UHF coaxial connectors & adapters are general purpose units developed for use in low frequency systems from 0.6 - 300 MHz. It was initially intended for use as a video connector for radar equipment, by far it is the most popular type used in Amateur Radio
What is the UHF connector?
The UHF connector was designed in the 1930s by a designer in the Amphenol company for use as an RF connector in the radio industry.
The UHF male is known as “PL-259” and the female is known as “SO-239.”
It features a threaded coupling, the reason why UHF connectors are widely used is that it is easy to assembly. The UHF solderable screw-on termination feature doesn't need specialized crimping tools.
These connectors have a threaded coupling and this prevents them from being removed accidentally. It enables them to be tightened sufficiently to enable a good low resistance connection to be made between the two halves.
The UHF connector's thread is a 5/8 inch 24tpi UNEF standard. It is useful to note that the center conductor jack on the SO-239 will accept a banana plug, too. This is useful for some test applications where access is required.
PL259 connectors come in two sizes: for thick and thin coaxial cable. Typically, the larger sized version is used with RG-8/U or RG-9/U while the smaller versions are more suited to cables including RG-58/U. The basic connector remains the same, but the cable entry region is modified for the relevant coax cable.
Thin cables are often used for short runs or 'patch' leads but not for long runs as the thinner cables have a higher loss than thicker ones. When a thin cable variety is needed, PL259 plugs are commonly used with a "reducer" to fit the large cable entry hole in the plug to the thin cable. It is interesting to note that the term "PL259" originally referred to one specific mechanical design, although it's a more generic term referring to a UHF male connector now.
UHF SPECIFICATIONS
| -55 | |
| -65 | |
| -55 | |
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
Optional reducing adapters provide a wide range of popular coaxial cables
Solder termination types require no special assembly tools
Crimp termination types provide a lower cost installation method
Large-size threaded coupling is a rugged design
Non-demanding specifications and low cost
APPLICATIONS
Antennas
Military
Public Address Systems
Low-Frequency Applications
Except for the basic PL259 UHF and SO239 connectors, a variety of adapters are also available. These include T pieces and inter-series adapters that enable different types of connector to be connected together through the adapter.
UHF to BNC(BNC to UHF connectors) variants are probably the most common. While their performance is not up to that of other more expensive RF connectors, they are nevertheless a very useful RF connector for many applications.
We have many other coaxial cable adapter, if you have any questions, please contact us.