Mini-UHF Connectors

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
jimh
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Mini-UHF Connectors

Postby jimh » Tue Dec 15, 2015 3:14 pm

Most recreational small boat owners are familiar with the UHF series of connectors used on their VHF Marine Band radios and antenna transmission lines. The typical VHF Marine Band radio will have a UHF panel mount jack connector (SO-238), and the antenna transmission line will have a UHF cable mount straight plug connector (PL-259). The UHF series connectors date back to the 1940's, and have been used for decades with radio equipment.

A newer connector that resembles the UHF series but is smaller is called the Mini-UHF series. (These connectors typically do not have Mil. Spec. or generic part numbers and have only manufacturer part numbers.) The Mini-UHF connectors are now seen in many lower-power and more compact radio devices.

In boating, the DIGITAL brand antennas have begun to use Mini-UHF connectors. The DIGITAL brand antennas often have a Mini-UHF cable end jack crimp connector installed on the antenna transmission line. DIGITAL then supplies an adaptor, a Mini-UHF plug to UHF plug, permitting the antenna transmission line to be connected to the UHF Jack on the radio. The pre-installation of the Mini-UHF jack on the transmission line relieves the boater of the task of installing a connector. The small outside diameter of the Mini-UHF jack connector permits the pre-installed connector and transmission line to be routed through existing conduits and bulkhead openings without having to enlarge the conduit or bulkhead openings much more than would be required for just the RG-58C/U transmission line diameter (nominal OD of 0.2-inch).

MiniUHF_JackCableEnd.png
MiniUHF_JackCableEnd.png (14.52 KiB) Viewed 8360 times
Mini-UHF Jack, Cable End, RG-58/U; Amphenol 81-116.
The max OD of the connector is just 0.375-inch.


The Mini-UHF cable end jack connectors are usually crimp-type connectors, so one must have the appropriate crimp tools to properly install them. (More on crimp tools in a future addendum to this thread.)

Adapting a Mini-UHF jack to a UHF jack requires a male-to-male adaptor, a Mini-UHF plug to UHF plug. This adaptor is hard to find. After several minutes of searching, I found one source at RFPARTS.COM: an adaptor part number RFU645 for retail price $3.75.
rfu645.png
rfu645.png (13.41 KiB) Viewed 8359 times
RF Parts unique adaptor: Mini-UHF plug to UHF plug

This same vendor also stocks the Mini-UHF cable end plug crimp connector, Amphenol part number 182112 for a very reasonable $2.85. (For details about this connector, you can download a PDF specification sheet.) I believe this connector has a solder-on center conductor contact, and a crimped-on outer conductor connection. This may be an obsolete part, as I don't see it listed in the latest AmphenolRF catalogue, and that may account for its low price.

For comparison an AMPHENOL brand Mini-UHF cable-end jack crimp connector for RG-58/U-size cable is their part number 81-116. MOUSER, a large retail distributor, has the 81-116 connector in stock at $14.33 in single-unit quantities. I don't know why this connector is so much more expensive. It appears to have a smaller overall OD than the 182112 connector, and is only 0.375-inch OD.

A no-brand equivalent Mini-UHF cable-end jack crimp connector for RG-58/U-size cable can be found for much less. For example, a website SHOWMECABLES.COM is offering these connectors for $3.49.

jimh
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Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Mini-UHF Connectors

Postby jimh » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:21 am

With crimp connectors, a crimping tool is needed. Amphenol recommends their crimp tool PN 47-10070 for both connectors I mention above. This is a manual tool with three dies: 0.255, 0.213, and 0.068-inch hex dies. This tool retails for about $92 at MOUSER.

Because all Mini-UHF cable end connectors will need a crimp tool to install, I don't see them as being very popular with recreational boat owners. The cost of the tool is so much that it negates any possible advantage to using the Mini-UHF connector.

jimh
Posts: 11759
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: Mini-UHF Connectors

Postby jimh » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:44 am

A more conventional approach to using a Mini-UHF connector is to install a conventional cable-end plug connector on the transmission line from the antenna, and use a very easily obtained adaptor with a Mini-UHF jack to UHF plug configuration. The advantage of this is the components are more widely available, particularly the adaptor. The disadvantage is the outside diameter of the Mini-UHF plug on the transmission line is larger than the Mini-UHF jack, so the advantage of having a pre-installed connector of smaller diameter is somewhat less, but, in any case, the diameter of the Mini-UHF plug is less than a standard UHF plug (PL-259) cable connector.

An alternative to the Mini-UHF connector as a small-diameter cable-mounting jack is the FME connector, discussed in a companion article.