PL-259 to N connection on a handheld radio.

[WSGF881]

Anyone else out there with fat fingers that have difficulty connecting an external antenna using a PL-259 to SMA adapter to their handheld radio?  Here is the answer:

3D print a 19mm disk, 5mm thick with 8mm hex hole in the middle. Lightly coat the interior of the hex hole using a Qtip with cyanoacrylate (super glue), slide onto adapter N nut allowing glue to set for 3-4 minutes. 

[Socalgmrs]

I don’t see an “N” connector in the picture. That’s an sma to pl259.    AND you should never connect a pl259 connector/big cable like that.  You should have e a small light flexible pig tail with an sma to 259 adaptor.  The way you have it it’s going to ruin the radio pretty quickly. It’s just much weight for the sma in the radio  

[WSGF881]

Yep my bad. Corrected.

[GrouserPad]

Type N? Huh? 

[Lscott]

11 hours ago, WSGF881 said:

Anyone else out there with fat fingers that have difficulty connecting an external antenna using a PL-259 to SMA adapter to their handheld radio?  Here is the answer:

3D print a 19mm disk, 5mm thick with 8mm hex hole in the middle. Lightly coat the interior of the hex hole using a Qtip with cyanoacrylate (super glue), slide onto adapter N nut allowing glue to set for 3-4 minutes. 

I typically go from the radio connector to BNC. Usually you can find an adapter for some weird antenna port type to BNC so I use it as a common interconnect type. I have a lot of RG-58 patch cables.

You'll also end up with a collection of adapters after a while too.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/427-adapters-connectorsjpeg/?context=new

Here is an example of the Icom specific radio port type and the adapter to BNC I got for it to use external antennas. I had to order this special since it's not very common.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/500-ic-f3162dt-front-and-back-sidepng/?context=new

 

[WSGF881]

Socalgmrs I had not really considered that as I have the coax hanging vertically from the above the radio in a fixed location.  However, you make a good point, so version 2 is designed to prevent lateral torques while still allowing the collar to be used as a wrench for the SMA nut. Also has the benefit of no glue and is similar to adapters that I have made for other SMA mobile antennas (i.e. Retevis RHD-771) .