SMA Plug for RG-174-Class Coax — Field-Install Kit
The 901-9877-RFX: It ships as a complete field-install kit: connector body, contact, ferrule, and heat shrink included. The cable group covers RG-174, 188, 188A, 316, LMR-100, and M17/119-RG174 — the common flexible coax sizes for short-run interconnects in instrumentation, telecom, and outdoor antenna feeds. Dielectric is PTFE. The shield terminates via crimp, the center contact is soldered. Threaded fastening gives a vibration-resistant mate, and the weatherproof ingress rating means it holds up in damp or washdown environments — not just a dry rack.
Why 12.4 GHz Instead of 18 GHz
A standard SMA connector is typically rated to 18 GHz. This 901-9877-RFX is spec'd to 12.4 GHz max — the limit comes from the cable-group-specific design for RG-174 and similar flexible coax, which has higher loss and impedance variation above that band. For sub-12.4 GHz applications on RG-174, it's a clean match. If you need the full 18 GHz bandwidth on semi-rigid cable, the 901-9867-RFX (gold body, solder shield, RG-405 semi-rigid) is the sibling to look at. The 901-9881-RFX shares the same body finish, cable group, and frequency ceiling, but swaps the contact/ferrule/heat shrink for an end cap — it's a termination cap, not a cable plug. The 901-9877-RFX is the one you want for making up a cable assembly.
Field-Install Reality: Crimp Shield, Solder Center
Termination is a hybrid: the shield braid is crimped with the included ferrule, the center conductor is soldered into the pin. That's standard for this class of SMA — the crimp gives consistent shield termination impedance, the solder joint gives a reliable DC connection. The heat shrink covers the crimp area for strain relief and weather sealing. 500 mating cycles is typical for SMA; the gold-on-brass center contact handles repeated connect-disconnect without galling.
Temperature and Environment
The PTFE dielectric holds stable impedance across that range. Weatherproof rating means the threaded coupling and O-ring seal keep moisture out when mated to a matching SMA jack. Hand-tight should seal it; a half-turn loose is a dropout in wet conditions.