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PL-259 connectors

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todd ruby-2

PL-259 connectors

Friends,
The only PL-259 connectors any amateur should ever use are the ones from Amphenol stamped 83-1SP.

If you don't believe me, you can easily discuss this issue with Frank, W3LPL. If you are at Dayton, he'll be covering various topics during Contest University or gabbing with contesters and DXers at the Crowne Plaza. He is a very good person to know if you don't know him already.

73

Todd

WB2ZAB
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Ronnie Hull

Re: PL-259 connectors

I was lucky enough to purchase a master box of 1000 of those 83-1SP's back
in the late 70's when they were REALLY silver plated. I have enough for a
life time

GREAT connectors and with them, no fool would ever need a Type N

W5SUM

-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Ruby
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 11:00 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] PL-259 connectors

Friends,
The only PL-259 connectors any amateur should ever use are the ones from
Amphenol stamped 83-1SP.

If you don't believe me, you can easily discuss this issue with Frank,
W3LPL. If you are at Dayton, he'll be covering various topics during Contest
University or gabbing with contesters and DXers at the Crowne Plaza. He is a
very good person to know if you don't know him already.

73

Todd

WB2ZAB
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WA2SI

Re: PL-259 connectors

In reply to this post by todd ruby-2

I used Amphenol exclusively until they moved their manufacturing from the USA to Mexico. Now the 83-1SP is no longer stamped, (Engraved.) its printed. (Ink?) Same quality? It could be, but it doesn't appear to be. (Cheaper phenolic/Teflon?) I have a sizeable stash of USA-made Amphenol and J&I (NJ) connectors.

This is very much on topic wrt Elecraft products since, with the practice of outsourcing local jobs offshore, there is some additional satisfaction that the majority of my hard earned money will trickle down to a dinner table in NJ, Tennessee, or... Aptos, CA.

Some naysayers will say that there will always be more convenient offshore sources and they'd be correct, but you do what you can. If not now, then when?

Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI

Sent from my android device.

-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Ruby <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Thu, 19 May 2016 0:00
Subject: [Elecraft] PL-259 connectors

Friends,
The only PL-259 connectors any amateur should ever use are the ones from Amphenol stamped 83-1SP.

If you don't believe me, you can easily discuss this issue with Frank, W3LPL. If you are at Dayton, he'll be covering various topics during Contest University or gabbing with contesters and DXers at the Crowne Plaza. He is a very good person to know if you don't know him already.

73

Todd

WB2ZAB
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Barry

Re: PL-259 connectors

Do you think whatever you're plugging into uses Amphenol SO-239's?

Barry W2UP

john@kk9a.com

Re: PL-259 connectors

In reply to this post by todd ruby-2

Unfortunately probably no manufacture is using Amphenol jacks. I have had
N jack failures in equipment where non-Amphenol connectors lost their
spring and I previously owned an Acom amp that had very loose fitting
SO-239's.

John KK9A

from: Barry w2up
Thu May 19 08:01:25 EDT 2016

Do you think whatever you're plugging into uses Amphenol SO-239's?

Barry W2UP

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Ronnie Hull

Re: PL-259 connectors

Type N connectors are great! I just don't see where is any gain to using them on HF! They will make NO difference on either end of your QSO.
Most of the PL259's I see for sale today are crap. I'm a professional in the communications industry so I use both styles on a Dailey basis
The 83-1SP's as sold by amphenol today are not anywhere near as good as they used to be. The silver coating on them doesn't take solder as easily as they once did!
Glad I have plenty of the old ones!

Ronnie w5sum

Sent from Ronnie's IPhone

> On May 19, 2016, at 08:27, "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Unfortunately probably no manufacture is using Amphenol jacks. I have had
> N jack failures in equipment where non-Amphenol connectors lost their
> spring and I previously owned an Acom amp that had very loose fitting
> SO-239's.
>
> John KK9A
>
> from: Barry w2up
> Thu May 19 08:01:25 EDT 2016
>
> Do you think whatever you're plugging into uses Amphenol SO-239's?
>
> Barry W2UP
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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Drew AF2Z

Re: PL-259 connectors

It was an 83-1sp I recently bought that had defective threading. Let's
face it: the name brand products of the past are not what they used to
be, quality-wise. (Some others I will never buy again: Grundig, Levis,
Herman boots...)

Mental note to self regarding PL-259's-- check for defective threading
before soldering connector to cable.

73,
Drew
AF2Z

On 05/19/16 09:32, Ronnie Hull wrote:

> Type N connectors are great! I just don't see where is any gain to using them on HF! They will make NO difference on either end of your QSO.
> Most of the PL259's I see for sale today are crap. I'm a professional in the communications industry so I use both styles on a Dailey basis
> The 83-1SP's as sold by amphenol today are not anywhere near as good as they used to be. The silver coating on them doesn't take solder as easily as they once did!
> Glad I have plenty of the old ones!
>
> Ronnie w5sum
>
> Sent from Ronnie's IPhone
>
>

Jim Brown-10

Re: PL-259 connectors

On Thu,5/19/2016 8:05 AM, Drew AF2Z wrote:
> It was an 83-1sp I recently bought that had defective threading.

I've seen this as well in perhaps 1% or less of the Amphenol 83-1SPs
that I've bought and installed. The symptom is that the height of the
thread is shorter than it should be, and you can't screw it onto a
mating connector. I first saw this 2-3 years ago, and haven't seen it
since. Perhaps QC caught it.

73, Jim K9YC
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Joseph Trombino, Jr

Re: PL-259 connectors

In reply to this post by Drew AF2Z

Believe I read somewhere that Amphenol connectors are being made in Mexico...not sure how long ago that got started.

73, Joe W2KJ
I QRP, therefore I am

On May 19, 2016, at 11:05 AM, Drew AF2Z wrote:

> It was an 83-1sp I recently bought that had defective threading. Let's face it: the name brand products of the past are not what they used to be, quality-wise. (Some others I will never buy again: Grundig, Levis, Herman boots...)
>
> Mental note to self regarding PL-259's-- check for defective threading before soldering connector to cable.
>
>
>
> 73,
> Drew
> AF2Z
>
>
>
> On 05/19/16 09:32, Ronnie Hull wrote:
>> Type N connectors are great! I just don't see where is any gain to using them on HF! They will make NO difference on either end of your QSO.
>> Most of the PL259's I see for sale today are crap. I'm a professional in the communications industry so I use both styles on a Dailey basis
>> The 83-1SP's as sold by amphenol today are not anywhere near as good as they used to be. The silver coating on them doesn't take solder as easily as they once did!
>> Glad I have plenty of the old ones!
>>
>> Ronnie w5sum
>>
>> Sent from Ronnie's IPhone
>>
>>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________

Michael Walker

Re: PL-259 connectors

I have used Generic PL259's for decades, and while I have had a few bad
ones, they usually failed while I was soldering them.

But for amateur use, they are fine. Correctly soldered, a connector
shouldn't have an issue holding your body weight. :)

(Flame retardant suit on)

Mike va3mw

On Thu, May 19, 2016 at 11:39 AM, Joe W2KJ <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Believe I read somewhere that Amphenol connectors are being made in
> Mexico...not sure how long ago that got started.
>
> 73, Joe W2KJ
> I QRP, therefore I am
>
> On May 19, 2016, at 11:05 AM, Drew AF2Z wrote:
>
> > It was an 83-1sp I recently bought that had defective threading. Let's
> face it: the name brand products of the past are not what they used to be,
> quality-wise. (Some others I will never buy again: Grundig, Levis, Herman
> boots...)
> >
> > Mental note to self regarding PL-259's-- check for defective threading
> before soldering connector to cable.
> >
> >
> >
> > 73,
> > Drew
> > AF2Z
> >
> >
> >
> > On 05/19/16 09:32, Ronnie Hull wrote:
> >> Type N connectors are great! I just don't see where is any gain to
> using them on HF! They will make NO difference on either end of your QSO.
> >> Most of the PL259's I see for sale today are crap. I'm a professional
> in the communications industry so I use both styles on a Dailey basis
> >> The 83-1SP's as sold by amphenol today are not anywhere near as good as
> they used to be. The silver coating on them doesn't take solder as easily
> as they once did!
> >> Glad I have plenty of the old ones!
> >>
> >> Ronnie w5sum
> >>
> >> Sent from Ronnie's IPhone
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

riese-k3djc

Re: PL-259 connectors

In reply to this post by todd ruby-2

Used PL259s on my 432 array,, was up for 15 year and
taped and coated with silicon seal,, looked like new when I
took them down and the match was 1.1
good connectors

Bob K3DJC

> On connections open to the air (on a ship that meant constant salt
> spray) we
> carefully sealed the connection with something like "Coax-Seal" - a
> putty
> like sealant - followed by several layers of good quality electrical
> tape.
> Connectors that I had installed that way a few years previously that
> I
> needed to disconnect for some reason looked a good as the day I had
> installed them, thousands and thousands of miles and years of salt
> water
> later.
>
> 73, Ron AC7AC
>
>

EricJ-2

Re: PL-259 connectors

In reply to this post by Michael Walker

My experience too. I might have inadvertently bought Amphenol connectors
60 years ago when the market was much smaller, and Amphenol market share
was larger, but I never did it on purpose. The only connector failures
I've had over the years, a comparative few, could be attributed to hasty
construction on my part.

But sometimes it's satisfying to use new brand name parts after decades
of robbing connectors from old cables, both of unknown origin, because
that's what you could afford. Building with a box of little packages
from Digi-Key is a different experience than building with crap salvaged
from the family's old TV.

Eric KE6US

On 5/19/2016 7:04 PM, Michael Walker wrote:

> I have used Generic PL259's for decades, and while I have had a few bad
> ones, they usually failed while I was soldering them.
>
> But for amateur use, they are fine. Correctly soldered, a connector
> shouldn't have an issue holding your body weight. :)
>
> (Flame retardant suit on)
>
> Mike va3mw
>
>
> On Thu, May 19, 2016 at 11:39 AM, Joe W2KJ <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Believe I read somewhere that Amphenol connectors are being made in
>> Mexico...not sure how long ago that got started.
>>
>> 73, Joe W2KJ
>> I QRP, therefore I am
>>
>> On May 19, 2016, at 11:05 AM, Drew AF2Z wrote:
>>
>>> It was an 83-1sp I recently bought that had defective threading. Let's
>> face it: the name brand products of the past are not what they used to be,
>> quality-wise. (Some others I will never buy again: Grundig, Levis, Herman
>> boots...)
>>> Mental note to self regarding PL-259's-- check for defective threading
>> before soldering connector to cable.
>>>
>>>
>>> 73,
>>> Drew
>>> AF2Z
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 05/19/16 09:32, Ronnie Hull wrote:
>>>> Type N connectors are great! I just don't see where is any gain to
>> using them on HF! They will make NO difference on either end of your QSO.
>>>> Most of the PL259's I see for sale today are crap. I'm a professional
>> in the communications industry so I use both styles on a Dailey basis
>>>> The 83-1SP's as sold by amphenol today are not anywhere near as good as
>> they used to be. The silver coating on them doesn't take solder as easily
>> as they once did!
>>>> Glad I have plenty of the old ones!
>>>>
>>>> Ronnie w5sum
>>>>
>>>> Sent from Ronnie's IPhone
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
>

Jim Allen

Re: PL-259 connectors

In reply to this post by todd ruby-2

I believe the technical name for that "putty like substance" in the Navy supply system was Monkey Shit. When I was a Radioman a long, long time ago, that's the only name ever used.

73 de W6OGC Jim Allen

> That was my experience servicing radio installation on board large ships. We
> used whatever the local supplier had on hand. After all, it's just a simple
> two-circuit connector designed for 28 MHz or so (back then "UHF" was 28 MHz
> and above, but there was really nothing above about 50 MHz before WWII).
>
> On connections open to the air (on a ship that meant constant salt spray) we
> carefully sealed the connection with something like "Coax-Seal" - a putty
> like sealant - followed by several layers of good quality electrical tape.
> Connectors that I had installed that way a few years previously that I
> needed to disconnect for some reason looked a good as the day I had
> installed them, thousands and thousands of miles and years of salt water
> later.
>
> Sent from my iPad