Soldering Coax Connectors for RG8X.

Here is an almost fool-proof way of soldering a coax connector for RG8X coax. First, strip off 1 1/8" of insulation from the coax as in this picture.








Now, separate the strands of braid into 2 groups and twist them together as shown.








Now, slide the RG8X reducer up to the separated braids, then clip the braid ends so that they don't hang down past the threads on the reducer.








Now, strip the insulation from the center conductor just above the reducer, then twist the strands together. Take the soldering gun and "tin" the end of the conductor to keep the strands together.









Now, prepare the barrel of the connector for soldering by filing away the plating around the 4 holes in the middle of the barrel. I have found that the plating interferes with good solder flow. You will be filling these holes with solder later.










Next, we slide the barrel over the coax end and screw the reducer on, watching that the center conductor goes thru the center tube. I use a channel-lock pliers to screw the reducer on.











You will see that the two strands of braid are over two of the holes in the barrel and the center conductor sticks out from the end of the center tube. Trim the excess wire off flush with the end of the center conductor tube. Now, it is ready to solder.











Now, we can solder the center conductor to the tip.











Next, we solder the 4 holes in the middle of the barrel. The technique for doing this is to position the connector so the center pin is facing either to your left or right. Then get the iron good and hot. Touch the tip of the iron at the top edge of one of the holes, then feed solder to the tip, dragging it over the hole until the hole fills up with solder. It is important that these holes be soldered shut because I have found that small amounts of RF can leak out, causing RFI in the ham shack.











Now, all that is left is to slide the threaded sleeve up over the coax and screw it onto the barrel. Of course, be sure to check the connector out with a multimeter first to be sure there is no short circuit between the center pin and the barrel of the connector.