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Coax Crimp Tool Recommendation?

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Danny Richardson

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Oct 28, 2006, 3:41:03 PM10/28/06
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Looking for suggestions for a good crimp tool for installing coax
connectors. It will primarily for BNC connectors on RG-174, 58 and 59
cables. Although the RG-8 cable family capability would be nice too.

I do wish to avoid being a captive customer in that brand X crimp tool
only works well with brand X connectors.

And, of course, looking for the best bank for the buck.

Thanks,

Danny

Dave

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Oct 28, 2006, 3:44:36 PM10/28/06
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Solder??

RST Engineering

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Oct 28, 2006, 4:08:30 PM10/28/06
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Once a month or a thousand times a day? It makes a difference. I do about
ten a month, and a plain old automotive crimp terminal tool ($15) works just
fine. Some have been in service for ten years with nary a failure. Put a
dab of RTV over the crimp and coax, then shrink some sleeving down over RTV,
crimp, & coax to make a hermetically sealed connection.

Jim

"Danny Richardson" <n_g...@k6mhe.com> wrote in message
news:eec7k2567skgaqf8i...@4ax.com...

w9gb

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Oct 28, 2006, 5:59:29 PM10/28/06
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"Danny Richardson" <n_g...@k6mhe.com> wrote in message
news:eec7k2567skgaqf8i...@4ax.com...

IF, 75 ohm BNC is okay .....for your specific application ...
then I would seriously consider the Snap-N-Seal (20.3mm) or Stirling
(19.3mm) compression connectors and tools. Note the size difference. USA
CATV operators seem to have adopted one of these 2 approaches nationally.

Connectors are available as BNC, F, RCA.
https://www.tselectronic.com/thomandbetts/sns6bnc.html

https://www.tselectronic.com/thomandbetts/sns1p6rmx.html

Supported RG-59/U; RG-6/U (various shield versions) and RG-11/U
https://www.tselectronic.com/thomandbetts/sns.html



ml

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Oct 29, 2006, 5:38:35 AM10/29/06
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In article <eec7k2567skgaqf8i...@4ax.com>,
Danny Richardson <n_g...@k6mhe.com> wrote:

try to ebay search crimp tools there is usually a few companies that
sell a kit w/a ratachted crimper that has changable dies and include a
die or 2 2 dies should cover what you need sometimes the kit will
also include a few crimp lugs, which you might not need

cost for a brand new one w/2 dies cost me 25usd they will crimp
any standard connector that mates w/the standard dies

if you only need to make one or 2 radio shack and simular places have
crimp tools that are either plier type or that look like a ratached
tool but aren't actually ratached at radioshack you'll sometimes pay
close to what a ratached unit cost from above their plier looking
one is pretty cheep

if you don't make many they do sell connectors that don't need crimpn'


good luck

Slow Code

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Oct 30, 2006, 7:32:32 PM10/30/06
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Dave <W1...@comcast.net> wrote in
news:Ro-dnR7I2LS-Lt7Y...@comcast.com:

> Solder??


I know how you feel. I felt the same way after hearing there would be
5wpm Extras.

Jimmie D

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Oct 31, 2006, 7:06:34 PM10/31/06
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"Dave" <W1...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Ro-dnR7I2LS-Lt7Y...@comcast.com...
I agree, unless you do a lot of connectors soldering is the best way to go.
It doesnt take long at all to get proficent at making good soldered on
connections. Crimp on connections can look good but be awful. A few years a
go a guy installed some equipment at work that had over 30 BNC connections.
He got an award for the installation and I got 50 hrs of overtime for going
back and really making it work right. Most of the work was repairing the
crimp on BNC connectors.. The problem with the connections, he used a crimp
tool that was about worn out.


I PUNCE

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Oct 31, 2006, 7:31:41 PM10/31/06
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wait till hf is filled with marqueer extras

Slow Code

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Oct 31, 2006, 7:43:40 PM10/31/06
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"I PUNCE" <mark...@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:1162341101.7...@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:


Shit. You just made halloween scary.

SC

Jim - NN7K

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Oct 31, 2006, 7:49:08 PM10/31/06
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AMP makes such, but be forwarned that their
connectors, and tool aint cheap! But, they work
great . They also make them for Pl259's . They
quite proud of their products.
http://www.amp.com/ Jim NN7K

Ma...@kb9rqz.aprs

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Oct 31, 2006, 8:14:43 PM10/31/06
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On 31 Oct 2006 16:31:41 -0800, "I PUNCE" <mark...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
and you knwo that
http://kb9rqz.blogspot.com/

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Danny Richardson

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Oct 31, 2006, 10:10:58 PM10/31/06
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On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:06:34 -0500, "Jimmie D"
<jimm...@bellsouth.net> wrote:

>I agree, unless you do a lot of connectors soldering is the best way to go.
>It doesnt take long at all to get proficent at making good soldered on
>connections. Crimp on connections can look good but be awful. A few years a
>go a guy installed some equipment at work that had over 30 BNC connections.
>He got an award for the installation and I got 50 hrs of overtime for going
>back and really making it work right. Most of the work was repairing the
>crimp on BNC connectors.. The problem with the connections, he used a crimp
>tool that was about worn out.

Thank you for the response, however, because others have suggested
soldering I feel an explanation may be in order.

I have been installing soldered coax connectors for more than fifty
years and feel I was pretty good at it, however, with advancing years
I have lost considerable motor skills and can not hold a soldering
iron (or anything else) very steady. My problem, at the moment, is
trying to make up some BNC connectors using RG-174. Although crimp on
connecters may not be the best choice, for me they appear to be a
viable option. Hence my inquiry as to what would be a good choice in
crimp on tools.

73,
Danny, K6MHE


Roy Lewallen

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Oct 31, 2006, 11:22:14 PM10/31/06
to
Danny Richardson wrote:
>
> Thank you for the response, however, because others have suggested
> soldering I feel an explanation may be in order.
>
> I have been installing soldered coax connectors for more than fifty
> years and feel I was pretty good at it, however, with advancing years
> I have lost considerable motor skills and can not hold a soldering
> iron (or anything else) very steady. My problem, at the moment, is
> trying to make up some BNC connectors using RG-174. Although crimp on
> connecters may not be the best choice, for me they appear to be a
> viable option. Hence my inquiry as to what would be a good choice in
> crimp on tools.

That's definitely a good reason, and the kind I appreciate more and more
as time goes by. I'm sure it won't be long before I'm in the same boat,
so I'll pay attention to the tool suggestions too.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

John Passaneau

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Nov 1, 2006, 8:36:32 PM11/1/06
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Hi All:
My recommendation is to use the tool made by the company that makes your
connector. They know what works best with their connectors. Having said
that, all BNC's for RG174 and RG58 are almost the same and the inexpensive
tool made by Amphonal and others work very well. It will cost you from $50
to $70 but it will work OK. They take interchangeable dies and you can use
the dies from almost any similar looking tool in any of the handles. Type
N's for RG-213 work well in crimp and I've think that Amphonal's RFX series
crimp on PL259 (available for 213 and 58 with crimp braid and solder center
conductor) works well and a tool with interchangeable dies makes going all
crimp a little cheaper.
About 20 years ago I quit using as much as possible solder on connectors. I
find a well assembled crimp better in all respects than an average solder on
connector. I've used a lot of them too. I've worked for years in the High
Energy Physics world and have installed 1000's of connectors on coax. As an
example one small experiment we did had 9 miles of RG-213 with crimp on
connectors and 1 miles of RG174 cut into 2' pieces with connectors crimped
on. Not one failure do to connectors in the 4 years the experiment ran. The
secret is to follow the manufactures directions EXACTLY and take care not to
nick the braid or center conductor when striping the coax.

John Passaneau
Penn State University
University Park Pa.
"Roy Lewallen" <w7...@eznec.com> wrote in message
news:12kg87o...@corp.supernews.com...

Text Medium No. 5

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Nov 2, 2006, 1:23:05 AM11/2/06
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Hail Eris! On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:31:41 -0800, I PUNCE jabbered inanely:
> Slow Code wrote:

>> Dave wrote:
>>
>> > Solder??
>>
>> I know how you feel. I felt the same way after hearing there would be
>> 5wpm Extras.
>>
>> > Danny Richardson wrote:
>> >
>> >> Looking for suggestions for a good crimp tool for installing coax
>> >> connectors. It will primarily for BNC connectors on RG-174, 58 and 59
>> >> cables. Although the RG-8 cable family capability would be nice too.
>> >>
>> >> I do wish to avoid being a captive customer in that brand X crimp
>> >> tool only works well with brand X connectors.
>> >>
>> >> And, of course, looking for the best bank for the buck.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >>
>> >> Danny
>
> wait till hf is filled with marqueer extras

That sounds exciting! Your foam should rise high, then.

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