In line VHF radio coax cable connector.

M

mattonthesea

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When I replaced the cable I thought that the mast would not come down again in my ownership so it is continuous from aerial to radio.

I was wrong! So I had to snip it.

When searching for in-line connectors I am deluged with cheap TV things. Can anyone point me in the direction of an appropriate connector. Or is there a surface mount connector suitable?

A deck connection is not appropriate in this circumstance.

Thanks

M
 
Oh. Didn't know that different sizes would make a difference. It just came with the aerial from F4.

Should have said that the snip is in the cabin locker so nice and dry. Cable passes through a deck gland.

And I have no soldering facility at the boat
 
mattonthesea said:
Oh. Didn't know that different sizes would make a difference. It just came with the aerial from F4.

Should have said that the snip is in the cabin locker so nice and dry. Cable passes through a deck gland.

And I have no soldering facility at the boat
Click to expand...
No soldering facilities is a big problem as any decent RF connection needs soldering. An in-line BNC plug & socket will serve you perfectly but you need to be meticulous and accurate in your cutting and soldering skills to get optimum results.
 
How big is the hole in the cable gland if you want the connector to pass through it?
BNC are better electrically than PL259 and also smaller. They come in 50ohm and 75ohm - you need 50 ohm. The cable is likely RG58 but it should be printed on the cable.
Soldering is better but you can get twist on connectors.
BNC twist on another
Another possible is a crimp on BNC but you would have to buy or borrow a crimp tool.
lots of BNC available
Some more twist on plug and socket with instructions
twist on BNC
I'm slightly confused by the socket as it is 50ohm for RG59 which is 75ohm cable
 
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andsarkit said:
How big is the hole in the cable gland if you want the connector to pass through it?
BNC are better electrically than PL259 and also smaller. They come in 50ohm and 75ohm - you need 50 ohm. The cable is likely RG58 but it should be printed on the cable.
Soldering is better but you can get twist on connectors.
BNC twist on another
Another possible is a crimp on BNC but you would have to buy or borrow a crimp tool.
lots of BNC available
Click to expand...
Thanks everyone - I have crimping facilities as rewiring the boat over time! I have used a screwdriver for soldering from a burner - but some decades ago!
Think I've found what I need: RS PRO 50Ω Straight Cable Mount, BNC Connector , jack, RG58 | RS & the plug end too.

M
 
Try this Shakespeare cable splicer. Very low profile, simple to fit and re-uasable. No tools required other than a sharp knife!

Shakespeare Centre-pin VHF Cable Splicer PL-258-CP-G​

 
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mattonthesea said:
Could I not just connect the inner with a self-sealing, soldered connector and join the outer with a metal casing?
Click to expand...
The way co-axial works is that an RF Field travels along the cable in the dielectric between the inner and the outer. The cable is 50 ohms, if the field encounters a different impedance (caused by say a different size inner or dielectric, a gap in the shield, a change in shape), some of it is reflected back towards the transmitter. So your connection would work, but it would decrease the power being transmitted, and if the mismatch is big enough, could cause the radio to reduce power to protect the output.

Much easier to solder a decent connector on each end and add a barrel.
 
BNC are fine, but you need the special crimping tool and they are fiddly.

Post #11 is a good solution, or a pair of solderless PL259s with a barrel connector (given the OP has no soldering facilities).
 
JayBee said:
Try this Shakespeare cable splicer. Very low profile, simple to fit and re-uasable. No tools required other than a sharp knife!

Shakespeare Centre-pin VHF Cable Splicer PL-258-CP-G​

Click to expand...
I’ve not seen those before - looks like an elegant design. Thanks
 
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