[mythtv-users] Off topic - can someone identify this connector please, I think it's US standard.

Raymond Wagner raymond at wagnerrp.com
Fri Mar 18 12:08:56 UTC 2011


On 3/18/2011 07:17, Andre wrote:
> On 18 Mar 2011, at 07:48, Simon Hobson wrote:
>> Jean-Yves Avenard wrote:
>>> And I've crimped heaps of those lately :)
>> What's the secret ?
> There is a trick, with all crimps.
>
> You need to remove the insulation for the length of the ferrule (bit you crimp) and with some nasty F's they use the center as the pin, so you need to strip the dielectric too for those although that ends up being lower loss than a proper pin. So you need to strip back insulation, screen, foil and dielectric (plastic insulator) for the pin, it's best to strip back lots more than you need and trim the pin after. Don't nick the center, if you do, start again, use a sharp scalpel, those automatic strippers are hopeless, you can cut almost all the way through the plastic and the last bit will break away cleanly with good cable.

What?  I had a cheap little $5 stripper from radio shack that worked 
absolute wonders.  Just a plastic, spring loaded clamp with a razor 
blade and two different sized notches.  Hold the end of the cable up.  
Clamp the cable half an inch from the end on the first notch, twirl a 
few turns with a finger, and the conductor is exposed.  Use the second 
notch a quarter inch back, and you trim the sheath and armor, leaving 
the dielectric and foil.  Twist a connector on, crimp, done.

> I used to have the speed record at my first TV job, 27sec per crimp including stripping, had to be tested by supporting your own weight to get the prize :-)

I doubt it would take me much more than 20 seconds to make one.  The 
problem was that a razor blade cutting on metal braiding doesn't survive 
long, and that tool relied on exact sizing of the notches, so it doesn't 
work so well after being resharpened.  I got maybe 50 crimps out of it 
before it stopped being functional.  If I had to make many coaxial 
cables, I'd go back and buy a box of those things.


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