Sunday, November 29, 2015

Using Shakespeare's VHF cable Centerpin connectors successfully

I use a lot of these connectors, but with a caveat the connector is going to live in a dry environment. If your connections are going to be exposed to rain and saltwater even if only rarely use the the traditional solder/crimp connectors. Like all connectors there are some pluses and minuses, starting with varying db losses, the need for special tools, and so on. There is also a valid school of thought that the soldered versions are better, and I won't disagree with this. However my sense is failures are in most, but not in all cases, more driven by the level of corrosion exposure than the type of connector used. Personally I've had good luck with the crimp-on units, but you have to do it right and this is what I'm talking about.