Low cost coax connectors

Hello Folks,

The recent SMB vs SMX thread brought it up again: Suppose you must be in a much lower cost bracket. I often use RCA, even at 100MHz. They work surprisingly well, especially if you terminate source and target so a wee reflection won't hurt. However, lately they must have stiffened the ground prongs and one client told me that they don't want them anymore. Over there we had to resort to pliers to unplug RCAs, else the fingers would become seriously calloussed.

So, what's out there for under 50 Cents a pop and (unlike BNC) easy to mount onto RG174 and stuff like that? It doesn't have to be pretty or shiny, it's all inside of systems.

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Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
Reply to
Joerg
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Maybe buy the RCA plug and jack from the same source ?:-)

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Or type-F ??

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Mini phone plugs/jacks should be fine at 100 MHz.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

Cable TV hardware?

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Paul Hovnanian	paul@hovnanian.com
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Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

For the slow leftist weenies, that's what type-F is that I mentioned earlier today.

Sturdy versions, though, are NOT cheap.

When I get back from some errands I'll photograph what I've been using to replace the old connections in the house.

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Can you put small coax, like RG174, into an F? They're usually used with big ugly 75 ohm cable, like RG59.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

[snip]

See....

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You strip the coax pretty much in the usual fashion, but the "crimping" is different.

The stripped coax slips in the blue end of the connector.

The "crimper" actually forces the blue sleeve into the metal barrel squeezing the coax.

(The Cox Cable technician, who introduced me to the method, says they are "weather tight".)

Really easy to use, and the threaded portion turns easily, as opposed to how some conventional crimpers distort the barrel.

Runs about 35¢ per connector when bought in Qty 50.

Available at Lowe's ;-)

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

a 3 pin header works surprisingly well. center cond to the middle pin and shield to both outer pins...

Mark

Reply to
Mark

How about those coaxial, "power" types, like this? (mind the wrap)

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You might have to modify the plug and socket a bit, and impedance might be interesting...

Cheers! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

They're probably as good as RCA connectors.

Radio Shack's new slogan is, "Do Stuff." Gag...

Reply to
Joel Koltner

[snip]

They are size-specific. Mine are for RG-6 and I know there were connectors at Lowe's marked for RG-59. It might be worth contacting the manufacturer to see if they're made for other styles of coax.

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

What kind of "stuff" are they planning on "doing" ?:-)

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Those work well with RG-6, but the RG-174 Joerg is working with might not crimp correctly. Sometimes, thin coax can be 'padded' with a heat shrink sleeve over the inner insulator and over the outer jacket. But the end product isn't going to be a precise fit.

Sometimes the labor involved in making things fit costs more than using the correct connector system.

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Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

We don't use word like that over here. Get folks seriously calloused over it.

Reply to
ChairmanOfTheBored

You're nuts.

Reply to
ChairmanOfTheBored

That will probably work fine until someone plugs a live AC wall wart into the plug and vaporizes your radio. I think they call that an "attractive nuisance" or "warranty magnet".

About 25 years ago, my employer embarked on yet another bean counting cost reduction adventure. Someone decided that all the coax cables connectors going between boards was too expensive. So, I contrived a stamped, board mounted, receptacle. That by itself wasn't very interesting as those were already being sold by AMP. I eliminated the coax plug by simply tinning the coax cable braid and the center wire. We were using RG188a/u, which is the PTFE dielectric version of RG174a/u. Cut the end off squarely and remove the outer jacket. Tin the outer braid being carful not to let the braid bluge. Then run it through a rotary blade stripper to trim the tinned braid to length, expose some dielectric, and strip the center conductor. Tin the center conductor, trim, and you have the world's cheapest coax plug.

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# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558            jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

RG-59 or RG-6. Never seen RG-174 "F" connectors.

Reply to
ChairmanOfTheBored

The new style DC power jacks would likely show better characteristics.

Reply to
ChairmanOfTheBored

They are quite cheap. You just have to know how to "source" them.

Grab a cable TV installer dude, and he will likely give you a whole handful for a ten spot, or free even.

It all depends on where you grab him ;-]

Our cable system uses very high quality terminations.

Reply to
ChairmanOfTheBored

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