What wattage soldering iron for PL-259 connectors?
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mmckenna
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It should, but it takes practice. You need to get everything hot enough for the solder to flow, but don't hold it there long enough melt the insulation on the coax or around the center pin of the connector.
JamesWest
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thank you. yes for me the center conductor is easy. its the ground with so much metal it acts like a heatsink that is difficult. maybe i can poke my eyes out today instead. 555.
I don't solder PL-259's much any more since switching to crimped connectors, but when I solder connectors I use a Weller dual heat soldering gun that I've had for decades (with fresh, well-tinned, tips). Biggest issue for me, since I don't solder much, is finding high quality solder.
nd5y
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It depends on what kind of tip the soldering iron has. The soldering tip has to allow a lot of heat transfer when soldering somthing like that with a lot of metal and thermal mass. If the tip is too small or has corrosion or poor mechanical connection to the iron then you will have problems.
eorange
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I just did this in the fall, outside in a semi cramped space. Weller dual heat gun. It was a little challenging getting the solder to flow cleanly into the shield holes. Part of the problem is I needed 3 hands. I was using a large rock to hold down the coax on top of a woodpile lol.
You want the hottest iron or gun you can find to heat and solder the connector as quickly as possible, then get the heck outa there. I've used a soldering gun in the 200 to 240 watt range most of my life and recently got a vintage Weller 300 watt model that works even better.
I find its best to trim and prep the center conductor and braid including tinning them quickly, then assemble the connector and solder. Tinning the braid first allows you to solder it inside the connector much faster with a better flow. I also try to only buy silver plated connectors which solder much easier than nickel plated types making the job go much faster with less damage to the coax.
LMR type cables are the absolute worst to solder as the dielectric will melt if you just look at it too long. Then the center conductor migrates up against the shield and you have a shorted cable. For LMR195/200 and LMR240 types that use a reducer inside the PL259, I'll tin the small end of the reducer first then slide that over the coax, then prep and trim the shield so it just hangs over the edge of the reducer then I'll solder the braid to the end of the reducer outside of the connector. Then trim anything that sticks out preventing the reducer from screwing into the connector and screw the rest of the connector together and solder the center conductor.
This process uses the least amount of heat to keep you from damaging the LMR cable and you also get to view and inspect the solder connection before assembling the connector, otherwise you have no idea what damage lies inside the connector.
I find its best to trim and prep the center conductor and braid including tinning them quickly, then assemble the connector and solder. Tinning the braid first allows you to solder it inside the connector much faster with a better flow. I also try to only buy silver plated connectors which solder much easier than nickel plated types making the job go much faster with less damage to the coax.
LMR type cables are the absolute worst to solder as the dielectric will melt if you just look at it too long. Then the center conductor migrates up against the shield and you have a shorted cable. For LMR195/200 and LMR240 types that use a reducer inside the PL259, I'll tin the small end of the reducer first then slide that over the coax, then prep and trim the shield so it just hangs over the edge of the reducer then I'll solder the braid to the end of the reducer outside of the connector. Then trim anything that sticks out preventing the reducer from screwing into the connector and screw the rest of the connector together and solder the center conductor.
This process uses the least amount of heat to keep you from damaging the LMR cable and you also get to view and inspect the solder connection before assembling the connector, otherwise you have no idea what damage lies inside the connector.
Don't do that... always wear safety glasses when soldering to avoid getting solder splash in the eyes.
Otherwise, forget about soldering the outer braid (especially with foam dielectric coax). Instead, use a crimp/solder connector such as the DX Engineering type they call the "next generation" PL-259. You solder the center conductor and crimp the outer braid. Make the one time investment in the crimp tool and be done with soldering the braid... you will never look back.
What are your thoughts on using a small file to remove the nickel plating where you plan to solder? The shell of most decent PL259s is brass which might take solder better than nickel.
I have done this before but usually only when I only had cheaper connectors to work with. Getting the plating down to the brass did help a lot.
It seemed like it helped the connector heat quicker so I could remove the heat must faster after my solder had flowed.
Then there were the stubborn cheap connectors that didn't want to allow any solder to flow! I'd end up tossing them as they required so much heat that it would start melting the internal insulation around the center conductor.
I usually used one of my old Weller Guns that offered 100/140 watts for this large stuff. I also had a larger model Weller that was something in the 200 watt range that worked very good. It could have been 300 or so watts like prcguy mentioned. I no longer have that gun but wish I still did.
I remember it being a beast and it would not fit in my tools bin where I kept my other Weller high wattage gun models.
I remember having trouble with solder flowing on some connectors many years ago and I ended up filing or grinding down to the brass to solder. I think it was a batch of bastard brand connectors.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
As others have pointed out, if you are doing more than a few PL-259 connectors, the crimp tools and quality crimp connectors can make life a lot easier. Usually on the commercial side of things, the connectors are completely crimp, or solder center/crimp outer. The crimpers don't have to be really expensive, you can get a good set for $50 or so. Really pays off if you need to do them frequently.
If you are only doing a couple, then a good hot iron will do what you need. Again, as said above, avoid the cheap connectors.
If you are only doing a couple, then a good hot iron will do what you need. Again, as said above, avoid the cheap connectors.
Any recommendations for crimp tools & connectors ?? PL 259 and Type N. The N connectors scare me. LMR-400
For LMR400 you want the Times Microwave CST-400 prep tool and most any ratchet crimper rated for LMR400 should be fine. For N connectors search eBay for EZ type connectors, there is no center pin to deal with, just prep the coax, shove it inside the connector and crimp. The connectors will sweep fine past 6GHz when complete and a child can install perfect connectors every time.
These connectors run about $14 each on Amazon but can be found cheap, sometimes in bulk surplus for $6 each on eBay. I also find them cheap at ham swapmeets and at the last one I got a bag of 22 new EZ connectors for LMR240 for $2 each. https://www.amazon.com/Male-Connector-Microwave-EZ-400-NMH-X-LMR-400/dp/B07QPWLLD6
These connectors run about $14 each on Amazon but can be found cheap, sometimes in bulk surplus for $6 each on eBay. I also find them cheap at ham swapmeets and at the last one I got a bag of 22 new EZ connectors for LMR240 for $2 each. https://www.amazon.com/Male-Connector-Microwave-EZ-400-NMH-X-LMR-400/dp/B07QPWLLD6
Hey, thanks !!
Who you calling a child ??
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
I concur with prcguy. I'm fortunate to have all this stuff at work, including the Times Microwave LMR cable termination kit. The prep tools make it really easy (almost child proof as indicated) to do a good termination. If you were careful, you can probably do just as good with a good sharp razor blade and a way to chamfer the end of the center conductor to properly slide into the captured center pin. I've done a ton of them and never had a failure, but all my usage is 800MHz and below.
As for 'child', I'm in my 50's and still haven't decided what I want to do when I grow up.
As for 'child', I'm in my 50's and still haven't decided what I want to do when I grow up.
About 7yrs ago I was on a two man team sent to Laredo, TX to install a spiffy new Ka band dish antenna with all the trimmings, I think it was around 2.4m with a lot of support electronics. There were six LMR400 cables or 12 N connectors that had to be installed and swept with really good VSWR past 6GHz and I was issued the type connector with solder center pins. And I had no proper stripping tools and had to use the equivalent of box cutters to prep the cable.
If you've ever had to deal with connectors at or above 6GHz you know the center pin has to be put on within a few thousands of an inch of perfect including trimming the dielectric, otherwise the VSWR goes wonky real fast. This was in the middle of the summer outdoors with no shade and I must have spent a couple of hours putting on a dozen connectors and a couple of them didn't pass sweep testing and they had to be cut off and done over. Not fun.
The other end of the circuit was a similar dish in Chile and I made sure I had proper prep tools and lots of Times EZ type connectors. The exact same job I did in Lerado that took half the day was done in less than 30min in Chile and they all swept perfect. I'll never go back to LMR connectors where you solder the center pin. So you might save $5 each connector by not choosing EZ connectors but imagine the savings in labor, 30min for 12 connectors vs half a day at a staggering labor rate.
Here is the job I hated in Laredo. Lovely Laredo in the summer, can't think of too many places I would rather not be in.
Same basic setup in Chile, smaller dish in the center. Fun place, although this was northern Chile in the Atacama desert.
If you've ever had to deal with connectors at or above 6GHz you know the center pin has to be put on within a few thousands of an inch of perfect including trimming the dielectric, otherwise the VSWR goes wonky real fast. This was in the middle of the summer outdoors with no shade and I must have spent a couple of hours putting on a dozen connectors and a couple of them didn't pass sweep testing and they had to be cut off and done over. Not fun.
The other end of the circuit was a similar dish in Chile and I made sure I had proper prep tools and lots of Times EZ type connectors. The exact same job I did in Lerado that took half the day was done in less than 30min in Chile and they all swept perfect. I'll never go back to LMR connectors where you solder the center pin. So you might save $5 each connector by not choosing EZ connectors but imagine the savings in labor, 30min for 12 connectors vs half a day at a staggering labor rate.
Here is the job I hated in Laredo. Lovely Laredo in the summer, can't think of too many places I would rather not be in.
Same basic setup in Chile, smaller dish in the center. Fun place, although this was northern Chile in the Atacama desert.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, I'd certainly not rely on a razor blade and a tape measure at those frequencies or that kind of application.
CB, VHF, maybe UHF, close enough...
CB, VHF, maybe UHF, close enough...
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