On (29 May 96) Les Wilson wrote to Ray Wade...
 RW> On (28 May 96) Les Wilson wrote to All...
 LW> Is there something out there that will allow
 LW> me to replace the BNC
 LW> connector on the body of my ICOM handheld
 LW> radio with a screw-thread
 LW> receptical.  I am getting tired of replacing BNC connectors,
 LW> resoldering them, etc...  I am pretty much
 RW> More seriously, *probably* the reason you are having this trouble is
 RW> because you are using something other than the rubber duck that came
 RW> with the radio. Use of a longer antenna (or a coax connection going to
 RW> an antenna) puts a *lot* of stress on that connector and causes the
 RW> connector and solder break down you are experiencing.
 LW> Not just the solder joint breaking, it is also the nut that holds the
 LW> BNC connector that keeps loosening up.  I am using the rubber duck
 LW> that came with the radio (standard 7" VHF one).  Even Motorola radios
 LW> with the BNC's have the same problem.  It is a lousy connector for any
 LW> portable radio -- that's why most manufacturers have ditched the BNC
 LW> connector all together!  The radio sits in it's holster and I do use a
 LW> speaker/mic, so it's not getting abused!
Wow! I simply don't understand how, if you truly never put *any* load on
the antenna connector other than the weight of the duck, this is
possible. Do you perhaps wear the talkie on your belt and thus your body
movement against the duck could cause this? I am a fat man. I know when
I put my talkie on my belt, my "spare tire" pushes against the antenna.
As to the nut loosening, Loctite (a brand, there are others as well)
makes various grades (strength level) of liquid thread locking products.
I am an Engineer and have used the stuff successfully on threaded
connections on vibrating machinery as well as to "lock" ordinary pins in
place on heavy construction equipment which really gets abused. Another
example. It is very common to use these kinds of products to fill the
annular space around a bearing and lock it in place. This, instead of
providing a "press fit" for the bearing, allows "looser" tolerances and
thus lowers the cost of manufacturing.
Plus, if the nut loosens, even tiny forces on the duck will stress the
internal solder joint causing it to eventually break down. Sounds like
the nut loosening is the root cause of your problem.
 LW> I am looking for a way to substitute the BNC connector with a
 LW> screw-thread connection.
But don't those Motorola antenna connectors use nuts to mount them in
the case of the radio? Seems like any connector that is not molded into
the case when the case is made, would have the same trouble.
... 90% of the time I'm right, so why worry about the other 3%?
--- PPoint 2.00
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