Even though no electronics is involved, and it is a matter of simple
electrical
construction (some consideration given to constant impedance), how difficult
it is to manufacture our own plugs and sockets, despite that BNC and N have
been around for 70 years, with SMC some time later!

BTW, BNC is Bayonet Neill-Concelman, and not Bayonet Navy Connector
as some would believe. Neill created the N connector, and Concelman the C
connector and they combined forces to create the BNC (and TNC)

"gareth" wrote in news:lv91j4$gv9$1@dont-
email.me:

how difficult
it is to manufacture our own plugs and sockets, despite that BNC and N have
been around for 70 years, with SMC some time later!


Why do you want to do that? Some wheels are definitely best not reinvented.
BNC's can be had on eBay as easily as used matchsticks used to be seen on a
street, it's not like we have to make do without. N connectors are expensive,
but there are likely good reasons for that, partly bulk size, precision
requirements, and a lower size of market (by far) than for BNC.

Unless you wanted a bespoke connector at great expense to either do something
really new, or to freeze out an easy chance of anyone connecting to your
stuff, there is no point, the costs are extreme.

The last two big plug innovations I thought about much were the digital ones,
USB and FireWire. USB went for royalty-free manufacture, knowing that the
vast market would make it indispensible so they could get their money made on
sales to that vast market. FireWire was closer to the RF market in being
smaller, more demanding in quality and precision and power capability, and
went for royalties on the grounds that the smaller market tended to have
deeper pockets. Both methods worked, nether connector 'beat' the other.

As far as I know, the only connector easy to make cheaply as DIY is the 4mm
plug, and then only if you can do VERY tight tolerances for good fit, to
avoid having to make complicated springs and such.

The sim[plest, most common things, are often the most difficult and
expensive. How much does a transistor cost? 10 million bucks, until you made
more of them than you can ever count. It's not to bad with plugs but the
logic is similar.

"gareth" wrote in news:lv91j4$gv9$1@dont-
email.me:

how difficult
it is to manufacture our own plugs and sockets, despite that BNC and N have
been around for 70 years, with SMC some time later!


Also, following on from my other post, given how good BNC's are, and how
cheap they are, instead of trying to find alternatives, I try to find ways to
use BNC's for other purposes, not hard given the range of high quality
adapters! This is NOT a wheel we need to reinvent, I think.

Lostgallifreyan wrote in
:

Also, following on from my other post, given how good BNC's are, and how
cheap they are, instead of trying to find alternatives, I try to find
ways to use BNC's for other purposes, not hard given the range of high
quality adapters! This is NOT a wheel we need to reinvent, I think.


Small further bit... Another connector so good given its cost and ability to
do many things is the standard 3-pin XLR, especially the Neutrik ones, for
best ratio of cost and performance. I have no idea what they might be like
for RF, but I use them for audio and DC power. (Small modification: remove
one pin, link it internally with fuse wire, key the empty socket to block
intact audio plugs, that way there's no danger of mixing them. They can take
16A and are physically secure). Point being that several connector types are
so good that applying them in wider contexts is a better solution than
inventing new ones in most cases, not least because the increase in market
will bring the cost per unit down, so we all win.

Lostgallifreyan wrote:
"gareth" wrote in news:lv91j4$gv9$1@dont-
email.me:

how difficult
it is to manufacture our own plugs and sockets, despite that BNC and N have
been around for 70 years, with SMC some time later!


Why do you want to do that? Some wheels are definitely best not reinvented.
BNC's can be had on eBay as easily as used matchsticks used to be seen on a
street, it's not like we have to make do without. N connectors are expensive,
but there are likely good reasons for that, partly bulk size, precision
requirements, and a lower size of market (by far) than for BNC.

Unless you wanted a bespoke connector at great expense to either do something
really new, or to freeze out an easy chance of anyone connecting to your
stuff, there is no point, the costs are extreme.

The last two big plug innovations I thought about much were the digital ones,
USB and FireWire. USB went for royalty-free manufacture, knowing that the
vast market would make it indispensible so they could get their money made on
sales to that vast market. FireWire was closer to the RF market in being
smaller, more demanding in quality and precision and power capability, and
went for royalties on the grounds that the smaller market tended to have
deeper pockets. Both methods worked, nether connector 'beat' the other.

As far as I know, the only connector easy to make cheaply as DIY is the 4mm
plug, and then only if you can do VERY tight tolerances for good fit, to
avoid having to make complicated springs and such.

The sim[plest, most common things, are often the most difficult and
expensive. How much does a transistor cost? 10 million bucks, until you made
more of them than you can ever count. It's not to bad with plugs but the
logic is similar.

Just an FYI. Big G is trolling, here. He's currently being shunned in
uk.radio.amateur as the good and decent users of that group have finally
had enough of him. Consequently, he's starved for attention, hence the
inane postings he's vomiting left, right and centre. He's best avoided.

--
Stephen Thomas Cole // Sent from my iPhone

On 9/16/2014 11:14 AM, Lostgallifreyan wrote:
"gareth" wrote in news:lv91j4$gv9$1@dont-
email.me:

how difficult
it is to manufacture our own plugs and sockets, despite that BNC and N have
been around for 70 years, with SMC some time later!


Why do you want to do that? Some wheels are definitely best not reinvented.
BNC's can be had on eBay as easily as used matchsticks used to be seen on a
street, it's not like we have to make do without. N connectors are expensive,
but there are likely good reasons for that, partly bulk size, precision
requirements, and a lower size of market (by far) than for BNC.

Unless you wanted a bespoke connector at great expense to either do something
really new, or to freeze out an easy chance of anyone connecting to your
stuff, there is no point, the costs are extreme.

The last two big plug innovations I thought about much were the digital ones,
USB and FireWire. USB went for royalty-free manufacture, knowing that the
vast market would make it indispensible so they could get their money made on
sales to that vast market. FireWire was closer to the RF market in being
smaller, more demanding in quality and precision and power capability, and
went for royalties on the grounds that the smaller market tended to have
deeper pockets. Both methods worked, nether connector 'beat' the other.

As far as I know, the only connector easy to make cheaply as DIY is the 4mm
plug, and then only if you can do VERY tight tolerances for good fit, to
avoid having to make complicated springs and such.

The sim[plest, most common things, are often the most difficult and
expensive. How much does a transistor cost? 10 million bucks, until you made
more of them than you can ever count. It's not to bad with plugs but the
logic is similar.


Ah, heck - don't make it so easy. A REAL HAM would mine and smelt his
own ore (using a garden trowel and blowtorch). He would create his own
insulating material from raw materials (bakelite would probably be
easiest), and finally shape and assemble the final product.

Anything less and he wouldn't be a REAL HAM.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry, AI0K

==================

"Stephen Thomas Cole" wrote in message
...
Just an FYI. Big G is trolling, here. He's currently being shunned in
uk.radio.amateur as the good and decent users of that group have finally
had enough of him. Consequently, he's starved for attention, hence the
inane postings he's vomiting left, right and centre. He's best avoided.

A review of Cole's recent postings into uk.radio.amateur will reveal who is
really
the troll, for he never posts amythimg that is relevant to amateur radio,
and in the
2 years that he has been subscribing has attacked almost every real radio
amateur
with campaigns of gratuitous and offensive remarks, just as he does above.

His use of the emotive, "vomiting" says all that is need to be said about
him.

"Jerry Stuckle" wrote in message
...

Ah, heck - don't make it so easy. A REAL HAM would mine and smelt his
own ore (using a garden trowel and blowtorch). He would create his own
insulating material from raw materials (bakelite would probably be
easiest), and finally shape and assemble the final product.
Anything less and he wouldn't be a REAL HAM.

Setting aside the sarcasm that is in your post, what you outline is indeed
the
characteristic of the real ham, someone who is technically motivated and
finds
things out for himself.

One of the saddest aspects of today's technology is the arrival of computers
and
the opportunities to roll one's own programs and yet the CBisation of buying
software off the shelf has ruined that opportinity.

Still, for thee and me, it represents acertain degree of job protection!

(40 years real-time embedded softy)

On 16/09/2014 16:53, Jerry Stuckle wrote:

Ah, heck - don't make it so easy. A REAL HAM would mine and smelt his
own ore (using a garden trowel and blowtorch). He would create his own
insulating material from raw materials (bakelite would probably be
easiest), and finally shape and assemble the final product.

A real ham wouldn't make coaxial connectors.

A real ham would be using a link-coupled output from his PA, to a
balanced transmission line.

PS - don't feed the troll :-)

On 16/09/2014 17:02, gareth wrote:

Still, for thee and me, it represents acertain degree of job protection!

What job's that then?