Albert,
I installed hundreds (probably thousands) of connectors of various types on various types of cable while I was in the Air Force. If I had to guess, I'd say it was about a 50/50 split of crimp vs. solder. Both worked extremely well when properly installed. Generally, I preferred crimp because it could be done quickly and without the need to drag a soldering gun to the aircraft (which also drove a requirement for a generator which provided 115 VAC 60 Hz, verses the 400 Hz power which was available on the aircraft), but sometimes we had to solder a connector on because of limited space to work or because the cable was getting too short to cut back far enough to install a crimp. For the average ham, I don't know if you could justify the expense of a GOOD set of crimpers, which in my opinion are absolutely key to a good crimped connection. But, if money was not an issue, I'd certainly purchase a good set of crimpers. Of course, one benefit of solder-on connectors is that they can be reused. I usually keep a small stock of the rubber seals used in BNC and N-type solder-on connectors so I can reuse them as much as possible. I know I haven't been much help, but I can say I've had great luck with both types. for me it kind of depends on the job and tools available at the moment of need. 73, Mike WM4B _____ From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:repeater-buil...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Albert Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 5:35 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Repeater-Builder] crimping vs soldering & types of coax connectors I was wondering if you guys could give me the pros and cons of soldering vs crimping coax connectors. To put the question in context, this is all related to my hobby as an amateur. I don't really need to worry too much about making cables on the spot in the field. I have good soldering skills and the equipment to tackle most soldering jobs, so I was wondering if it was worth the investment to buy the tools for crimping coax connectors. Also, I am a little confused regarding coax connectors, sizes and types of coax. For example, will the same type (size) of connectors that are designed for RG58 work on lmr200 and lmr195? Also, the same question goes for connectors designed for RG8. Would the same category work on LMR400, and 9913. Lastly, I know that I haven't been asking any directly repeater related questions. I hope you guys don't mind too much. I just feel that with all of the professional and commercial experience on this group I can't go wrong. Compare that to the "expertise" on some of the ham radio and cb groups and I think you would feel the same. Again, I hope you don't mind. Thanks for the help Albert KI40RI
