The AM Forum

Lack of hamfests has dwindled my supply of PL259’s. Anyone know of a good source at reasonable prices?

Pasternack is a source, don't know how reasonable.

https://www.pasternack.com/

I use(d) Mouser. The price has gone up a lot.


https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Amphenol-RF/083-822/?qs=%2Fha2pyFaduiXRb9hzG6iBLoKvIBmpGn0SnD8q6jytXDG%2Fjk7xbUkAQ%3D%3D

Hope the fests open up soon.

klc

Local to you, check KJI Electronics.

MPJA has them, not sure I would use them with my Desk KW but I have made jumpers with these in the past and they were fine:  https://www.mpja.com/UHF-Connector-Male-PL-259-Plastic-Insulator-Solder/productinfo/20500+RC/

Rodger WQ9E

For RF connectors of many types, I do most of my business with Joel and the gang at   rfconnection.com  .  He has good stuff and is honest about what it is.  If it's an import, he'll tell you.   Many of the PL259s on Ebay are Chinese junk with some third world plating that won't take solder.  Back in the days when we had hamfests, he used to come clear up to NH from Maryland to Hosstraders.  They do a lot of business with Uncle Sam and commercial accounts, but they haven't forgotten us hams.

73 de Norm  W1ITT

amazon?
hate them but 5 for $15:
https://www.amazon.com/Connectors-Connector-Material-RFAdapter-Compatiable/dp/B07VWVQQCD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1RPGMRZBMKRWM&dchild=1&keywords=pl-259+connectors

I've been getting mine from DX Engineering lately. They're pretty good and do the job.

Epay has the best prices that I have seen.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=PL259&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_udlo=&_udhi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=12932&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=200&_fosrp=1 (https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=PL259&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_udlo=&_udhi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=12932&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=200&_fosrp=1)

Try Max-Gain Systems in Marietta, Georgia.  They have a website.  They will likely tell you about the pedigree of their PL-259 connectors.  Prices are reasonable.

Full disclosure: No connection to these folks.

I use RFparts good quality and price is reasonable 

Quite a nice web site, and the connectors look decent. I gave them a try, just ordered a dozen. Thanks to all for the suggestion. I’ll share some feedback as soon as I receive them.

I only use Amphenol RF connectors: 

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Amphenol-RF/083-1SP-15RFX?qs=py4qCovljJ%2FdAjk3sb%252BAbQ%3D%3D&mgh=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmL-ABhDFARIsAKywVafmvfIcjnArIxZT6CvDc8AA4h3ug5t8nmglJNbqhg_01fk9OPiN_moaAuxYEALw_wcB

Joe-W3GMS

Agree Amphenol or Teflon. All of those too good to be true, cheap jobs are made of plastic that will melt and spoil your whole day of fixing cables.

Received my order from MaxGain in just 6 days. Used one already. Silver plated brass and Teflon. Very happy with the quality so far. Thanks for all the recommendations.

Norm W1ITT above is so right.  I had a customer job installing a VHF base station on a ranch 100 miles from human civilization.  Cheap customer wanted a Retevis Chinese ground plane gain antenna.  Whatever.  Imagine my surprise to find the threads on the UHF connector at the base of it would not take an Amphenol PL-259!  It would start but begin to cross-thread at about 2 turns.  Lo and behold a pack of solder type PL-259's, import, from eBay, threaded just fine, all the way on.  So I thought I was in great shape.  Went out to the ranch, installed the antenna on the roof of a big barn.  Now to attach the coax.  What's this, the gold colored center pin will not take solder worth a hoot! Nor would the adapter at the braid end.  I keep heating trying to get some flow and adhesion.  Then, surprise, the dielectric melts and the pin falls over sideways!   I went through five of these pieces of junk before I could get one to even remotely be an acceptable job.  The answer seems to be no more eBay Chinese connectors, no more eBay Chinese antennas with threads of unknown spec.

The hardest thing for me in mobile radio today is not fixing and programming radios, it is the coax and the connectors.  Stuff like being in the cab of a dump truck full of gnats and flies in 110 Degree heat, just finishing up, and only then finding out that the crimp PL-259 has too small a center pin inner diameter to shove over the RG-58 that came with the American made antenna.  Or that the crimper, a $ 600 aerospace market job with every die set known to man, can't crimp the Oriental PL-259 or mini-UHF properly.  I have to now have a toolbox with every possible style and make of connector, and several spools of coax of different manufacturers just to make something fit together properly.   40 years ago you stripped the RG-58 or 8, soldered on the Amphenol or Kings UHF connector in 5 minutes, called it good and went home.  Not any more.  Moral here is try to buy only name brand connectors and coax!