Lets logically end the LMR-400 debate.

[BC Coyote]

Maybe many of you should consider the same with your base antenna?

No thanks. I work as a tech in the community FM broadcast industry, and that is what we use in the 88-108 MHz band.......1/2 inch hardline with N connectors.

On 11 meters I run good 'ole Belden 9913 RG-8 with 239/259 connectors.
Unless you are running hundreds of feet of line, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by running expensive hardline on 11 meters. Sure, the hardline has less loss per 100', but it's absolutely not enough to make any difference whatsoever in either receive or transmit !

The only reason to run hardline is if you are operating at 50 MHz and above, where line loss is much greater than it is at 27MHz. Or you are running a LOT of power.....like more than a couple thousand watts.

For 11 meters, hardline is ridiculous overkill. If it makes you feel good do it by all means, but unless your rig is hundreds of feet from your antenna, you are gaining nothing other than that good feeling LOL!

 

[wizard56]

Why take a chance? Use the best! Times-Microwave LMR 400. Your radio is worth it.

 

[BC Coyote]

Why take a chance?

What chance? The chance of anyone having a problem using brand new Belden 9913 cable is no more than the chance of having a problem with LMR-400 or anything else!

 

[wizard56]

Thats your opinion. Don't know anyone that use Belden for anything

 

[BC Coyote]

Don't know anyone that use Belden for anything

You must not know very many radio operators then....... Belden is one of the worlds largest makers of coax cable and their products are everywhere........

 

[Blackcat630]

I would never waste my $ on hardline on anything under 50 mhz unless I had a ridiculously long run to my towers. I'm at around 100 ft total. 213 HF, lmr 400 6 meters, 1/2 inch hardline 144 beam. Lmr 400 2m/220/440 vertical and 7/8 hardline for 222,432,902 &1296 mhz. Lmr 600 flex for rotor loops for high band yagi movement. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[SuperLid]

No thanks. I work as a tech in the community FM broadcast industry, and that is what we use in the 88-108 MHz band.......1/2 inch hardline with N connectors.

On 11 meters I run good 'ole Belden 9913 RG-8 with 239/259 connectors.
Unless you are running hundreds of feet of line, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by running expensive hardline on 11 meters. Sure, the hardline has less loss per 100', but it's absolutely not enough to make any difference whatsoever in either receive or transmit !

The only reason to run hardline is if you are operating at 50 MHz and above, where line loss is much greater than it is at 27MHz. Or you are running a LOT of power.....like more than a couple thousand watts.

For 11 meters, hardline is ridiculous overkill. If it makes you feel good do it by all means, but unless your rig is hundreds of feet from your antenna, you are gaining nothing other than that good feeling LOL!

9913 is not RG8/U. Unlike RG8/U and it's military designated counterpart RG-213, 9913 is an air dielectric cable. Which is not used outdoors in the wireless industry, due to water intrusion/condensation.

 

[SuperLid]

Why take a chance? Use the best! Times-Microwave LMR 400. Your radio is worth it.

Personally, I am not a fan of it. I have purchased hundreds of thousands of feet of it in my professional life, regretting a lot of it. At HF, I use RG-8/U whenever possible.

 

[buickid]

I would never waste my $ on hardline on anything under 50 mhz unless I had a ridiculously long run to my towers. I'm at around 100 ft total. 213 HF, lmr 400 6 meters, 1/2 inch hardline 144 beam. Lmr 400 2m/220/440 vertical and 7/8 hardline for 222,432,902 &1296 mhz. Lmr 600 flex for rotor loops for high band yagi movement. Different strokes for different folks.

Are you saying I shouldn't consider using the surplus 1-5/8" that I have for my stock Cobra 29?? Haha.

 

[Rwb]

On any reasonable run of cable the dielectric losses of the cable will far outweigh any ohmic losses in the centre conductor. IOW.......don't worry about splitting hairs over whether the centre conductor is solid or stranded unless a rotator is involved and then there is NO question that stranded is better simply from a mechanical aspect and not electrical.

i removed my lmr 400. i got a lot of old but new coax that was lost here. its not got other metals in it from recycling. soldering it was so nice and it was very easy to make nice results. i was told by radio friends i made an improvement or conditions were great.
but even though meter shows all is well might been bad coax

 

[fourstringburn]

No thanks. I work as a tech in the community FM broadcast industry, and that is what we use in the 88-108 MHz band.......1/2 inch hardline with N connectors.

On 11 meters I run good 'ole Belden 9913 RG-8 with 239/259 connectors.
Unless you are running hundreds of feet of line, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by running expensive hardline on 11 meters. Sure, the hardline has less loss per 100', but it's absolutely not enough to make any difference whatsoever in either receive or transmit !

The only reason to run hardline is if you are operating at 50 MHz and above, where line loss is much greater than it is at 27MHz. Or you are running a LOT of power.....like more than a couple thousand watts.

For 11 meters, hardline is ridiculous overkill. If it makes you feel good do it by all means, but unless your rig is hundreds of feet from your antenna, you are gaining nothing other than that good feeling LOL!

True, but it is the best so why not run the best.

It wasn't all that expensive either for 75 ft of it.

 

[Blackcat630]

Are you saying I shouldn't consider using the surplus 1-5/8" that I have for my stock Cobra 29?? Haha.

Go for it...you may decide to put a commercial broadcast amplifier in line someday...

 

[Crawdad]

I thought this thread was gonna end the debate..................

 

[fourstringburn]

Buy a 7k Icom 7851, a 10k Alpha amplifier, $1,500 Palstar roller auto-tune...etc,

Now use a $50 hombrew G5RV wire antenna with 50ft of RG8X because that's all you need to TX a signal.

You want the best get the best and don't skimp

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Our QRP CB rigs need all the help they can get too...