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PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a
different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
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PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
wrote in message ... Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
wrote in message ... Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer Actually, an SWR meter would be quite helpful. Connect it between the transmitter and the antenna cable, transmit, and see what the forward & reflected power is. Now put it between the antenna and the cable, and repeat. Is the transmitter putting power into the coax? Is the coax putting power into the antenna? Is the antenna reflecting too much power back to the coax? Is the coax returning too much power to the transmitter? This simple meter will tell you if the problem is a bad transmitter, bad coax, or bad antenna. Ed |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
I think he meant to say... There are no other connectors that look like
PL-259 and are sold at your typical boat store....(Like 75 ohm versions or something like that).... I have never seen SMA, N, or anything but PL-259s or BNC at the local marine store. Ed Price wrote: "Peter Bennett" wrote in message news.com... On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 16:05:22 GMT, wrote: Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer The PL-259 connectors are also commonly called "UHF", so I'm sure you got the right connector. I don't know of any different style for higher frequencies. Now that's sad. That's like not knowing there's an ocean at the end of your river. Hint; TNC, up to 2 GHz; N, up to 12 GHz; APC-7........., well, there's an ocean of them. Ed |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
This is all helpful, but any explanation for the clicking noise?
Helmer On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 16:05:22 GMT, wrote: Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
The connector you chose is fine. Most likely a problem in installation.
PL-259s can be a pain to get installed right. The quick, solderless ones are fraught with potential problems depending upon the the coax used. The ones that need to be soldered are best but can still be problematic. When you say it cannot transmit, do you mean no signal at all or you can only reach close stations? An SWR or reflected power meter can help if you have a dummy load available. You can check the radio then the coax and then the antenna. Doug wrote in message ... Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
Would transmit on 1 watt, not 25. I do not know what type of dummy
load to ask for, or if RadioShack even has one that is not for CB use. I read somewhere the instructions for a DIY, but not in enough detail to be understandable. I guess I will have to spring for a SWR meter. I have one for CB, but know that would not be suitable. Thanks, Helmer On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 18:20:42 -0400, "Doug Dotson" wrote: The connector you chose is fine. Most likely a problem in installation. PL-259s can be a pain to get installed right. The quick, solderless ones are fraught with potential problems depending upon the the coax used. The ones that need to be soldered are best but can still be problematic. When you say it cannot transmit, do you mean no signal at all or you can only reach close stations? An SWR or reflected power meter can help if you have a dummy load available. You can check the radio then the coax and then the antenna. Doug wrote in message ... Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
SWR meter for CB is not suitable for VHF. You can get a dummy load through
most ham suppliers like www.aes.com. Have you tried to disconnect the coax at the radio and antenna and checked for a short between the shield and center? Checked for continuity end-to-end for the center conductor and also the shield. Is this a new antenna? Did it work with the old antenna? Doug wrote in message ... Would transmit on 1 watt, not 25. I do not know what type of dummy load to ask for, or if RadioShack even has one that is not for CB use. I read somewhere the instructions for a DIY, but not in enough detail to be understandable. I guess I will have to spring for a SWR meter. I have one for CB, but know that would not be suitable. Thanks, Helmer On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 18:20:42 -0400, "Doug Dotson" wrote: The connector you chose is fine. Most likely a problem in installation. PL-259s can be a pain to get installed right. The quick, solderless ones are fraught with potential problems depending upon the the coax used. The ones that need to be soldered are best but can still be problematic. When you say it cannot transmit, do you mean no signal at all or you can only reach close stations? An SWR or reflected power meter can help if you have a dummy load available. You can check the radio then the coax and then the antenna. Doug wrote in message ... Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
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PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
In article , says...
SWR meter for CB is not suitable for VHF. You can get a dummy load through most ham suppliers like www.aes.com. Have you tried to disconnect the coax at the radio and antenna and checked for a short between the shield and center? SNIP Some antennas present DC continuity between center conductor and shield. That is, if you measure the antenna with an ohmmeter it may look like a short (at DC) and be fine at the design frequency. Moral: If your antenna is of this construction, you must disconnect the coax at the antenna and radio to check the coax for shorts. If you can find a ham that has an "antenna analyzer", it will do a good job of testing the antenna system. The SWR meter is the next best choice. ------- If the SWR is high for some reason the radio may transmit at 1 Watt but shut down to protect the transmitter at high power. The comment about checking the DC supply is good too. A bad feed could be supplying enough current to work at one watt, but severly dropping voltage at high power. Woody |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
In article ,
(Larry W4CSC) wrote: The PL-259 connector used to be called the "UHF connector" because it came on UHF FM radios way back after WW2. I think RCA was to blame for that one, but it might have been ol' Batwing. There is only one SO-239 (female) and PL-259 (male) connector set. The screw-in ferrules to shrink up the 3/4" coax hole to RG-58 and RG-59 are different, though. None of them are "water proof", unfortunately. None of them are a good match on any coax cable they don't screw directly onto, either, like RG-8 or 213. They're "acceptable" on RG 58 and 59 and 6 and 8X for our purposes and their biggest benefit is anyone with simple soldering irons can put them together with little skill, unlike proper 'N' or 'BNC' or 'SMA' connectors we SHOULD be using. On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 16:05:22 GMT, wrote: Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer Larry W4CSC 3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right? One Very Nice Feature(tm) of the Digital Antenna products is that they provide cables pre-terminated with TNC connectors which are only marginally larger than the quality marine 8X they ship. they then provide a PL-259 "adapter" which the TNC screws into to terminate in an SO-259. saves MUCH grief fishing the cable and saves the work of terminating it yourself. they claim providing pre-terminated cables saves them lots of support time. a win all around as far as i'm concerned. I have no affiliation with Digital Antenna other than as a satisfied owner of 4 of their antennas: 2x 8' Marine VHF, an 8' cell stick, and their big SSB pole. cheers, -mo |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
Good advise! I'll check it out. What about their masthead antennas?
Doug "Michael O'Dell" wrote in message ... In article , (Larry W4CSC) wrote: The PL-259 connector used to be called the "UHF connector" because it came on UHF FM radios way back after WW2. I think RCA was to blame for that one, but it might have been ol' Batwing. There is only one SO-239 (female) and PL-259 (male) connector set. The screw-in ferrules to shrink up the 3/4" coax hole to RG-58 and RG-59 are different, though. None of them are "water proof", unfortunately. None of them are a good match on any coax cable they don't screw directly onto, either, like RG-8 or 213. They're "acceptable" on RG 58 and 59 and 6 and 8X for our purposes and their biggest benefit is anyone with simple soldering irons can put them together with little skill, unlike proper 'N' or 'BNC' or 'SMA' connectors we SHOULD be using. On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 16:05:22 GMT, wrote: Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer Larry W4CSC 3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right? One Very Nice Feature(tm) of the Digital Antenna products is that they provide cables pre-terminated with TNC connectors which are only marginally larger than the quality marine 8X they ship. they then provide a PL-259 "adapter" which the TNC screws into to terminate in an SO-259. saves MUCH grief fishing the cable and saves the work of terminating it yourself. they claim providing pre-terminated cables saves them lots of support time. a win all around as far as i'm concerned. I have no affiliation with Digital Antenna other than as a satisfied owner of 4 of their antennas: 2x 8' Marine VHF, an 8' cell stick, and their big SSB pole. cheers, -mo |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
Check for a short curcuit in the PL259.
wrote in message ... This is all helpful, but any explanation for the clicking noise? Helmer On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 16:05:22 GMT, wrote: Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
Good advise so far.....a single antenna installation should use 50 ohm coax
to match the output impedance of the radio to the input impedance of the antenna. RG8/X is not suitable for VHF (very high freq.) or UHF (ultra high freq.) because of the inherent attenuation at thes freq. The attenuation in db. could be so high with CB style coax as to completely null a weak or low powered signal at high freq. Clean,soldered terminations are critical at VHF and UHF , the antenna should be grounded to the closest non-ferrous metal using copper braid, the reason for braid is that RF currents flow on the outside of a conductor (skin-effect) whereas electrical current flows on the inside or thru a conductor. RF currents are tricky devils and care should be taken when dealing VHF and UHF. Also use chassis grounds on any type of transceiver and quality coax with the antenna mounted high and away from you as high levels of stray RF radiation will cause cataracts to form in your eyes. -- KG4LBD "Doug Dotson" wrote in message ... Good advise! I'll check it out. What about their masthead antennas? Doug "Michael O'Dell" wrote in message ... In article , (Larry W4CSC) wrote: The PL-259 connector used to be called the "UHF connector" because it came on UHF FM radios way back after WW2. I think RCA was to blame for that one, but it might have been ol' Batwing. There is only one SO-239 (female) and PL-259 (male) connector set. The screw-in ferrules to shrink up the 3/4" coax hole to RG-58 and RG-59 are different, though. None of them are "water proof", unfortunately. None of them are a good match on any coax cable they don't screw directly onto, either, like RG-8 or 213. They're "acceptable" on RG 58 and 59 and 6 and 8X for our purposes and their biggest benefit is anyone with simple soldering irons can put them together with little skill, unlike proper 'N' or 'BNC' or 'SMA' connectors we SHOULD be using. On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 16:05:22 GMT, wrote: Can someone tell me if there is a PL-259 connector for UHF and a different one for VHF? I got a 259 from Radio Shack that was labeled for UHF. It looked the same to me so I installed it, along with a Shakespeare VHF antenna for a VHF marine band radio. Would not transmit, but had a steady clicking from the speaker when mike was open. I returned the radio to the factory for repair under warrenty, and when returned was told the radio performed at factory specs, and to check the installation. So, now I'm stumped, and hate to try anything else without knowing what's going on. A SWR meter check would not help at this point. Thanks for any help. Helmer Larry W4CSC 3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right? One Very Nice Feature(tm) of the Digital Antenna products is that they provide cables pre-terminated with TNC connectors which are only marginally larger than the quality marine 8X they ship. they then provide a PL-259 "adapter" which the TNC screws into to terminate in an SO-259. saves MUCH grief fishing the cable and saves the work of terminating it yourself. they claim providing pre-terminated cables saves them lots of support time. a win all around as far as i'm concerned. I have no affiliation with Digital Antenna other than as a satisfied owner of 4 of their antennas: 2x 8' Marine VHF, an 8' cell stick, and their big SSB pole. cheers, -mo |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
FWIW A guide to RF Connectors can be found at
http://catalog.tycoelectronics.com/TE/bin/TE.Connect?C=10005&F=10002&M=FINF&N=6&LG=1&I=13&RQ S= A guide to cables, including losses and power handling, and connectors can be had at: http://www.therfc.com/ Enjoy |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 14:37:03 -0700, "Mad Dog"
wrote: Good advise so far.....a single antenna installation should use 50 ohm coax to match the output impedance of the radio to the input impedance of the antenna. RG8/X is not suitable for VHF (very high freq.) or UHF (ultra high freq.) While RG8X may not be the best cable for VHF frequencies, it is very frequently used there - and is probably the cable most often supplied on Marine antennas. -- Peter Bennett, VE7CEI new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca |
PL-259 connectors VHF UHF
Peter Bennett wrote:
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 14:37:03 -0700, "Mad Dog" wrote: Good advise so far.....a single antenna installation should use 50 ohm coax to match the output impedance of the radio to the input impedance of the antenna. RG8/X is not suitable for VHF (very high freq.) or UHF (ultra high freq.) While RG8X may not be the best cable for VHF frequencies, it is very frequently used there - and is probably the cable most often supplied on Marine antennas. -- Peter Bennett, VE7CEI new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca http://www.therfc.com/coax.htm Yer pays 'y money and makes 'y tradeoffs .... |
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