COMMON COAXIAL CABLES FOR HF THROUGH MICROWAVE
There is a myriad of different cables available for Amateur Radio use. Selection depends much on the frequency the cable is to be used for, the length of the cable run and the power level the cable will see. As frequency increases, coax size also increases (to a point) in order to keep cable losses to a minimum. As power levels increase, cable size also needs to increase. The chart below lists some common cables and their typical applications. The picture directly below is representative of a coax cable that has a solid braid wrapped around the center conductor and then a copper braid on top of that. This is an excellent way to shield coax so that the RF traveling on the inside stays there and does not get out. It also keeps unwanted signals from getting into the cable and affecting receiver performance. Generally, shields such as these are considered 95% or better coverage. For VHF and above, especially in repeater installations, only double shielded cables should be used.
|
Cable
|
Impedance
|
Size
|
USE
|
|
RG-58
|
50
|
.25" |
Mobile/jumpers
|
|
RG-59
|
75
|
.28" |
Dipoles
|
|
RG-8
|
50
|
.405" |
HF
|
|
RG-213
|
50
|
.405" |
HF-VHF
|
|
LMR-195
|
50
|
.25" |
Mobile/jumpers
|
|
LMR-400
|
50
|
.405" |
VHF-UHF
|
|
LMR-600
|
50
|
.600" |
UHF
|
|
1/2" Superflex
|
50
|
.500" |
UHF-10 GHz
|
Here is a handy link for checking coax losses. It does not cover all available cables
but it does include the LMR series and some RG cables.