you'll still have metal-to-metal contact, and therefore an electrical contact, along the length of the thread.
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- Oct 18, 2023
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Many other radios with SMA and BNC connectors have blue thread lock on them. Odd that Uniden didn't use it on theirs. I have had to apply thread lock on all my Uniden scanners. Gets annoying having to re-tighten them. Just a dab will do. Remove the nut, place the smallest drop you can on the connector threads as close to where the nut would tighten up and put the retainer nut back on. Place a drop or two on the end of a jewelers screwdriver until you get a small amount applied which doesn't have to go all the way around. The nut will spread it.
Don't over tighten. You can also buy a spanner wrench for those, I have one, but the tip of a jewelers screwdriver with a blade the width of the slots on the nut works pretty good. You can angle the blade and gently push to tighten it. Maybe even tap it with a small object, but don't use much pressure or tap hard. It doesn't have to be overly tight. Just snugged down so the connector no longer moves about.
Don't over tighten. You can also buy a spanner wrench for those, I have one, but the tip of a jewelers screwdriver with a blade the width of the slots on the nut works pretty good. You can angle the blade and gently push to tighten it. Maybe even tap it with a small object, but don't use much pressure or tap hard. It doesn't have to be overly tight. Just snugged down so the connector no longer moves about.
