I am completely new to Heliax so some very basic questions.
1. I have been given three of these but they are in bits and I want to know if they (some) are complete or not.
So word pictures follow:
Outer body - there is an insulator in it
A small "O" ring presumably to go over the corrugation of the heliax
The inner connector to solder to the centre conductor
The clamping nut
"O" ring to suit the clamping nut
Silicone grease
Spacing gauge
Is this list complete?
If so I need:
1 insulator to the outer body - one appears to have had a hard time
1 small "O" ring
1 inner connector
Are these bits available anywhere - I have contacted Andrew Australia - I was told the L44N is obsolete so ...
2. Is there an accepted method of terminating the Heliax i.e. male one end, female the other ...?
3. Heliax down the mast then flexible to the rig (my question regarding type of cable has been answered). What is a neat solution to getting the cable through the shack wall, bulkhead connectors, or ..?
73, Geoff, VK2KPK
Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
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VK2ZT
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Geoff sounds like you have the old gold type connector and RFI are right the new ones are a press fit type and don't require soldering .
I come across the gold ones now and then , I have one of the 4-50 prep tools clamp and turn type if you can't get any help locally you are welcome
to it .
We mainly use the drill type prep tool , and male or female is up to you just depends what plugs into each end .
Cheers
Steve
vk2zt@yahoo.com
I come across the gold ones now and then , I have one of the 4-50 prep tools clamp and turn type if you can't get any help locally you are welcome
to it .
We mainly use the drill type prep tool , and male or female is up to you just depends what plugs into each end .
Cheers
Steve
vk2zt@yahoo.com
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VK2KRR
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
HI Geoff,
Can u take any photos of the connectors and post up here? that would help identify what u have a whats missing.
Most of the heliax I've worked with doesn't have the center conductor soldered to the pin. Though I have not used LDF4-50, its mostly 5-50 here but I pressume it would be similar.
You should be able to find some installation instructions for these connectors online if you try a search, that will probably also show what all the parts are also.
Terminate the Heliax in what ever config is suitable for you. I usually use female N connectors at each end of heliax feeder and then more flexable cables from there to the rig and antennas.
What type of shack wall do you have? brick, wood, colourbond etc?
Can u take any photos of the connectors and post up here? that would help identify what u have a whats missing.
Most of the heliax I've worked with doesn't have the center conductor soldered to the pin. Though I have not used LDF4-50, its mostly 5-50 here but I pressume it would be similar.
You should be able to find some installation instructions for these connectors online if you try a search, that will probably also show what all the parts are also.
Terminate the Heliax in what ever config is suitable for you. I usually use female N connectors at each end of heliax feeder and then more flexable cables from there to the rig and antennas.
What type of shack wall do you have? brick, wood, colourbond etc?
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VK2KPK
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
I am digitally challenged i.e. no camera!VK2KRR wrote:Can u take any photos of the connectors and post up here? that would help identify what u have a whats missing.
You should be able to find some installation instructions for these connectors online if you try a search, that will probably also show what all the parts are also.
What type of shack wall do you have? brick, wood, colourbond etc?
Andrews sent me this
The n plug is shown - what I need to know is there anything in the body other than the insulator in the n jack?
Shack wall is colourbond.
Geoff.
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VK3BJM
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
No, the inners are quite different. 4-50 has a solid inner, which you have to solder the pin to. 5-50 has a hollow/tubular inner, which the pin screws into. Frankly, 5-50 is easier to terminate!VK2KRR wrote:Though I have not used LDF4-50, its mostly 5-50 here but I pressume it would be similar.
Geoff, it sounds like you have enough bits to have two working connectors. About the only way you'll get the third connector to "complete" is if you can find someone who has some simarly incomplete connectors, that happen to have the bits you need. And are willing to part with them. Probably easier to simply source some NOS/secondhand connectors, if you need them.
As Steve says, there's no convention - it's horses for courses. Until recently, my heliax run terminated with a male connector, which connected directly to my masthead pre-amp box - which happened to be before the rotator tail. When I shifted the pre-amp box right into my H-frame, above the rotator, I changed the heliax connector to a female N, to connect to the male on the rotator tail.
I have a bulkhead installed on the outside of my shack wall, made from 6.35 mm aluminium sheet. At the time of installation (10 years ago) I chose to use large (M50?) cable glands which the heliax passes through, to provide a weather-proof seal. The heliax then has another female N connector inside the shack, with a flexible patch lead to the gear.
If I was to do it again, I wouldn't use the cable glands; I'd either have F-F bulkhead adaptors, or a N female bulk-head mount onto the bulkhead. Better for lightning protection, when the bulkhead is well grounded...
73,
Barry
VK3BJM
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VK2XSO
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
You're going to have to take a photo Geoff.
If you have a phone, then you can take a photo and either transfer it to a computer or SMS it to somebody like me, and I'll put it up for you.
Else, take all of the pieces you have to a friend that has a camera and get him to email them to you.
If you have a scanner, I would even suggest photocopying them.
So down to the connectors. There's not just one or two types of heliax connector, there is about ten different types of connector that I can think of and even then about four or five variations of the same type of cable.
I don't instanty recognise the L44N designation. I just did a quick search for it with google and yes, it's one of the older solder type brass connectors.
You may or may not have got an instruction sheet for it.
Nothing here ... http://www.g1ogy.com/projects/andrew/ but some other good sheets.
But this is similar to what you have. http://www.g1ogy.com/projects/andrew/FS ... ex-2_2.gif
Without the instructions, your connector version isn't too hard to terminate.
Basically you can work out how far you need to strip back the outer PVC sheath.
Cut the cable flat with a fine hacksaw. Strip back just enough to match the length of the flange so that it sits flush with the end of the cable.
If you can't push it back that far, take off a little more of the PVC outer sheath.
Once you've worked out how much outer PVC to take off you can hacksaw the end of the cable flat again, but save the stripped piece as a specimen.
What you want to do is with a sharp knife like a stanley knife cut through the outer PVC sheath AND the copper shield (and some of the dielectric) but not the center conductor.
You want to make this cut about 10mm from the end and you want to make sure the cut is on the ride of the corrugations. Look at the specimen piece and you'll see the corrugations in the shield.
If you've done it right, the 10mm section of PVC, shield and dielectric should come off in one piece.
Sometimes the foam dielectric doesn't come off clean and you need to scrape or clean the remainder off.
Now strip off the length of outer PVC sheath to the length you measured above.
Slide on the rubber flange ring so that it sits in the last trough of the stripped section.
The flange should now slide on and be flush with the end of the shield with 10mm of center conductor sticking out.
With a small screwdriver you can now flare the shield on the fange and trim any dags. There should be no dags or sharps if you've got it right.
Now have a look at your pin. You'll see it slides over the center conductor and solders in place.
You will need to cut the conductor short enough so the bottom of the pin is flush with the end of the flange.
File the center conductor so the end has no sharp edges. Tin just the very end with a small blob of solder.
Tin the inside of the pin with solder. Use a hot soldering iron and a fine pair of long nose pliers.
Heat the pin, not the cable directly. Use the pin to transfer heat to the copper center conductor.
Push it on. The excess solder should squeeze out. Allow it to cool and file off the dags.
Finally the front flange should screw on. I can't remember if it is the front or rear flange that you should turn. On the new connectors it's the rear flange you turn.
I would suggest the old connectors are probably the same.
If you have a phone, then you can take a photo and either transfer it to a computer or SMS it to somebody like me, and I'll put it up for you.
Else, take all of the pieces you have to a friend that has a camera and get him to email them to you.
If you have a scanner, I would even suggest photocopying them.
So down to the connectors. There's not just one or two types of heliax connector, there is about ten different types of connector that I can think of and even then about four or five variations of the same type of cable.
I don't instanty recognise the L44N designation. I just did a quick search for it with google and yes, it's one of the older solder type brass connectors.
You may or may not have got an instruction sheet for it.
Nothing here ... http://www.g1ogy.com/projects/andrew/ but some other good sheets.
But this is similar to what you have. http://www.g1ogy.com/projects/andrew/FS ... ex-2_2.gif
Without the instructions, your connector version isn't too hard to terminate.
Basically you can work out how far you need to strip back the outer PVC sheath.
Cut the cable flat with a fine hacksaw. Strip back just enough to match the length of the flange so that it sits flush with the end of the cable.
If you can't push it back that far, take off a little more of the PVC outer sheath.
Once you've worked out how much outer PVC to take off you can hacksaw the end of the cable flat again, but save the stripped piece as a specimen.
What you want to do is with a sharp knife like a stanley knife cut through the outer PVC sheath AND the copper shield (and some of the dielectric) but not the center conductor.
You want to make this cut about 10mm from the end and you want to make sure the cut is on the ride of the corrugations. Look at the specimen piece and you'll see the corrugations in the shield.
If you've done it right, the 10mm section of PVC, shield and dielectric should come off in one piece.
Sometimes the foam dielectric doesn't come off clean and you need to scrape or clean the remainder off.
Now strip off the length of outer PVC sheath to the length you measured above.
Slide on the rubber flange ring so that it sits in the last trough of the stripped section.
The flange should now slide on and be flush with the end of the shield with 10mm of center conductor sticking out.
With a small screwdriver you can now flare the shield on the fange and trim any dags. There should be no dags or sharps if you've got it right.
Now have a look at your pin. You'll see it slides over the center conductor and solders in place.
You will need to cut the conductor short enough so the bottom of the pin is flush with the end of the flange.
File the center conductor so the end has no sharp edges. Tin just the very end with a small blob of solder.
Tin the inside of the pin with solder. Use a hot soldering iron and a fine pair of long nose pliers.
Heat the pin, not the cable directly. Use the pin to transfer heat to the copper center conductor.
Push it on. The excess solder should squeeze out. Allow it to cool and file off the dags.
Finally the front flange should screw on. I can't remember if it is the front or rear flange that you should turn. On the new connectors it's the rear flange you turn.
I would suggest the old connectors are probably the same.
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VK2KPK
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Great that I seem to have enough for two. Somewhere between nil and zero chance I would think of finding/buying the needed bits for the third. Brass value is?VK3BJM wrote:Geoff, it sounds like you have enough bits to have two working connectors. About the only way you'll get the third connector to "complete" is if you can find someone who has some simarly incomplete connectors, that happen to have the bits you need. And are willing to part with them. Probably easier to simply source some NOS/secondhand connectors, if you need them.
Very handy info. Thank you.VK2XSO wrote:Now have a look at your pin. You'll see it slides over the center conductor and solders in place.
You will need to cut the conductor short enough so the bottom of the pin is flush with the end of the flange.
File the center conductor so the end has no sharp edges. Tin just the very end with a small blob of solder.
Tin the inside of the pin with solder. Use a hot soldering iron and a fine pair of long nose pliers.
Heat the pin, not the cable directly. Use the pin to transfer heat to the copper center conductor.
Push it on. The excess solder should squeeze out. Allow it to cool and file off the dags.
Geoff.
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VK2KRR
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Geoff,
Do u actually need to use the third one for anything? I've probably got some, or some other different styles if u do.
Do u actually need to use the third one for anything? I've probably got some, or some other different styles if u do.
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VK2KPK
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Leigh,
Thank you. No, not at this stage. My question was posted in the interest of learning about LDF4-50A, its connectors and getting cable into the shack.
Geoff.
Thank you. No, not at this stage. My question was posted in the interest of learning about LDF4-50A, its connectors and getting cable into the shack.
Geoff.
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VK2KRR
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Righto, and I also agree with Barry about the aluminium bulkhead with the female/female bulkhead adaptors. The you earth the plate, assists with disipating static and lightning etc. Not sure how you would set that plate up to seal with the colourbond corrugations though.
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VK2KRR
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Geoff,
Also you may like to have a read of this post about Heliax Entry into House -
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=9148
Also you may like to have a read of this post about Heliax Entry into House -
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=9148
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VK3BJM
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
I'm sure I have a L44N in original packaging out in the shed - but I'm not going out to look for it tonight - it's a wet windy evening in Kyneton!
I do have a NOS L44PN here in the shack - the installation sheet is bulletin 37383D, Revision B - so obviously a bit older than the pdf Andrews sent you, Geoff. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the L44N and the L44PN is that the L44PN is silver Plated. The one I have in front of me happens to be a female N.
Looking at both install sheets, there is very little difference between them. Steps 8 & 9 have been reversed; and the measurement, in step 1, of 53 mm in Rev D is only 51 mm in Rev B. Otherwise, they're damn near identical.
Trash's hint on keeping the heat on the pin, and working the pin onto the inner is a good one. The aluminium spacer has two functions, I'd suggest; as a spacer, and as a heat sink to help avoid melting the dielectric. Using it and Trash's install suggestion, and I reckon you'll do a fine job.
73,
Barry
VK3BJM
I do have a NOS L44PN here in the shack - the installation sheet is bulletin 37383D, Revision B - so obviously a bit older than the pdf Andrews sent you, Geoff. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the L44N and the L44PN is that the L44PN is silver Plated. The one I have in front of me happens to be a female N.
Looking at both install sheets, there is very little difference between them. Steps 8 & 9 have been reversed; and the measurement, in step 1, of 53 mm in Rev D is only 51 mm in Rev B. Otherwise, they're damn near identical.
Trash's hint on keeping the heat on the pin, and working the pin onto the inner is a good one. The aluminium spacer has two functions, I'd suggest; as a spacer, and as a heat sink to help avoid melting the dielectric. Using it and Trash's install suggestion, and I reckon you'll do a fine job.
73,
Barry
VK3BJM
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VK3BJM
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Isn't that what they invented Silastic for?VK2KRR wrote:Not sure how you would set that plate up to seal with the colourbond corrugations though.
Seriously, though, there is a foam profile that the Colourbond manufacturers make to fill the corrugation gaps. Just make the plate a little oversize, so it sits over the sheets, and bolt it down so it can't move.
And make it up high under the eaves, if you have them, to minimise the chances of rain running down to the join?
Otherwise... Isn't that what they invented Silastic for?
73,
Barry
VK3BJM
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
I could scan and post the assembly instructions when I get home tonight.
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VK2KPK
Re: Andrew L44N connectors for LDF4-50A, etc.
Fortunately the colourbond has flat sections but I would use roof & gutter sealant as a matter of course.VK2KRR wrote:Not sure how you would set that plate up to seal with the colourbond corrugations though.
Food for thought. Thank you.VK2KRR wrote:Also you may like to have a read of this post about Heliax Entry into House -
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=9148
Barry, Thank you. I have the installation instructions. What I want to confirm is that the bits I have will make up some complete connectors - it does appear that I will be able to make two.
ZL2FAE, Thank you. I have the installation instructions.
I appreciate all input.
EDIT: I now have the information. Thank you all.
Geoff.