Source of good, but cheap RF coaxial cable connectors, like SMA, N, BNC, etc - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 01:57:57 pm
content: I had a fairly large stash of cheap RF connectors from ebay but as I recently got a small network anayzer and can avaluate them, this has made it necessary to redo too many. (arrgh) I'm sure that many are familiar with this problem.I need a better source of good value RF connectors (and a better crimp tool) As I often make my own cables.Are there any online stores where I can get the measurements for the hardware they sell to make sure it works with my oddball cables, and not pay an arm and a leg?Also, is it possible to find genuinely gold plated SMAs that dont cost an arm and a leg?My budget is tight.

author: TheUnnamedNewbie
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 07:44:17 am
content: Gold plated SMAs are overrated. They make sense in some situations, but none of the $$$$$ SMA, 3.5 mm, 2.92 mm and higher connectors I see on test equipment and test cables are gold plated. The thing that has to be plated is the inside ring and center pin, the outside of high-performance connectors is stainless steel.That aside: my go-to is generally ebay, but instead of buying new chinese connectors, I just buy second hand cables from known brands (H+S, Rosenberger, gore, etc) for the home lab. This has given me a good few cables with decent performance.

author: KE5FX
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 07:51:35 am
content: The adapters and cables sold by Mini-Circuits are a pretty good cost-quality compromise. Not Huber & Suhner, but also not Sum Ting Wong.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 09:51:54 am
content: I like Canare gear. They are big in the AV world with a wide range of 75ohm parts, but they also make some very nice high quality 50ohm stuff. BNC, SMA, N, TNC, F, etc.Crimping tools are not ebay super cheap, but the price doesn't break the bank if you are making a bunch of cables and the connectors are quite well priced.You do need to use their crimper and die sets for proper terminations though. I have tried to cross reference them to cheaper alternatives, but there's not really anything that matches their dimensions.They also make as close to a 75ohm RCA connector as you are ever going to find too.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 11:42:57 am
content: AV equipment often has nice flexible cables. Easy to handle in a way the RF oriented brands arent. How do they test out ? Guess I could find out now.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2020, 02:22:49 am
content: I'll second Mini-circuits. Its adapters are great. Very good compromise on quality vs cost.Try out Digi-key.... Inexpensive but "real" connectors are not that expensive, especially if you buy in bulk. Much better quality than typical eBay "high quality" connectors.If you ever need crimp type 75 ohm connectors, let me know. I have bags and bags of crimp type 75 ohm BNC connectors. I'll give you some (or a lot).

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2020, 02:05:28 pm
content: I have some unknown silver sheathed thin coax that looks like a (more) silver version of RG-316 - but instead of pinkish jacket its just silver. And the inner conductor is much thicker. OD is around 2.5 mm. Just like RG-316! Its nice stuff, with a foam dielectric. Seems like it could likely handle much more power than RG-316 because of the larger conductor.May be some exotic cable. It handles well but I'm without hardware that even fits it. (unless I trim the size of the center conductor. Thats how much thicker it is.) I don't know the best way to test its impedance. Maybe I'll just use my BNC to banana plug adapter.Wish I could remember where I got it. Maybe at an estate sale?