It can also be used directly on SBS-1/ RadarBoxes as long as you provide some physical support for both the cable and box (though it looks kind of silly).
Flexibility is good to have, because it allows you to do things without using patch cables, which means less connectors/adapters and less things to break. The cable is flexible enough to attach directly to many smaller radios without using a smaller patch cable, and can be used directly on rotators. It has a loss rate very similar to LMR400, but its multi strand center conductor makes it much easier to work with. It's a very durable cable and can be put underground as well. Q: That's all great, but what do you recommend for the average setup?Ī: We like to recommend Davis RF 9914F "Bury-Flex" as an all-around good cable for any run longer than 40'. Check manufacturer specs for the exact loss numbers for each band, on each cable. All are 50 Ohm and tend to be listed from lowest loss (top) to highest loss (bottom), but not in exact order. These are some of the most common cable choices available for typical communications applications. Q: So what exact cable choices do I have?Ī: See the chart below. So in this case, the same connector would work on both. They're both technically an RG8 size cable that physically have the same overall outer diameter and center conductor diameter. Times Microwave LMR400 and Belden 9913 are both considered "Group I".
The way they try and make this easier to understand is that the industry assigns a "Cable Group" letter to both cables and connectors. The actual physical dimensions for RG and LMR sizes can often be the same, but sometimes there are slight differences.
The 'RG' designation is used across numerous brands, whereas the 'LMR' designation relates to the Times Microwave brand of cables. Now if you ran the whole length with RG58, then that would be bad.Ī: In the US, the two designations you see the most for cable sizes are 'RG' and 'LMR'. Yes, that's something, but you would never actually hear it. Only 3' of the small cable isn't going to change anything, because even at 1000 MHz, that would only come out to about. Say for instance you have 100' of LMR400 cable, and then you use 3' of RG58 for a flexible patch cable at the end. You don't get a blockage at one point by using a smaller cable. Signals don't move through cable the same way water moves through a tube. Q: Will I have loss using a small cable for a short length on a longer big cable?Ī: No. As far as real world performance is concerned, you really aren't going to start noticing a difference until it's at least 2 dB and higher. A 100' piece of LMR400 has a loss of 1.5 dB at 150 MHz and a loss of 4.0 dB at 1000 MHz. Typically losses for a cable are listed at different frequencies, based on a 100' length. If you had 50' of cable, there would be more loss while operating at 900 MHz than there would be at say, 40 MHz. This effect becomes more pronounced as the frequency you're using goes higher. Q: How does cable signal loss affect performance?Ī: The longer a cable is, the more signal loss you have as it flows through the cable. The larger (thicker) the cable is, the less signal loss you will have on long lengths. This type of cable comes in numerous sizes and brands. Q: What kind of cable do I need for my outdoor antenna?Ī: Basically speaking, you need a 50 Ohm coaxial type cable, or what's commonly referred to as 'coax'.