What size coax for base station? Will have close to a 100" run but R6,R8,R58
x or some thing different.
x or some thing different.
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What size coax for base station
- Thread starter Dutchman11
- Start date
It depends on what you plan on doing and what frequency(s) you are going to use. I'd say for a 100 foot run, anything but the RG-58 ought'a work. If it's not going to be moved around much, go with the RG-8 or maybe RG-213 or LMR-400. They are larger and stiffer, but if you don't plan on moving them around a lot they work fine.
All coax has losses, the idea is to reduce those losses to a manageable level at the frequency of use. Then you get to balance all that against cost. A couple of dB of loss at HF isn't worth a lot of money.
- 'Doc
All coax has losses, the idea is to reduce those losses to a manageable level at the frequency of use. Then you get to balance all that against cost. A couple of dB of loss at HF isn't worth a lot of money.
- 'Doc
Couldn't you use the stiff stuff and then couple say like mini 8x from where it enters the radio room to the radio,etc.? That way the stiff stuff can remain mostly undisturbed.
I use 9913, lowest line loss on the market at the time I bought it. Comes in the house to my meter, solid core center, then I use RG-8X for jumpers
for basic radio..
No Amp...
No High Power..
I would say RG-213 or LRM400 will do well..
I went with better...But then i also needed 165 ft.
( other reasons as well...Just keep it simple though is Best )
No Amp...
No High Power..
I would say RG-213 or LRM400 will do well..
I went with better...But then i also needed 165 ft.
( other reasons as well...Just keep it simple though is Best )
I run mini 8X 110 ft. But that was just to get something thrown up for the moment. I would definantly go with something low loss other than the mini 8.
This would still function, no argument there, but you should check out this thread, namely the charts in the first post, before tuning whatever antenna you connect at the far end. The coax will make the antenna appear to be tuned better than it actually is, so you will need a baseline to compensate. If you get through to post number 40 a loss measurement of the coax used is posted, and is actually slightly better than the Times Microwave Calculator numbers for RG-58 at 100 feet. The thing is, if you use an off brand of RG-58 the effect on SWR, and losses, will be even greater than what is shown in said charts and on the linked data, sometimes to the point of being a serious problem.
If you do choose to use RG-58, use a SWR/power meter and measure both SWR and power both on the radio side and the antenna side of the feedline to see the differences yourself. You can do this with any type of feedline, it doesn't have to be RG-58, and this will tell you exactly how much of an effect your feedline has on the antenna system, and may root out feedline issues in the process.
Personally I would stick with an RG-213 minimum if I were purchasing the coax, I may use RG-8X if I already had that laying around or was budget conscious, and would plan on upgrading that later.
The DB
i agree. it will work . but the cheaply made coax would have alot of loss ,not
to mention the shielding on most is either slim or none. ive been down
this road years ago trying to save money. needless to say when i upgraded
to lmr 400 my tvi reduced and my recieve seemed quieter. 2 things
i never skimp on anymore is antenna /coax
I'm with you HotRod, a cheap radio can work great with good coax and antenna. Also don't forget height makes might. A 4 watt radio with an A99 40 to 50 feet in the air with good coax can be a skip shooter all day when conditions are right
Cheap coax is not good.
Good coax is not cheap.
Good coax is not cheap.
I can't argue with any of the claims posted here, but I've experience a feed line with almost 90% of the watts from the radio not getting to the antenna. It was of course an accident, a buddy gave me 100' feet of RG8x clear coat coax that had been connected to his A99 for over 5 years. I was mounting my starduster on a borrowed 50' foot push up pole and my longest coax was only 75' feet long and would not reach.
I worked that SD and that feed line for nearly a year until buddies started reporting to me that my signal seemed low. We discussed and check the signals around town and sure enough all the guy's were seeing about the same.
I had no trouble talking to anybody and often times I could fully copy signals that my nearby neighbors could only make out as noise. I recall I seldom had static too, a condition my neighbors always complained about. Today I know this hearing thing was likely because of losses I was experiencing, and that did not seem to affect the audio...only the static noise.
My SD'r setup also showed a workable bandwith from 17 meters up to 30 mhz...and that sure ain't right. I knew then that something was not right, but I could not tell it just working my radio, and I don't think you guys can either, and for sure if you didn't have a signal meter to go by.
Before I knew what the problem was, I told ever body that it must be the qualities of the Starduster, and everybody fully and overwelmingly agreed...that those Starduster were for sh*t compared to many of the guy's newer and longer antennas. Them guy's didn't believe me back then...just like you guy's don't believe me now. :headbang
I was also able to keep up with virtually all of the contacts my neighbors got when DX was rolling too, except for maybe when some were using a big beam.
So, I agree with W9cll, feed line loss is a factor, but you guy's make it out as though it makes all the diffence in the world weather you're going to make contacts or not.
Would I do the loss thing on purpose, absolutely not, but I agree with W9Cll.
I worked that SD and that feed line for nearly a year until buddies started reporting to me that my signal seemed low. We discussed and check the signals around town and sure enough all the guy's were seeing about the same.
I had no trouble talking to anybody and often times I could fully copy signals that my nearby neighbors could only make out as noise. I recall I seldom had static too, a condition my neighbors always complained about. Today I know this hearing thing was likely because of losses I was experiencing, and that did not seem to affect the audio...only the static noise.
My SD'r setup also showed a workable bandwith from 17 meters up to 30 mhz...and that sure ain't right. I knew then that something was not right, but I could not tell it just working my radio, and I don't think you guys can either, and for sure if you didn't have a signal meter to go by.
Before I knew what the problem was, I told ever body that it must be the qualities of the Starduster, and everybody fully and overwelmingly agreed...that those Starduster were for sh*t compared to many of the guy's newer and longer antennas. Them guy's didn't believe me back then...just like you guy's don't believe me now. :headbang
I was also able to keep up with virtually all of the contacts my neighbors got when DX was rolling too, except for maybe when some were using a big beam.
So, I agree with W9cll, feed line loss is a factor, but you guy's make it out as though it makes all the diffence in the world weather you're going to make contacts or not.
Would I do the loss thing on purpose, absolutely not, but I agree with W9Cll.
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