Threads on attaching PL-259s to coax are a mainstay of most amateur radio mailing lists. If you subscribe to as many as I do, you see at least five or six every year. This last week, yet another one popped up on the HamRadioHelpGroup. Below, is, imho, the most useful reply:
A good tool for this application is sold under the Weller/Cooper name at home centers and some larger craft stores. They market an 80 Watt pencil type iron for working with stained glass.
Unless you are installing lots of connectors every day I find this to be a really good tool. It has a thick, heavy tip that retains heat
well and is often much less expensive than what appears to be the same 80 Watt iron sold through electronics distributor type outlets. There are two models:I bought mine 4 or 5 years ago in a cutesy pink and blue bubble pack at a Hobby Lobby store for under $20. The same iron at the online electronics places was about $45 if I recall.
Moral of the story: Go shopping with your wife occasionally. You can find useful stuff in the darnedest places!
Tim, N9PUZ
Pronto (a site I never heard of before) lists six sources for the SPG80L, including Amazon ($24.23 – the cheapest price) and Ace Hardware ($37.97 – the highest price).
I think I want one of these. When I’m not soldering PL-259s, I can use it make stained glass windows.
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