Tried to solder coax today
- Thread starter 85CUCV
- Start date
rusty_tlc
Explorer
It what way did you fail?
Keys to good solder joints;
I assume you are using a flux core solder? If not you will need to add flux. Flux cleans oxides off the metal and allows the solder to flow.
The type of soldering appliance you use, ie gun or iron, will make little difference, use which ever is more comfortable.The rated wattage on the other hand will make a world of difference. I use an old Weller EC 2000 soldering station I got from a defunct electronics co sale. It works fine for PL-259's. OTOH I have a Hakko 936 with a fine tip I use for surface mount that would never get a PL-259 hot enough.
Hope this helps.
Keys to good solder joints;
- Clean the metal, in the case of PL-259 it helps to scuff the surface with a Scothcbrite pad.
- Use the right tip for the job, in this case you want a fairly wide tip that will transfer heat well.
- Heat the metal NOT the solder. A small amount of solder on the tip to aid heat transfer is ok but don't touch the solder wire to the iron tip when soldering, touch the metal close to the iron tip.
I assume you are using a flux core solder? If not you will need to add flux. Flux cleans oxides off the metal and allows the solder to flow.
The type of soldering appliance you use, ie gun or iron, will make little difference, use which ever is more comfortable.The rated wattage on the other hand will make a world of difference. I use an old Weller EC 2000 soldering station I got from a defunct electronics co sale. It works fine for PL-259's. OTOH I have a Hakko 936 with a fine tip I use for surface mount that would never get a PL-259 hot enough.
Hope this helps.
xtatik
Explorer
Edit: ^ Doh! What he said as I was typing.
What size of coax are you attempting to solder? In most cases, a good iron is all that is needed.
A couple of tips I'll offer up is to very lightly pre-tin the shield. Also, always add a bit of solder (pre-tin) the iron before applying it to the fitting. This helps a great deal in transferrring heat to the connector/adapter. Lay the iron across the holes in order to maximize surface contact/heat transfer. While doing this add very small amounts of solder to the iron. When you see the holes begin to accept the solder....go in for the kill and flood/puddle it. It takes some practice to know when that point is reached, but you'll know it when you see it.
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off-roader
Expedition Leader
One item of note is that too much solder will wick back up the braided wire and that's not good either since that section can become brittle which can also lead to failure if you're soldering to a connector that's connected/disconnected frequently... at least that's what they told is in the USN.
BTW, if it's a frequently moved connector then my recommendation would be to crimp it using the proper crimping tool. This is usually more reliable in the long run since the wire remains flexible. Keep in mind almost no connectors in vehicles are soldered. They're all crimped.
BTW, if it's a frequently moved connector then my recommendation would be to crimp it using the proper crimping tool. This is usually more reliable in the long run since the wire remains flexible. Keep in mind almost no connectors in vehicles are soldered. They're all crimped.
85CUCV
Adventurer
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I was attempting to solder RG58 coax to a PL 259 with adapter. I have plenty of iron as suggested, large tip probable 175-200watt range.
I filed and recoated the tip before begining. I should have quit a good enough. At the end I lost some of the solder and it got on the outside threads of the connector. Without a solder remover I attempted to heat and tap the excess solder off. Ended up melting the coax insulation going into the adapter/connector. I was trying to use a vise grips as a heat sink which may have made it more difficult.
I think my major mistake was using incorrect solder/ no flux. I was using Rosen Core.
Pretining would help.
I did not scotch brite any surfaces.
I read some information on some ham sites before attempting and followed the Larson instructions in the NMO mount.
I'll look at the videos provided and try again.
Thanks again for all of the help.
73 Dan
I filed and recoated the tip before begining. I should have quit a good enough. At the end I lost some of the solder and it got on the outside threads of the connector. Without a solder remover I attempted to heat and tap the excess solder off. Ended up melting the coax insulation going into the adapter/connector. I was trying to use a vise grips as a heat sink which may have made it more difficult.
I think my major mistake was using incorrect solder/ no flux. I was using Rosen Core.
Pretining would help.
I did not scotch brite any surfaces.
I read some information on some ham sites before attempting and followed the Larson instructions in the NMO mount.
I'll look at the videos provided and try again.
Thanks again for all of the help.
73 Dan
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DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
This is key with connectors. I use medium grit sandpaper to knock the finish off the connector and adapter (if you're using one). Rough up the plating around the outside of the adapter and around the groove where you're soldering on the body of the PL-259. That nickel plating is like kryptonite to the solder. You are using a plenty big soldering iron, so it should have enough heat and things should flow quickly.
rusty_tlc
Explorer
Never file the tip of a soldering iron.There are a couple of products that work very well for cleaning iron tips look for "tip tinner" It comes in a small round tin and is a mix of RHA (rosin Highly Activated) and solder powder. Hakko also makes a neat product that looks like a kitchen "Gorilla Pad"
http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=7d1lTaPxEIz0tgPkz9nlBA&ved=0CFkQ8wIwAA#
FWIW a plane old gorilla pad works just as well.
Rosin core SN63Pb37 should be fine. Make sure you aren't using a lead free solder they have a much higher melting point than Tin/Lead solder.
Soldering takes practice, so don't feel bad if the first one got messed up.
The right heat is key. Once the base metal is hot enough the solder flux will clean the connection. Too hot is as bad as to cold, thats why it takes practice. I go with the 1,2,3 meaning once the solder flows, I hold the iron on the connection counting 123 others posted some good tips
The right heat is key. Once the base metal is hot enough the solder flux will clean the connection. Too hot is as bad as to cold, thats why it takes practice. I go with the 1,2,3 meaning once the solder flows, I hold the iron on the connection counting 123 others posted some good tips
