I hope those posh plugs are Amphenol ones. They're the best by far. If it is Amphenol ones there won't be any loss because they're perfectly machined to spec so as long as your coax is to spec you'll feel the slightest of resistance as you insert to the coax into the plug. Any soldering is therefore just to hold the coax in place. I use solder that's about 0.6mm diameter OTTOMH and use about 1-1.5cm of that when doing the tip.
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Solder quantity on PL-259 centre pin...
- Thread starter TheBlaster
- Start date
I hope those posh plugs are Amphenol ones. They're the best by far. If it is Amphenol ones there won't be any loss because they're perfectly machined to spec so as long as your coax is to spec you'll feel the slightest of resistance as you insert to the coax into the plug. Any soldering is therefore just to hold the coax in place. I use solder that's about 0.6mm diameter OTTOMH and use about 1-1.5cm of that when doing the tip.
Will be the same I use, rosin core solder, buy good quality will serve you well.
Rosin cored, can't be bothered with all that using separate flux. Have managed to avoid using it for over 3 decades.
Well I tested it today and of course it is impossible to hear any RX/TX differences at all, skip was pretty flat, with exception to one quicky with Donnie Isle of Lewis, very unstable and the QSO lasted about 90 seconds before dropping out. Although I did speak to another static mobile (high ground) station 150 miles away so the coax seem to work, lol.
I am not entirely sure to be honest if this coax is ideally suited for static mobile use. It is very stiff and I am concerned if ultimately the copper foil will break down over time. (it is copper foil and braid super low loss coax - losses are 2.35dB @ 30MHZ per 100m supposedly slightly less losses than Westflex 103) I now realize cables that have copper foil as part of their screen seem to be poor candidates for anything other than a permanent install. I worry that the foil (plasticized no doubt) will slowly stretch and possibly break even with careful handling over many ups and downs of the antenna.
Anyway you live and learn I guess.
I am not even convinced this coax is better despite the thick 2.7mm centre core. I have seen on an easily found losses comparison table that RG-213UBX can be as low as 1.97dB per 100m (30MHz) although I am not entirely convinced this is accurate as I am pretty sure I have seen higher losses for RG-213.. anyway I am splitting hairs there I think on a 10m feed line where the losses will be to the order of about 0.2dB thereabouts, which is a very low loss feed line by anyone's standards.
I don't think the plugs were Amphenol by brand but they are really nicely made.
I am not entirely sure to be honest if this coax is ideally suited for static mobile use. It is very stiff and I am concerned if ultimately the copper foil will break down over time. (it is copper foil and braid super low loss coax - losses are 2.35dB @ 30MHZ per 100m supposedly slightly less losses than Westflex 103) I now realize cables that have copper foil as part of their screen seem to be poor candidates for anything other than a permanent install. I worry that the foil (plasticized no doubt) will slowly stretch and possibly break even with careful handling over many ups and downs of the antenna.
Anyway you live and learn I guess.
I am not even convinced this coax is better despite the thick 2.7mm centre core. I have seen on an easily found losses comparison table that RG-213UBX can be as low as 1.97dB per 100m (30MHz) although I am not entirely convinced this is accurate as I am pretty sure I have seen higher losses for RG-213.. anyway I am splitting hairs there I think on a 10m feed line where the losses will be to the order of about 0.2dB thereabouts, which is a very low loss feed line by anyone's standards.
I don't think the plugs were Amphenol by brand but they are really nicely made.
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i just swapped from genuine rg213 to westflex w103 with compression plugs on the white stick,
103 is notably lower loss than 213 on vhf & uhf but nowhere near as flexible, handles more like soft copper tube than wire,
1.9db /100m is incorrect for 213,
i had 43w from 100w input when i tested my 100mtrs of rg213 on cb band,
some of my mates have started using messi & paoloni coax & plugs,
https://messi.it/en/catalogue/50-ohm-cables-ham-radio.htm,
103 is notably lower loss than 213 on vhf & uhf but nowhere near as flexible, handles more like soft copper tube than wire,
1.9db /100m is incorrect for 213,
i had 43w from 100w input when i tested my 100mtrs of rg213 on cb band,
some of my mates have started using messi & paoloni coax & plugs,
https://messi.it/en/catalogue/50-ohm-cables-ham-radio.htm,
Yes this cable seems like that as well, it kind of stays in position quite easy because of the thickness of the solid inner core. I will have to keep the storage looping very wide not to bend it up.
Thanks for clarifying about RG-213 losses.
Does anyone definitively know what RG-213 UBX losses are at 30MHz / 100meters ?
I guess that is around 3.3dB/100m at a rough guess ? If 3dB loss is 1/2 the power.
This is what I purchased, quality seems ok, outer plastic smells slightly "chemical" I suppose they had to save cost somewhere give the fat copper they used. The only down side is it is a little inflexible as you say, it is like you have to fight with it a bit..... "Oy you over here, that's where I want you to be".
https://www.radioworld.co.uk/f-zero-coax-cable-100-meter
Thanks for clarifying about RG-213 losses.
Does anyone definitively know what RG-213 UBX losses are at 30MHz / 100meters ?
I guess that is around 3.3dB/100m at a rough guess ? If 3dB loss is 1/2 the power.
This is what I purchased, quality seems ok, outer plastic smells slightly "chemical" I suppose they had to save cost somewhere give the fat copper they used. The only down side is it is a little inflexible as you say, it is like you have to fight with it a bit..... "Oy you over here, that's where I want you to be".
https://www.radioworld.co.uk/f-zero-coax-cable-100-meter
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zero looks similar to w103 with better looking braid to my eyes,
i got the drum of westflex when nevada had a 1/2 price sale £70 delivered,
i could have gone for better & expensive M&P hyperflex13 like my buddy up the road,
but its cheaper & more effective to move the amplifier to the base of the mast & eliminate 90% of my tx losses,
the low loss coax makes no difference to what i hear on HF, just lifts the s-meter a bit higher on everything,
on uhf better coax does effect what i can hear.
i got the drum of westflex when nevada had a 1/2 price sale £70 delivered,
i could have gone for better & expensive M&P hyperflex13 like my buddy up the road,
but its cheaper & more effective to move the amplifier to the base of the mast & eliminate 90% of my tx losses,
the low loss coax makes no difference to what i hear on HF, just lifts the s-meter a bit higher on everything,
on uhf better coax does effect what i can hear.
RG-213 UBX COAX per 100 meter.
10 MHz – 2,0 dB
20 MHz – 3,0 dB
50 MHz – 4,8 dB
100 MHz – 7,8 dB
200 MHz – 10,6 dB
Coaxial cable that is used to move a lot i would not like it to have with a solid inner core, the connection beetween the copper core and inner pin of the PL259 might separate or break the core.
Even my Ecoflex 15 has 7 stranded core.
The only coax in use with solid core is the Aircom Plus on the Imax 2000. one time install never to be moved again with good connectors on it and selfamalgamating tape.
10 MHz – 2,0 dB
20 MHz – 3,0 dB
50 MHz – 4,8 dB
100 MHz – 7,8 dB
200 MHz – 10,6 dB
Coaxial cable that is used to move a lot i would not like it to have with a solid inner core, the connection beetween the copper core and inner pin of the PL259 might separate or break the core.
Even my Ecoflex 15 has 7 stranded core.
The only coax in use with solid core is the Aircom Plus on the Imax 2000. one time install never to be moved again with good connectors on it and selfamalgamating tape.
Might be interesting to know, and the reason I use only N connectors above 30 MHz.
One reason the European version of my FT991A has an n connector for 2/70
One reason the European version of my FT991A has an n connector for 2/70
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https://www.hamshop.nl/radio-amateur/coax-connectoren/pl-259-speciaal.html
These are the ones used now, bit like the N conectors.
These are the ones used now, bit like the N conectors.
Thanks all, interesting RG213 UBX a little more lossy than I thought 4dB approx at a guess then. Well my initial feeling is the copper foil itself could degrade (stretch and lose its electrical qualities) with lot of moving about, I use different QTH's and each time little different setting up. I think at the end of the coax there is relatively little straining movements happening in the Pl-259 area.. Despite saying I seem to have to fight with the super low loss coax more I try and let the coax "be where it wants" and move other items for the coax (same as the correct storage method with cable let the cable guide where you loop it and not go against its natural bends)
I am going to move it very gently and be very careful with it and store it carefully also. I think with care it will hold up for much longer. Afterall I want to keep my 0.165dB gains !
Being static mobile really is a different ball game, set and forget does not exist, I suppose this is both the attraction and inconvenience. Always new, you get to put up antennas all the time which is nice, new scenery, outdoors feeling but also many other small invconveniences.
I try and have a system to make it efficient and smooth to set up. I still managed to blow some fuses the other week inverting polarity on the radio. Luckily I carry spare fuses. Yesterday I had to move QTH after setting my antenna up because of farm work, which is fair enough, but every day out brings a new experience. There can be people parked in your QTH already, people QRMing your QTH with their tablets and laptops etc. (Yes S1-S2 noise even in country side from people watching DVD in cars ! 6meters away) Anything can happen and you need to be prepare to move, the upsides are the very low RF nose floor and clearer view to the horizons.
I am going to move it very gently and be very careful with it and store it carefully also. I think with care it will hold up for much longer. Afterall I want to keep my 0.165dB gains !
Being static mobile really is a different ball game, set and forget does not exist, I suppose this is both the attraction and inconvenience. Always new, you get to put up antennas all the time which is nice, new scenery, outdoors feeling but also many other small invconveniences.
I try and have a system to make it efficient and smooth to set up. I still managed to blow some fuses the other week inverting polarity on the radio. Luckily I carry spare fuses. Yesterday I had to move QTH after setting my antenna up because of farm work, which is fair enough, but every day out brings a new experience. There can be people parked in your QTH already, people QRMing your QTH with their tablets and laptops etc. (Yes S1-S2 noise even in country side from people watching DVD in cars ! 6meters away) Anything can happen and you need to be prepare to move, the upsides are the very low RF nose floor and clearer view to the horizons.
I'm not sure why you expected to see a difference. You'll notice a difference on a run of a few hundred feet, maybe a S point over RG213, but for a typical home install you'll see nothing and for a mobile install or static mobile you've wasted your time and money. You'd have noticed no difference just using plain vanilla RG58.
Ultraflex 7 or 10 won't. Its foil is glued to the centre insulation.
You would know if they were Amphenol because Amphenol laser etch both their name and the model number of the connector into every PL259 they make.
I like the idea of tinning the braid before assembling. Im going to need some practice.
http://www.hcarc.us/articles/soldering PL-259 connectors.htm
http://www.hcarc.us/articles/soldering PL-259 connectors.htm