Unpopular opinion: I was crimping coax connectors wrong for my first two years on the job

I was on a service call in a big apartment complex last month, helping another tech who was swamped. He watched me prep a line and just said, 'Dude, you're stripping way too much braid.' I always thought you needed a good half-inch of the center conductor exposed past the connector for a solid connection. He showed me his method: just enough to see a tiny bit of the dielectric after the connector is on, maybe an eighth of an inch. He said over-stripping lets the braid push back and can cause signal leaks or a weak connection over time. I tried it his way on the next five drops, and my meter readings were actually MORE stable. I've been doing it ever since. Has anyone else found a small step in their prep routine that made a big difference in signal quality?

2 comments

2 Comments

john43016h ago

Struggled with cold solder joints on data cables for ages. Started cleaning the tip of my iron on a wet sponge after every single connection, not just when it looked dirty. That tiny bit of extra care stopped the oxidization and my joints went from dull and grainy to shiny and solid every time.

robinson.holly14h ago

That "tiny bit of extra care" is everything, and a brass sponge instead of a wet one can also help keep your tip temp more stable.