Unsolderable wire?

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 15:42:19 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
> <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> >   The easiest way was to look at the imprint: 'Belden headend cable'.
> 
> Which end is the head?   (Sorry, I couldn't resist).


   If you have to ask, you aren't qualified for the job.  :)

   The entire system of amplifiers is marked as Forward or Reverse so
just follow the reverse path to the head end. Unless it's Fiber enhanced
CATV.


-- 
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

On 01/20/2014 12:42 PM, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
>
> dave wrote:
>>
>> The easiest way to spot good headend cable was to try to bend it. It
>> drapes, like mic cable; not stiff.
>
>
>     The easiest way was to look at the imprint: 'Belden headend cable'.
>
>

It's easier to find in the dark if you feel for it. I knew a lot of CATV 
people, including the Chief Head End Technician at Time Warner in 
Houston; and we prized the supple stuff for personal use.

dave wrote:
> 
> On 01/20/2014 12:42 PM, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
> >
> > dave wrote:
> >>
> >> The easiest way to spot good headend cable was to try to bend it. It
> >> drapes, like mic cable; not stiff.
> >
> >
> >     The easiest way was to look at the imprint: 'Belden headend cable'.
> >
> >
> 
> It's easier to find in the dark if you feel for it. I knew a lot of CATV
> people, including the Chief Head End Technician at Time Warner in
> Houston; and we prized the supple stuff for personal use.


   I had a full 1000' spool stolen from me.


-- 
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

In article <nas0qb$nod$1@dont-email.me>, andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk 
says...
> 
> A secondary problem with soldering dissimilar metals is that any
> moisture risks causing galvantic action/corrosion of the join, and
> in the case of aluminium, this happens even between the aluminium
> and the solder used. Selecting a flux which can strip the aluminimum
> oxide well whilst not leaving any residue which eventually corrodes 
> the join is a bit of a challenge.

This reminded me that I once knew about "purple plague". There's an 
article about it in Wikipedia.

Mike.

"Ron M." wrote:
> 
> Ye olde PL-259. How I despised those things.


   They are OK, if you know how to use them. With RG8, I would tin the
braid, then use a small tubing cutter to trim it to the right length.
Then I would drill the plating out of the four holes before soldering
the shell to the braid. I never had one fail, when I used that method.
Of course, it made it difficult to reuse a connector without heating the
shell over an open flame for a few seconds so that you could pull out
the old braid.

   I had some CBer swear that he could pull the PL259 off of any piece
of coax. You should have seen his hands after he tried it on one of my
cables. :)

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote in message 
news:m9mdnav3Wty8QkzLnZ2dnUU7-UGdnZ2d@earthlink.com...
>
> "Ron M." wrote:
>>
>> Ye olde PL-259. How I despised those things.
>
>
>   They are OK, if you know how to use them. With RG8, I would tin the
> braid, then use a small tubing cutter to trim it to the right length.
> Then I would drill the plating out of the four holes before soldering
> the shell to the braid. I never had one fail, when I used that method.
> Of course, it made it difficult to reuse a connector without heating the
> shell over an open flame for a few seconds so that you could pull out
> the old braid.

I switched to the silver plated type and usually put in a few drops of 
liquid flux to help out.

For the last several years I switched over to the crimp on types and have 
not had any problems with them.

I doubt the connectors were ever designed to have much force applied to 
them.  If I use them at an antenna I find a way to take much of the force 
off the connector.

On Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 11:38:45 AM UTC-6, Michael Terrell wrote:
> "Ron M." wrote:
> > 
> > Ye olde PL-259. How I despised those things.
> 
> 
>    They are OK, if you know how to use them. With RG8, I would tin the
> braid, then use a small tubing cutter to trim it to the right length.
> Then I would drill the plating out of the four holes before soldering
> the shell to the braid. I never had one fail, when I used that method.
> Of course, it made it difficult to reuse a connector without heating the
> shell over an open flame for a few seconds so that you could pull out
> the old braid.
> 
>    I had some CBer swear that he could pull the PL259 off of any piece
> of coax. You should have seen his hands after he tried it on one of my
> cables. :)

Motorola used them on mobile and fixed end equipment for the longest time. Then on fixed end they mostly went to N-type. Then they went to the mini PL-259 on mobile units which are really junk. Anything for a buck I guess.

Ralph Mowery wrote:
> 
> "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:m9mdnav3Wty8QkzLnZ2dnUU7-UGdnZ2d@earthlink.com...
> >
> > "Ron M." wrote:
> >>
> >> Ye olde PL-259. How I despised those things.
> >
> >
> >   They are OK, if you know how to use them. With RG8, I would tin the
> > braid, then use a small tubing cutter to trim it to the right length.
> > Then I would drill the plating out of the four holes before soldering
> > the shell to the braid. I never had one fail, when I used that method.
> > Of course, it made it difficult to reuse a connector without heating the
> > shell over an open flame for a few seconds so that you could pull out
> > the old braid.
> 
> I switched to the silver plated type and usually put in a few drops of
> liquid flux to help out.
> 
> For the last several years I switched over to the crimp on types and have
> not had any problems with them.
> 
> I doubt the connectors were ever designed to have much force applied to
> them.  If I use them at an antenna I find a way to take much of the force
> off the connector.


   Some A-holes like to pull the coax out of connectors, just to damage
your equipment.