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Used to fight with those tiny coax connectors for an hour, now I keep a jar of hot water on the bench
I mean, trying to get the braid over the ferrule on those RG-400 cables in a cold hangar was the worst. About six months ago, I saw a guy at the MRO in Tulsa dip the connector end in a cup of hot water for like 10 seconds. The plastic ferrule gets soft and slides right on. I do it for every single one now. Anyone else have a weird little trick like that for coax?
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jordancoleman20d ago
Wait, wait - YOU use a HAIR DRYER on connectors in the field? That's borderline genius actually. @dakota_singh39 I gotta say I've never thought about hauling a hair dryer around but that sounds way more practical than my hot water trick. Water's a pain to deal with in the winter because it cools off fast and you gotta keep reheating it. That hair dryer idea though - you just aim it right at the ferrule for a few seconds? How close do you hold it without melting something?
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dakota_singh392mo ago
Cold coax is the worst. My trick is keeping a cheap hair dryer in the toolbox. A quick blast of warm air on the connector body makes everything flexible. It's faster than waiting for water to heat up, especially when you're outside. Works on those stiff RG-58 connectors too.
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