[Boatanchors] Coax Cable, some more!

[telegrapher at q.com]

For me i use either LMR-400 or 1/2 inch LDF4-50 hardline for my runs.  Shortest is probably 50 ft and longest is around 100.  You can find both on the auction house listings.  I usually buy my LMR-400 from a fellow over in Alabama, Sagemaiden i think, and as far as i'm concerned i always get a fair deal with a good product. Be careful that you buy Times Microwave cable though as some of the other is cheap Chinese imitation and won't be near the quality. What i do though for beams that rotate, i use RG-58 from the feed point to below the rotator  unit a few feet and then tie in with the heavier lower loss stuff there.  The RG-58 is so much easier to handle and it winding around the tower when the beam rotates is easier on the cable than on the LMR or LDF4 stuff.  Since it is usually less than 15 ft i don't worry about losses in it whether or 6 or 2.  below 50 mc the loss is more than negligable to you and your equipment.

Losing a couple of db can be a big hurt.  That's half your power wasted right there in heat.  The longer the cable run, the bigger the coax.  Compare the loss of LMR-400, LMR-600, LDF4 and RG-58.  Then make up your mind.  RG-213 gets hard to work with and i don't think it has the service life the newer stuff does.  My opinion.

Larry
W0OGH