Worldwide DX Amateur Radio Forums - Ham - CB - HF - VHF - UHF

Who makes/sells 3-4' coax patch cables of high quality?
The big stuff is too unruly
Cheaper is better

You do. Learn how to install PL-259s correctly, get a supply of GOOD connectors and adapters, GOOD cable of whatever sort you want, a GOOD soldering iron (at least 80-100 watts with a massive tip that will stay hot, and some GOOD solder - not the lead-free stuff. 60/40 tin/lead. 63/37 is marginally better.

A bit of money initially, but you can then make the jumpers to your own exact specifications. Beats paying somebody else to do it (or try to do it; some of the commercial jumpers I've seen are atrocious.)

__________________
If you're like everybody else,
you're about average.
73 de K7KBN

Also, just to try and keep things straight, ya want to try and use the same coax for patches that you are using going out to your antenna. Coaxes have differing impedances and velocity factors. Mix-matching differing electrical factors can contribute to your SWR being out of whack. You'll simply know that everything should be okay if you keep it all the same.

You're right that SOLID center conductor RG8 is stiff and unruly and harder to work with. There are plenty of varieties of stranded center conductor RG8. I use Belden 9913F. The "F" is for "flex." It is very flexible and is 100% shielded low-loss stuff. It's the main choice of hams and is available at any ham store or reputable coax seller.

Good luck

__________________
Supplying All Your Wire and Weasel Needs Since 1869 * All Orders Come With A Free Pack Of Vazomyne For Sustained Performance

How much power are you running? Because this changes the type of coax you want to use over the entire install, i really enjoy my lmr-240 stuff.... I Have made the majority of my jumpers from it. You just need to learn how to put them pl259's on the ends.... takes a little trial and error......

or you can try "Screw on" or solder less.... i used to use them for a while with no problems.... i believe firestick made the ones i used.

(wire weasel is right, it should be the same type through out the install, but i didnt want that thick stuff between all my gear once it got inside, My swr's are still fine, but obviously one mans experience isnt every mans experience.)

I'm using Davis RF 9914F Bury-Flex for my main runs. It is not flexible.
I just need something to hook up the antenna tuner/SWR meter I just bought.
That Davis stuff lifts the meter right off the table

http://www.k1cra.com/catalog/product...productID=2136

The Belden 9913F will be a good match for what you're using now.

Good luck

__________________
Supplying All Your Wire and Weasel Needs Since 1869 * All Orders Come With A Free Pack Of Vazomyne For Sustained Performance

I use the mini 8 coax for patch cords. I use Belden 9913 from the radio to the antenna.

The mini 8 is very flexible and has 95% shielding - but get the best stuff. You can tie it in a knot - but I wouldn't do that. I generally don't use a jumper/meter between my radio and my coax that goes out to my antenna. I use a Dosy meter with a 3 ft piece of mini 8 jumper coax when I want to test, monitor, or adjust a radio. I like a direct connection to my antenna and radio with nothing getting in the way in order to keep the signal integrity high. So long as you use it in 3 ft or 6 foot lengths and make your own using silver-plated connectors, you would be doing it as right as one can do - IMO...
Just two cents worth.

__________________
What gear do I use?
BASE: Icom IC-718 & GAP Titan DX, Yaesu FT-8800R & Diamond X50A, Magnum OmegaForce S45 & IMAX 2000 w/Astatic D104/TUP9.
MOBILE: Galaxy DX99V & Wilson 1000 w/Astatic D104-M2, Yaesu FT-8800R & Diamond NR-770.
"...The 444 in San Jose CA; the Central Gold Coast..."

There's nothing wrong with mixing and matching coax types as long as you're keeping it all 50 ohm stuff (unless you're intentionally doing something that requires a different impedence like 75 ohms). The differing velocity factors of coax only matters if you're trying to use your coax for impedence matching, which is not the best thing to do. It's very common practice to use something like RG8x for jumpers between equipment and then use something larger for the long run to the antennas.

If you're trying to have your equipment close to the wall use mini 8 but if you have some room for bends use the rg-8 style.

I wound up getting some of these
K1CRA Radio Store - Coax: RG-8X - 3' w/PL-259's & Molded Rubber Boots Details

They made a swr difference when I changed out my old pos rat shack jumper.
It's hard to get the ends for $4.95 a jumper