ARS-G505-RG8X - PL-259 UHF-Male Coaxial Connector for RG-8X Coax Cable

I terminate enough cable that I bought a crimp tool and these make the job a snap! Never had a bad connection and they look great!

I often try to find RG8X PL-259's at ham fests, however I ran low so I depend on online purchases.

I purchased these UHF connectors for a repair application using RG8X coax. In the past I have always used the PL-259 connector with the UG-176/U reducer [I also purchased some of those as well for a just in case scenario]. This was the first time I have used a crimp-crimp connector for RG8X cable. I liked the fact that American Radio Supply had cut and strip dimensions for the ARS-G505-RG-8X-PL-259 connector on their product Web page.

As it became apparent, after ordering, the suggested dimensions for the connector were mostly incorrect. I also noticed, after substantial searching, that almost all of the web sites selling a crimp on RG8X UHF connector had incorrect or totally missing information.

After realizing that some of the proposed / preferred dimensions varied only by the approximate thickness of some razor blades I decided to purchase a dedicated three blade coax stripper. I ended up with a Monoprice HT-322... The stripper is set up for RG-6 75 ohm coax and a 8mm shield and 4mm gap before the center conductor is exposed. It is necessary to increase the opening for the center conductor as RG-6 is 18ga/0.0403" and RG8X center conductor is 16ga/0.0508" stranded [19x29]. It was also necessary to increase the cutting depth of the other two blades to completely cut the outer jacket and the shield. There is 15mm of internal space in the connector before the center insulator meets the center tube, so 12mm of the tool works out quite well.

I choose to make the length of the exposed center conductor 20mm, which is about 2mm longer than it needs to be, for several reasons. The hole in the tip of the connector is a tight fit with a 0.062" gauge and the stranded wire is 0.0508". The strands need to be kept in their original circular form, as much as possible, to insert into the inside of the tube and make its way to the tip without unraveling the strands. It may become necessary to re-cut or file down the tip with a chamfer to get the center conductor through the tip.

I find the connectors to be very well made and the insulating material is PTFE [Teflon].

I ordered them and they arrived in a timely fashion for a fair price.

Good quality product and delivered quickly. I have always been satisfied with American Radio Supply.

I've tried all the connectors and cables I've ordered on many different items, all with success. Unlike some competitors, these have proven compatible with the slightly off PL-259 connectors on cheep Chinese electronics.