VHF connector--no receoption if tight, great reception if loose

[deerhuntre]

I'm installing a new antenna and am having problems with the Gold plated solderless connector.

With the connector installed, if I tighten down the outer ring onto the radio antenna out, I get only static while tuned to NOAA weather. But if I loosen the outer ring two turns, I get excellent reception and can even hear farther NOAA channels clearly.

Here are the steps I took:

1. Strip the outer insulation down to the wire mesh.
2. Fold back the wire mesh.
3. Strip the center conductor so it's bare.
4. Slid outer ring onto the coax.
5. Screwed the coax into the center piece of the supplied connector.
6. Soldered the tip to the center conductor.
7. Screwed the outer ring to the center piece.
8. Inserted tip into radio antenna out.
9. Screwed outer ring onto radio antenna out.
10. Turned on radio, tuned to weather station. Static.
11. Loosened to check and re-tightened, and discovered the sound was perfect if the outer ring was loose by one or two turns.

Somehow the ring is causing interference and I'm not sure how to proceed or diagnose or fix.

Please let me know what else I can explain or share to help troubleshoot. I just can't imagine what may be happening to interfere with the signal when the ring is snugged down all the way, yet not cause any interference when loosened one or two turns.

Thank you!!

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: VHF connector--no receoption if tight, great reception if loose

Sounds like a short. Do you have an ohmmeter? If so test it. I bet with the sleeve tight theres a short.

Could be a bad antenna, cable most likely the connector is OK. Is it a new antenna?

 

[deerhuntre]

Re: VHF connector--no receoption if tight, great reception if loose

New Glomex antenna, model RA1225.

I have installed the old connector from the previous antenna and that works just fine. Well, it works, but I only get clear reception from the closest NOAA station; the farther stations are a bit fuzzy. With the new connector, when loose, I got very clear reception on the near and far NOAA stations. The new connector is gold plated and the old one was not.

I have a multi-meter and I'm pretty sure it also has an ohmmeter as part of it, but I'll check.

Where should I put the probes when testing for a short and would I be testing while attached to the radio?

 

[BLU LUNCH]

Re: VHF connector--no receoption if tight, great reception if loose

Center conductor to the jacket,

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: VHF connector--no receoption if tight, great reception if loose

0-2 Ohms is considered shorted. The antenna itself should read around 50 ohms; some antennas by design will always read open and not 50 ohms. DC-Grounded I think is the term Shakespear uses.

Regardless if the connector is shorted or the cable is shorted they will read a short.

Its best if you can remove the cable from the antenna and test it from the antenna end. Test both open and shorted. Manually short the radio side to test the cable shorted. Or just tighten the antenna connector

If you've tried installing the connector several times it could be internally damaged. They are usually only made for installation one time. Trying a second time could ruin it.