Nate WY0X wrote:
I've seen N connectors lately that look like PL-259's and have to be soldered on similarly to RG-8 sized coax. I tried one. Pulled on the connector after soldering it together and it had zero strain-relief for the cable being pulled on, and it ripped apart. (Well, the center conductor held on as long as it could). I wouldn't use those for anything.
Wayne W9AE replies:
I've soldered dozens of "two piece" N connectors in the last 10 years. I've NEVER had a connector pull off, but I also haven't tried pulling on the connector with all my strength. The connectors have survived years in the elements, including cables hanging vertically from my mast-mounted preamps, supported only by the connector.
I mostly use flexible 9913 or LMR400UF, and just clip a few strands of the center conductor to get it to fit in the connector. Has anybody measured what kind of degradation that would cause at 450 MHz or 1.2 GHz?
Wayne Estes W9AE Oakland, Oregon, USA, CN83ik