Installation manual

APPENDIX A
CARE AND HANDLING OF MICROWAVE COAXIAL
CABLE ASSEMBLIES
A-1 CARE AND HANDLING OF ASSEMBLIES.
To ensure accurate measurements and optimal
performance of Weinschel products, the microwave coaxial
cable assemblies used in system and test setups must be
properly used and maintained. Proper connections, routine
inspection of all cables, and cleaning of the connectors are
extremely important procedures which can prolong the
longevity and accuracy of equipment.
A-2
CABLE INSPECTION.
Routinely check external cables for signs of cracked
insulation, dents, twists, flattening, signs of jacket abrasion, or
other signs of abuse. Wrinkles in the jacket indicate that the
minimum bend radius has been exceeded. Most often, this
occurs near the marker tubes and connectors.
Also inspect the connector interfaces for the following:
•
Bent pins (male).
•
Bent or missing tines (female).
•
Worn or chipped plating.
•
Damaged or displaced dielectric inserts.
•
Thread damage.
•
Folded or mushroomed outer interface rims.
•
Mushroomed pin shoulders (male) or tine ends
(female).
•
Score lines on pins and outer interface rims
visible to the unaided eye.
•
Recessed or protruding pins.
It is advisable to clean the connectors prior to inspection to
make subtle damage more apparent. If any of the above is
noted, replace the assembly before its further use results in
equipment damage. Also inspect the mating connectors for
similar damage.
Inspect the connector interface for signs of debris. Debris
may be in the form of:
•
Plating chips or other metal particles.
•
Dust or dirt.
•
Oily films.
•
Other miscellaneous foreign particles.
If signs of debris are present, clean the connector interface
as directed in Paragraph A-6.
A-3
MAKING INITIAL CONNECTIONS.
Exercise caution when mating cables. Poor connections
lead to poor system performance. They can also damage not
only the cable assembly, but more significantly, front or rear
panel connectors on the equipment itself which may be more
difficult to repair.
A-3.1 ALIGNING CONNECTORS.
Align the center
lines of two connectors before actual mating. Male retaining
nuts contain a small amount of necessary play which may make
it possible to mate the threads without the pins being properly
aligned. Pin misalignment can damage pins and dielectric
inserts.
A-3.2 MATING CONNECTORS.
Gently mate the
connectors by hand, taking care not to force the coupling nut
at the slightest resistance. It is often possible to feel whether
or not the pins are mated. If the coupling nut is difficult to
turn, either the pins are not mated, the coupling nut is
cross-threaded, or one of the connectors has been damaged by
excess torque.
Never hold a male connector coupling nut
stationary while screwing a female connector into it. This
rotation can erode the plating and damage both the outer
interface rim as well as the pin. If the pins become locked,
serious damage can result to both the equipment and the cable
assembly.
A-4
ENSURING PROPER CONNECTOR TORQUE.
A-4.1 OVERTORQUING.
Once connectors have been
properly mated, apply only the proper amount of torque.
Overtorquing damages both connectors involved. Also, a
connector which has been damaged by overtorquing, in turn,
damages every connector to which it is subsequently mated.
It usually leads to poor system performance as well.
Overtorque can cause:
•
Bent pins.
•
Recessed or protruding pins.
•
Recessed or protruding dielectrics.
•
Chipped plating.
•
Damaged coupling threads.
•
Coupling nut retaining ring damage.
•
Mushroomed outer interface shells.
•
Mushroomed pin shoulders.
APPENDIX A
A-i