Advice Needed Crimp F-Connectors and Crimping Tools

jeallen01

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Having taken @CH's lead and advice on connectors, I bought some reasonably (but not "dead") cheap "weatherproof" (i.e. with internal seals) crimp F-connectors and a couple of different crimping tools to try out. "Sort of" worked but not entirely successfully with a fair proportion of failures such as crimps which didn't actually crimp the cable (on genuine WF100) and/or crimps with "ears" which had then to be cut off with heavy duty side-cutters,

NB: @CH did not actually tell me which connectors and tools to buy - so I'm not blaming him!

Therefore, as I am now nearly ready to buy some more connectors, I would appreciate suggestions as to both better connectors and the appropriate crimping tools to use on them.

Thanks in advance.

PS: I suspect that a few others would also appreciate any such info!
 
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Channel Hopper

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I thought I told you to get screwed ?
 

jeallen01

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I thought I told you to get screwed ?
I've been "screwed" by many things in my life - and most of them, including the recent crimp connectors/tools, weren't that pleasant:-lmao

Up till now I have used screw-on connectors but I quite like the concept of crimped ones, and so the question is actually a serious one :rolleyes:
 

Lazarus

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+1 for screw-on.

It works. No need to change.
 

jeallen01

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I know that screw-on connectors do work, but they do have a problem with weatherproofing - even when wrapped as well as I could with s/a tape - as I found signs of corrosion after dismantling some recently.

Use of silicone grease in the connectors and slide on covers are often recommended, but the grease makes it very difficult to get s/a tape to adhere as it's very difficult to remove any external traces of the grease, and slide-on covers aren't that great either. Also it's quite difficult to use either combo on LNB connectors, especially below DiSeQC motors.

OTOH, if I could find decent crimp connectors/tools that make very secure connections then I could use the grease and slide-on connectors over the connections.
 

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Cabelcon compression fit!
 

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I don't protect my connectors at all. There must be over 30 on the dish farm, all exposed. No issues with corrosion, water ingress etc.

Maybe wrapping them in self-amalgamating tape is deleterious? ie owt that might get in can't get out?
 

jeallen01

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Cabelcon compression fit!
Bought some of those before I started to try crimp connectors - about 1 in 5 connections actually managed to fit securely onto the cables:N
 

jeallen01

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I don't protect my connectors at all. There must be over 30 on the dish farm, all exposed. No issues with corrosion, water ingress etc.
Maybe, but how many have you taken apart to check?
Maybe wrapping them in self-amalgamating tape is deleterious? ie owt that might get in can't get out?
IMHO, wrapping with s/a tape certainly did help to protect most of my connectors, but I still found a few where it had not prevented corrosion developing.

OTOH, maybe some screw-on connectors are better than others? - so which ones do you use?

PS: Off to bed now - "see" you tomorrow:)
 
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RustySpoons

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Bought some of those before I started to try crimp connectors - about 1 in 5 connections actually managed to fit securely onto the cables:N

Never had a single issue with them. Did you use the correct ones for the cable. You have to use exactly the right one. (Not trying to teach you to suck eggs)
 

jeallen01

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Never had a single issue with them. Did you use the correct ones for the cable. You have to use exactly the right one. (Not trying to teach you to suck eggs)
Quite so, and I have several sizes - several types of small bore ones for WF/CT100 etc., and larger bore ones for CT125/RG6.

Biggest issues I found with screw-on ones:
- They can become partially unscrewed from the cables without that being noticed, thus allowing water/moisture in from the cable end:
- same issue at the threaded end - corrosion of the connector barrel itself is less "serious" than the surface corrosion to the internally exposed copper core of the cable as shown by the surface being blackened!
- and, as I said earlier, silicone grease can stop a lot of the water/moisture issues, but it also makes it difficult to use s/a tape to seal the connections (especially under motors/DiSEqc switches where space is tight), and even easier for the cable end thread to loosen.
 

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Maybe, but how many have you taken apart to check?

OTOH, maybe some screw-on connectors are better than others? - so which ones do you use?

1. Can't see the point of taking them apart specifically to check (If it ain't broke, don't fix it) , but over the years there's been a great deal of enhancement (?!) , simplification (!?) and other change, entailing recabling and I've never spotted any degradation.

2. As for type - whatever turns up from eBay (I buy packets of ten for around £1.50).
 

jeallen01

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I had to take most of mine apart a few weeks ago due to the possible implications of the "bed in a shed" issue in a neighbouring property, and that's where I spotted some of the corrosion/loosening problems

£1.50 for 10? - you were robbed! You can get a 100 for about £5-£7 if you shop carefully!:rolleyes:
 

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Yes, I know, but I "never" think I need many.

And, on that score, I always prove myself wrong!
 

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I've been "screwed" by many things in my life - and most of them, including the recent crimp connectors/tools, weren't that pleasant:-lmao

Up till now I have used screw-on connectors but I quite like the concept of crimped ones, and so the question is actually a serious one :rolleyes:

Most of the issues with crimp connectors revolve around the pairing of the connector to the type of cable, followed by the preparation (cutting back and the insertion of the sleeve). I only really use crimp when I have a complete installation to carry out and even then I rarely put crimp on anything less than CT125.
The failures I have seen with other installs are in the main where the sleeve is not pushed far enough down the outer braid before crimping.

Screw on also has a knack to the preparation but the advantage is less force is needed to get the connector tight onto the cable, you will gauge when using too much as the cable 'gives' when twisting on.

Applying self amalgamating tape correctly requires a few goes (in warm weather) and never to have silicone grease anywhere near it.

Get screwed.
 

jeallen01

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Yes, I know, but I "never" think I need many.

And, on that score, I always prove myself wrong!
Buy "big" once and then only rarely have to buy again - where's the "Yorkshire man" in you?:cool:
 

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Most of the issues with crimp connectors revolve around the pairing of the connector to the type of cable, followed by the preparation (cutting back and the insertion of the sleeve). I only really use crimp when I have a complete installation to carry out and even then I rarely put crimp on anything less than CT125.
The failures I have seen with other installs are in the main where the sleeve is not pushed far enough down the outer braid before crimping.

Screw on also has a knack to the preparation but the advantage is less force is needed to get the connector tight onto the cable, you will gauge when using too much as the cable 'gives' when twisting on.

Applying self amalgamating tape correctly requires a few goes (in warm weather) and never to have silicone grease anywhere near it.

Get screwed.
Kinky...

Being pedantic here, actual cripmed F types or compression? I don't like crimps so much on larger RF cable, it's ok for small stuff like RG178 etc.
 

RustySpoons

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Oh and avoid Denso tape, bloody orrible stuff.
 

Lazarus

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Buy "big" once and then only rarely have to buy again - where's the "Yorkshire man" in you?:cool:


But for any purchase over a fiver I'd need a loan ......
 

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