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Title: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: T Wilcox on March 03, 2011, 02:16:08 PM Hello all
In middle of build and started to run the RG-147 mini coax only to find it is a pain to lead dress. Any tips or suggestions on stripping. I read one post somewhere that says to strip about 2 inches then unbraid the shield. I cant get the shield unbraided without it getting balled up at bottom and then strands are breaking off. Another method I read was to solder a lead onto shield to extend it. please help Thank you Todd Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: hywelg on March 03, 2011, 02:32:23 PM Yes, expose about 20mm of the braid, unwind it, twist it together and solder a piece of wire to it. Cover the solder joint and the exposed braid with heatshrink. If you have two adjacent shields to do twist them both together and use heatshrink to hold both wires together.
At the other end cut the shield off flush with the insulator and cover with heatshrink. (it isn't connected) Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: T Wilcox on March 03, 2011, 02:55:19 PM Thanks for the fast response Hywelg.
I will try that. Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: SoundPerf on March 03, 2011, 08:07:59 PM Also, use care when removing the insulation not to nick the braid. It is very fragile and will cause it to break quickly. Same goes for the core too. And actually if you do nick the other end it makes it easy to get a clean break of the shield. I actually use a "spinning type" wire coax stripper to do this. You can use for for everything, but be careful not to cut what you don't want to.
There was a link to a little photo step by step of how to dress the ground lead for the coax, but I can't find it now. Anyone know where it is? Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: sduck on March 03, 2011, 10:45:09 PM The coax that came with my kit a few months ago was particularly hard to unwind - there was some sort of goo in and around the ground sheathing that made it really hard to unwind. I had some belden coax of the same specs here that I ended up using for a lot of my coax instead. Unwinding the ground braid is a pita even without that goo in there - just be patient and try to be neat doing it.
Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: SoundPerf on March 04, 2011, 03:53:14 AM The coax that came with my kit a few months ago was particularly hard to unwind - there was some sort of goo in and around the ground sheathing that made it really hard to unwind. I had some belden coax of the same specs here that I ended up using for a lot of my coax instead. Unwinding the ground braid is a pita even without that goo in there - just be patient and try to be neat doing it. Yeah, mine is like that too. I take an xacto and carefully cut down the middle and then peel it off instead of trying to slide it off. I think it's there to serve a benificial purpose and not just a manufacturing byproduct, but not exactly sure what. (anti-oxidant/moistore barrier, or to hold the shield tight together....)Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: T Wilcox on March 08, 2011, 02:59:59 PM FYI to any future builders
If you order a kit it may be useful to source your own RG-147. I scrapped about 10 inches trying to lead dress the RG-147 that came with kit and had trouble with the shield wires bunching up and breaking which left me short wire and had to order more. I ordered from Hammond and once received I had no problems stripping this coax and lead dressing. I dont know if the coax that came with the kit was just a bad batch or what! ??? Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: T Wilcox on March 08, 2011, 03:29:56 PM oops meant to say Hoffman not Hammond
Title: Re: Need help with coax RG-147 Post by: boldaslove6789 on March 08, 2011, 04:57:28 PM FYI to any future builders If you order a kit it may be useful to source your own RG-147. I scrapped about 10 inches trying to lead dress the RG-147 that came with kit and had trouble with the shield wires bunching up and breaking which left me short wire and had to order more. I ordered from Hammond and once received I had no problems stripping this coax and lead dressing. I dont know if the coax that came with the kit was just a bad batch or what! ??? You can get a 100ft roll of RG-178 50ohm @ Apex Jr. for $15 (Minimum order is $20 + shipping is like $8) http://www.apexjr.com/wire.html |