Post date: Aug 19, 2011 9:56:20 AM
The BNC is my connector of choice because they are compact, easy to connect, water resistant and plentiful. Also the common alternative - UHF/PL259 plugs are impossible to solder properly unless you buy expensive silver plated ones and the insulator is rarely PTFE and melts.
I've always used the clamp type and manually stripped and soldered my connectors but many years ago I used to install crimped BNC connectors and they were always very good quality. However, the tools were very expensive and I could not justify the price for the limited amount I would use them.
So seeing a coax stripping tool on e-bay for £5 and a crimp tool for £10, I decided to take the plunge and move to crimping the connectors.
Both tools have now arrived and I'm impressed with the quality. The strippers are a 3 cutter type so the outer, screen and dielectric are all cut separately, it took a little setting up but is now working well.
The crimp tool is good quality and will last for many years I hope.
This has reduced my termination time significantly (two ends on a patch lead in less than 5 minutes - my soldering iron would just be getting warm!) and also removed the risk of the screen connecting with the inner that I've experienced once with the clamp types. Screen on the outside is a good thing!!!
Other benefits:
Crimps are cheaper
They have a higher cable retention figure
Why did I wait so long?!