Finally figured out why my coax crimps kept failing the VSWR test

I'd been using the wrong die block for the connector series for about six months, and the penny dropped when a new hire in Tulsa asked to borrow my 'BNC die' for a TNC fitting. Anyone else ever mix up their crimp tool dies?

4 comments

4 Comments

carr.luna1mo ago

Ever notice how the right tool for the job is always the one you forgot to double check? That's a universal truth, not just in the shop.

shane1651mo ago

Wait, you used the wrong die for six whole months?

craig.parker20d agoMost Upvoted

Is it really that easy to mix them up for that long without noticing something was off? I get labeling the boxes, but what about the feel of the crimp or the way the connector seats? Six months is a whole lot of connections, and I bet the gear on the other end could tell you a story about signal loss or bad matches. Maybe the real lesson here is that consistency can hide a mistake if nobody checks the results against the standard.

alex8201mo ago

You ever think you could just eyeball it? I used to be so sure I could tell the dies apart by feel. Then I put a UHF die on an N connector and the whole thing just crunched. That sound, man. It's like the coax crying. Now I keep them in separate, labeled boxes like a crazy person.