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Making Connections
Making good connections is easy if a few simple principles are kept in mind:
•
Aall connectors must be undamaged, clean, and within mechanical specification.
•
The connectors must be precisely aligned with one another and in flat physical
contact at all points on the mating plane surfaces.
•
The connection must not be too tight or too loose.
•
Lateral or horizontal (bending) force must not be applied to the connection, nor
should any connection ever be twisted.
Align Connectors Carefully
Careful alignment of the connectors is critical in making a good connection, both to
avoid damaging connectors and devices and to assure accurate measurements.
As you bring one connector up to the other and as you make the actual connection,
be alert for any sign that the two connectors are not aligned perfectly. If you suspect
that misalignment has occurred, stop and begin again.
Alignment is especially important in the case of sexed connectors, such as precision
3.5mm and SMA connectors, to avoid bending or breaking the contact pins. The
center pin on the male connector must slip concentrically into the contact fingers of
the female connector. This requires great care in aligning the two connectors before
and as they are mated.
When they have been aligned, the center conductors must be pushed straight
together, not twisted or screwed together, and only the connector nut (not the device
itself) should then be rotated to make the connection. (slight resistance is generally
felt as the center conductors mate).
Appendix D
Caring for Connectors
Making Connections
159
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