Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting A Manual for Boatowners and Marine Technicians

171

As you can see in the table, the connector
impedance must match the device’s operating
frequency spectrum as well as the cable.
Table 9-1 in Chapter 9 outlines the various
equipment operating frequencies.
Installing connectors requires special
care—if done incorrectly, you can create a
short circuit between the center conductor
and the shield. A quick Internet search will
identify a plethora of specialized stripping and
crimping tools available for the various coaxial
cable types. They range in cost from $10 to $40,
and are a good idea of you work with coax on a
regular basis. Many veterans still prefer to strip
the outer jacket and center conductor insulation
with a pocketknife. That certainly works if you
are careful, but I find the dedicated strippers
quicker and more reliable (see sidebar page 173).
Be aware when using a such a tool that the cut-
ter blade orientation must be matched to the
correct cable. Otherwise the tool can damage
insulation or the wire conductors.
The photo sequence that follows shows the
procedure for stripping cable using a specialized
tool. It’s important to use a tool specifically
designed for the coax you are working with,
because the tool’s cutter spacing is designed to
carefully remove insulation without damaging
the conductors in the cable. (The cable stripper
shown is made by Ancor and strips coax labeled
RG-58, RG-59, RG-8X, and RG-62.)
You have two choices when it comes to
connectors. One is the traditional soldered
type, which requires you to solder the center
conductor and shield to the center pin and
outer case of the connector. The second type is
the solderless connector (shown in the pho-
tos). Most technicians I know are moving
away from the soldered type, finding them
very labor intensive to install while offering no
additional performance over solderless con-
nectors. In fact, some of the newest connectors
eliminate the need for the stripping procedure
altogether, further simplifying this process.

coaxial cable and antennas

STEP 1: Slip on shell and strip to center of conductor

and back 3/4"

STEP 2: Strip outer jacket additional 5/16"

STEP 3:Slip on body, making sure shield does not contact

center conductor, and solder tip and shield through holes

STEP 4: Screw shell onto body

3/4"

3/4"

5/16"

STEP 1: Slip on shell and adapter;

strip outer jacket back 5/8"

5/8"

STEP 2: Bend back braided shield

STEP 3: Slip adapter under braided shield

STEP 4: Strip center conductor 1/2" and tin

STEP 5: Screw on body and solder tip and braid

through holes in body

STEP 6: Screw shell onto body

1/2"

ON RG-58/U, RG-59/U, AND RG-8X CABLES

ON RG-8/U AND RG-213 CABLES

Assembly of PL-259 (UHF) connectors. (Reprinted with

permission from Boatowner’s Illustrated Electrical

Handbook,second edition, by Charlie Wing)