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Coaxial Cable Considerations for Amateur Ham Radio
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Күн бұрынAre you an amateur ham radio operator looking to optimize your setup? One crucial component you shouldn't overlook is the coaxial cable. Choosing the right coaxial cable can make a significant difference in your signal quality and overall performance. The first consideration when selecting a coaxial cable is the frequency range you plan to use. Different cables have different frequency ratings, so be sure to choose one that matches your needs. Next, you'll want to assess the cable's impedance. Most amateur ham radios operate with a 50-ohm impedance, so it's essential to select a cable with a matching impedance to prevent signal loss. Another critical factor to consider is attenuation. Attenuation refers to the loss of signal strength as it travels through the cable. Lower attenuation means less signal loss, so opt for a cable with low attenuation ratings to maintain the highest possible signal quality. It's also important to pay attention to the cable's construction materials. High-quality coaxial cables often feature copper or aluminum conductors and insulating materials, resulting in better overall performance and durability. When it comes to selecting the appropriate diameter for your coaxial cable, remember that thicker cables generally offer lower loss and are better suited for longer cable runs. However, keep in mind that thicker cables can also be more challenging to work with and may require additional connectors or adapters. Finally, consider the connectors you'll be using with your coaxial cable. Ensure that the cable and connectors are compatible, as this can impact signal transmission. Thanks for watching this video! If you found it helpful, please don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more valuable tips and information.
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@get__some Ай бұрын
11m only operator here.. cerified with engineer at the manufacturer, liquid electric tape, marine grade or otherwise, has no metal properties. peels off later if needed. great for sealing and protecting stuff. wind can make everything wiggle a tiny bit. loose coax on trucks causes lots of problems because they don't check their system or watch for swr warning lights. this might be laughable within the ham community, but truckers are the ones that bring all of our stuff. some of us out here are still using radios 14hrs/day to make sure everything goes smooth on the roads. i put l.e.t. on every single humidity entry point outside, and no issues anymore. lrm240 or 400 on everything. never amplified. snap on chokes everywhere. thanks for your videos.
@TheSmokinApe Ай бұрын
Taping like that is good advise GS, thanks for the comment and for watching 👍
@ZeroHarry 7 ай бұрын
Well Ape I learnt something again today, there is a 50 ohm and 75 Ohm BNC connector. Just to confirm I asked my AI friend.... I asked: "is there a difference between a 50 ohm BNC connector and a 75 ohm BNC connector" And yes there is. Thanks again for bringing this to the my attention. :-)
@pcfreak1992 7 ай бұрын
Yep, everything in the antenna system (including connectors and the radio) has an impedance and ideally they should all match. Otherwise you get standing waves from reflected power, which is what the SWR measures.
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Glad you like dhte video ZH!
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
PCFreak is correct!
@WECB640 7 ай бұрын
"Buy once, cry once."
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
That’s a good motto to live by…
@chipfornaris 6 ай бұрын
Oh, sorry….where to buy the best coax cable and connectors ? P.S. I love your videos. Straight and to the point. No fluff…brilliant.
@TheSmokinApe 6 ай бұрын
I like ABR cable, for the best connectors check out DX Engineering 👍
@HVACER1969 5 ай бұрын
I know this is late ... but you may want to check out Messi & Paoloni. I bought some and their connectors and cables are Awesome!
@TheSmokinApe 5 ай бұрын
@@HVACER1969 I have some of their coax and am pretty happy with it 👍
@DominicMazoch 7 ай бұрын
Also, AB&R makes coax with outside coating in more colors than black. Idea for FD, POTA, demo stations. People can SEE it.
@BBaldwin 7 ай бұрын
ABR Industries is VERY good stuff. I just ordered 35 ft of RG213 from them and got 1.2 SWR at higher frequencies( 2m/70cm). They are my go to for coax from here on out!
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Yeah, ABR makes great stuff!
@JayN4GO 7 ай бұрын
I finally after all these years started using lmr 400 for everything fixed here. Way more efficient
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Nice 👍
@ecole6300 7 ай бұрын
sorry forgot ,, uk rg58 cheap of ebay and i only moved it 2 feet higher then all problems wit it ,,, thanks alot .. you talk sense
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Thanks man 👍
@DonzLockz 7 ай бұрын
Good info guys. I only buy cable from electrical/electronic wholesalers. Thats the one thing I dont risk on ebay etc. Its good that you cut down the live streams Mr Ape.👍
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Good coax is good! Thanks for watching Don!
@davidquackenbush3957 7 ай бұрын
I did my research…looked at losses in the frequency range I was using …spent the money! Really good coax! The first month was great! Then came issues that I chased for 7 months issues were intermittent at first progressively got worse over time to the point it was unusable! The main issue was on the receive side, I could transmit just fine! So did not want to blame my new High dollar coax so blamed everything else! Finally, after a very expensive process of elimination I took down my tower…had too really. Had to be the antenna! So, I bought a new antenna…SWR of 1.2 on tx and 1.3 on rx 500 MHz between frequency’s for the 7 months’ worth of issues…Just had to be antenna! So up goes new antenna… Yup same problem! Ok now I want to burn it to the ground! So after cooling off a few days I took the tower down again 65ft so a process…Cut my new 15.00 boot off the antenna connector and took connector apart… OMG not only was it green with corrosion it was never assembled right … so cut of some cable put new end on…Put tower back up…and before I even powered up the radios I took the other end apart… radio end and sure enough green with corrosion not assemble right! So same deal cut it back put on new end… Radio never worked better! So, point is I paid big money for cable, connectors, assembly of said cable… Well, it’s only as good as who puts it together in the first place! One of the things I bought to help trouble shoot this problem was a VNA analyzer although it didn’t help me solve the problem at the time it did help me to understand that the problem was solved! My lack of knowledge using the VNA was the problem, not the VNA. Name of company, coax, connectors, Not important! It was a mistake! Yes, a costly mistake that I have put in the category of education expenses …
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Hey David, sorry to hear you had these problems but thanks for sharing the story as it helps people learn what to look for!
@davidquackenbush3957 7 ай бұрын
One thing for sure I will never again have anyone else put a connector on for me especially when its 100’ in the air! I raised my tower this fall from 65 to 100’ The coax and connectors are top of the line …It just wasn’t on my radar when trouble shooting this issue …Hopefully this dose help others…always enjoy your content! @@TheSmokinApe
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
@@davidquackenbush3957 glad you like the videos David 👍
@bob_mosavo 7 ай бұрын
Thanks, Ape & Chuck 👍
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching Bob 👍
@ornithopterindia 7 ай бұрын
👍Thank you sir.
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
THanks for checking it out!
@agoraphobicadam1171 7 ай бұрын
Very informative.
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Thanks Adam 👍
@DominicMazoch 7 ай бұрын
I have good luck with AB&R coax. When I order long lengths of coax I order it with a male and female 259 on each end. Why? Eliminates a barrel connector and a point of fail. AB&R will custom build such cables. Some other builders of coax will do the same.
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Hey Dominic, I did a Livestream with Chuck from ABR... he's a great guy!
@bob_mosavo 7 ай бұрын
I've always bought my coax at the same gas station where I buy my sushi. Now, you're saying that bad⁉
@BBaldwin 7 ай бұрын
😂😂😂😂😂
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
lol
@the_mad_swimbaiter455 7 ай бұрын
Hey Ape can you make a video on the proper way to terminate coax. Like i have a spool, buy some nice pl239 connectors and then what? I'll tell you what, i don't know what I'm doing so i never get it right and my swrs are elfd up.
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
I will add it to the list, but be warned, the list is long...
@notgiven3114 2 ай бұрын
How can one tell whether BNCs are 50 ohm or 75 ohm? And do I need to think about that for other types of connectors (PL-259s, F-type, N-type, etc.?)
@TheSmokinApe 2 ай бұрын
The best bet is buy them from someone reputable and mark them.
@notgiven3114 2 ай бұрын
@@TheSmokinApe Lame answer - people have lots of these already. They don't remember where they came from. Besides, if there's any difference, surely it must be discernible by some technical means.
@chipfornaris 6 ай бұрын
Hoping you can help. I have a quad band transceiver and antenna that also receives AirBands. Can I use a duplexer? To have the quad band antenna and an air band antenna running into the transceiver? Is that what a duplexer does? Obviously I can’t transmit on airbands I just want to receive. Also, should I use the highest rated least loss coax? The RG-213? Is it worth it to pay more?
@TheSmokinApe 6 ай бұрын
Hey Chip. A diplexer separates signals based on frequency, not a duplexer. 213 is great cable 👍
@chipfornaris 6 ай бұрын
@@TheSmokinApe okay, thank you. So i have both a quad antenna and an antenna tuned for air-bands, I need the duplexer as I am not trying to split the frequencies, I’m trying to run the 2 antennas into the 1 radio. Or am I confused?😀
@TheSmokinApe 6 ай бұрын
@@chipfornaris you want the diplexer
@TheSmokinApe 6 ай бұрын
www.everythingrf.com/community/what-is-the-difference-between-a-diplexer-and-duplexer
@arthurgumbus3969 7 ай бұрын
Hi Ape & Chuck... I have a question for you... Can you OVER choke your coax with choke(s)? How can you tell? What is the effect of over choking and how can you test or measure? As far as coax is concerned... I try to buy the best.. worth it in the long run. Art W1SWL
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Not really but at a point it becomes less and less impactful. What I do is choke at each end of the coax 👍
@TheRealEtaoinShrdlu 7 ай бұрын
Next time I'll skip the truck stop coax.
@TheSmokinApe 7 ай бұрын
Haha 😂
@ecole6300 7 ай бұрын
sent you message regards vna on scanner and swr on 113.500 ok quick check swr 1.232 great confused on return 19.651 ..s21 gain 79.268db phase 97.6 . check cable and its cheap so going to change ,, thanks for advice
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