BOB, the battery operated “beacon” for APRS
I built a prototype APRS beacon, dubbed Thor Hammer (big), to test back-packable APRS 2m beacon concepts.
N
When an N connector isn’t
You would think the world of RF connectors of the pedigree of the “N” would rigorously follow the dictates of the standards that define them. Thankfully most do, but exceptions arise and here is one such example of why it pays to “trust, but verify.”
UHF BNC N Connector Return Loss Compared
A savvy ham performs testing on the UHF Connector and compares with BNC and N connectors.
‘UHF’ Connector Test Results
Real measured data reveal the UHF (PL259 and SO239) connectors have real limitations.
Lab Tests: SMA, BNC, TNC and N Connectors
Lab tests show post WW2 connector designs perform exceptionally well up to 500 MHz. The SMA, BNC, TNC and N connectors are great.
PL-259/SO-239 Return Loss and Attenuation Test
We pit the PL-259 (and SO-239) against more recent connectors. This is the list of contenders plus a description of the test setup.