Whats the best type of coax, to use for base high power 5000 or more watts application. a freind uses military grade yellow color. Whats do u recommend???
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coax
- Thread starter Number15
- Start date
9913, 213 or 214 something along those lines. 214 is better 217 even better. all those will handle that. if longer than 100 foot run get andrews heliax. << SP and not sure what all kinds they sell but heard the andrews is the best.
using 213 now and it will handle 5kw not that i run that much but says it can. maybe 5-10 years ill get 214 or the andrews.
using 213 now and it will handle 5kw not that i run that much but says it can. maybe 5-10 years ill get 214 or the andrews.
Use what i Have..
For my beams i use Andrews Heliax LDF7-50A
For my verticals i use Andrews Heliax LDF5-50A
here is the RG214
RG214/U Coaxial Cable
Table RG-214/U
Item# 20145
Image
Product Narrative Dual shield. Two silver braids for low loss with 96% to 98% shield coverage.
Cable Type 1/4"
Connectors
Shield % 98% silver coated
Impedance 50 Ohms
VOP. 66%
Ctr Cond .089 stranded
Insulation Polyethylene
Other Spec Mil Spec MIL-C-17G
Nom. core O.D. (in.) 0.285
Nom. O.D. (in.) .425
Loss @ 50 MHz 1.3
Loss @ 100 MHz 1.9 dB
Loss @ 400 MHz 4.1 dB
Loss @ 900 MHz 7.6 dB
Loss @ 1000 MHz 8.0
Nom. Capacitance (pF/ft) 30.8
Sold By per foot
Strip Tool
Warranty 1 Year
Qty/Uom 1 FOOT
Price List $6.55
Gold $4.56
now look at hardline Andrews Heliax LDF5-7A
7/8" Foam Heliax Cable #
Table LDF5-50A
TESSCO Part No. 471168
Image
Cable Type 7/8" Foam Heliax Cable
Impedance (Ohms) 50 Ohm
Maximum Frequency 5.0 Ghz
VOP. 89%
Peak Power (W) 91kW
DC Breakdown Voltage 6000
DC Resistance (ctr/shld) Ohms 0.32/0.36
Capacitance 22.8 pF/ft
Inductance 0.057 uH/ft
Outer Conductor Copper
Inner Conductor Copper
Diameter Over Jacket 1.09
Min. Bending Radius 10 in.
Bending Moment (ft lbs) 12 ft lbs.
Weight Per Foot 0.33 lb/ft
Tensile Strength 325 lbs.
Flat Plate Crush Strength 80 lb/in.
Atten/100 @ 30 MHz 0.195 db
Atten/100 @ 50 MHz 0.254 db
Atten/100 @ 150 MHz 0.449 db
Atten/100 @ 450 MHz 0.808 db
Atten/100 @ 824 MHz 1.13 db
Atten/100 @ 894 MHz 1.18 db
Atten/100 @ 960 MHz 1.23 db
Attenuation @ 1700 MHz 1.70 db
Atten/100 @ 1920 MHz 1.81 db
Attenuation @ 2000 MHz 1.86 db
Avg Power @ 30 MHz 14.1 kW
Avg Power @ 50 MHz 10.8 kW
Avg Power @ 450 MHz 3.41 kW
Avg Power @ 800 MHz 2.48 kW
Avg Power @ 894 MHz 2.34 kW
Avg Power @ 960 MHz 2.24 kW
Strip Tool TESSCO #426134
Mid-Span Strip Tool TESSCO #433331
Additional Notes
Comments Standard
Advise Customer
Warranty 10 Years
Qty/Uom 1 FOOT
Price List $3.60
Gold $2.76
Here is LDF7-50A
Manufacturer Andrew Corporation
Product Name 1-5/8" Foam Heliax Cble#
Table LDF7-50A
TESSCO Part No. 417128
Image
Cable Type LDF7-50A
Impedance (Ohms) 50
Maximum Frequency 2.5 GHz
VOP. 88%
Peak Power (W) 315
DC Breakdown Voltage
DC Resistance (ctr/shld) Ohms 0.25/0.16
Capacitance 23.1
Inductance 0.058
Outer Conductor Copper
Inner Conductor Copper Tube
Diameter Over Jacket 1.98
Min. Bending Radius 20"
Bending Moment (ft lbs) 40
Weight Per Foot 0.82
Tensile Strength 800
Flat Plate Crush Strength 120
Atten/100 @ 30 MHz 0.109
Atten/100 @ 50 MHz 0.142
Atten/100 @ 150 MHz 0.254
Atten/100 @ 450 MHz 0.467
Atten/100 @ 824 MHz 0.662
Atten/100 @ 894 MHz 0.694
Atten/100 @ 960 MHz 0.724
Atten/100 @ 1700 MHz 1.02
Atten/100 @ 1920 MHz
Atten/100 @ 2000 MHz 1.13
Avg Power @ 30 MHz 30.9
Avg Power @ 50 MHz 23.6
Avg Power @ 450 MHz 7.18
Avg Power @ 800 MHz 5.15
Avg Power @ 894 MHz 4.83
Avg Power @ 960 MHz 4.63
Strip Tool TESSCO #448183
Mid-Span Strip Tool TESSCO #448151
Additional Notes
Comments Standard
Advise Customer
Warranty 10 Years
Qty/Uom 1 FOOT
Price List $9.35
Gold $7.20
so you see this stuff is Exellent and is not cheep..
however...be asured it is practiclly the best coax you can get..
there are several advantages to this coax..
Extremly low loss..
Extremly high power handling..
Extremly long lasting (compared to typical coax.... but like all coax it should be change every 5 years..but Andrews Heliax hardline is Guarenteed for 10 years)..
Besides the very pricy nature of Andrews Heliax (the connectors and tools needed are very expensive as well and you will need special coax connectors to keep them safly bound to the side of building or to roof etc)...
you should know this stuff is very hard to work with..
do not even attempt (as i did and ruined 150 ft of LDF5-50A) to install this coax feedline on your own...
it is best if you have 3 people (or 2 if both are used to working this type of feedline)..
If you do get this stuff and install it properly..
rest asured it is going to last..
while improving the power getting to your antennas by minimising loss and keeping swr's as low as posible..
while handling any power you want to put to it..
ah and i seriously doubt you would need worry about RF interference to your neighbors (so long as you also have a properly designed antenna for the power you intend to use..
Hope this Helps
http://www.tessco.com/products/productHierarchy.do?tabId=Transmission+Line+and+Cable
the above link will let you see any posible coax feedline you may want to get..
you can buy it from tessco..
but many of my friends and boss complain how they are hard to get aproved for a buying account..
i guess i do a lot of business with them..
P.S. they have a lot of good things..what they carry is typiclly used and sold to cell phone carriers....the quality of their stuff is far better then any of the CB shops you know of and far better then the Ham shops you know of..
Later
For my beams i use Andrews Heliax LDF7-50A
For my verticals i use Andrews Heliax LDF5-50A
here is the RG214
RG214/U Coaxial Cable
Table RG-214/U
Item# 20145
Image
Product Narrative Dual shield. Two silver braids for low loss with 96% to 98% shield coverage.
Cable Type 1/4"
Connectors
Shield % 98% silver coated
Impedance 50 Ohms
VOP. 66%
Ctr Cond .089 stranded
Insulation Polyethylene
Other Spec Mil Spec MIL-C-17G
Nom. core O.D. (in.) 0.285
Nom. O.D. (in.) .425
Loss @ 50 MHz 1.3
Loss @ 100 MHz 1.9 dB
Loss @ 400 MHz 4.1 dB
Loss @ 900 MHz 7.6 dB
Loss @ 1000 MHz 8.0
Nom. Capacitance (pF/ft) 30.8
Sold By per foot
Strip Tool
Warranty 1 Year
Qty/Uom 1 FOOT
Price List $6.55
Gold $4.56
now look at hardline Andrews Heliax LDF5-7A
7/8" Foam Heliax Cable #
Table LDF5-50A
TESSCO Part No. 471168
Image
Cable Type 7/8" Foam Heliax Cable
Impedance (Ohms) 50 Ohm
Maximum Frequency 5.0 Ghz
VOP. 89%
Peak Power (W) 91kW
DC Breakdown Voltage 6000
DC Resistance (ctr/shld) Ohms 0.32/0.36
Capacitance 22.8 pF/ft
Inductance 0.057 uH/ft
Outer Conductor Copper
Inner Conductor Copper
Diameter Over Jacket 1.09
Min. Bending Radius 10 in.
Bending Moment (ft lbs) 12 ft lbs.
Weight Per Foot 0.33 lb/ft
Tensile Strength 325 lbs.
Flat Plate Crush Strength 80 lb/in.
Atten/100 @ 30 MHz 0.195 db
Atten/100 @ 50 MHz 0.254 db
Atten/100 @ 150 MHz 0.449 db
Atten/100 @ 450 MHz 0.808 db
Atten/100 @ 824 MHz 1.13 db
Atten/100 @ 894 MHz 1.18 db
Atten/100 @ 960 MHz 1.23 db
Attenuation @ 1700 MHz 1.70 db
Atten/100 @ 1920 MHz 1.81 db
Attenuation @ 2000 MHz 1.86 db
Avg Power @ 30 MHz 14.1 kW
Avg Power @ 50 MHz 10.8 kW
Avg Power @ 450 MHz 3.41 kW
Avg Power @ 800 MHz 2.48 kW
Avg Power @ 894 MHz 2.34 kW
Avg Power @ 960 MHz 2.24 kW
Strip Tool TESSCO #426134
Mid-Span Strip Tool TESSCO #433331
Additional Notes
Comments Standard
Advise Customer
Warranty 10 Years
Qty/Uom 1 FOOT
Price List $3.60
Gold $2.76
Here is LDF7-50A
Manufacturer Andrew Corporation
Product Name 1-5/8" Foam Heliax Cble#
Table LDF7-50A
TESSCO Part No. 417128
Image
Cable Type LDF7-50A
Impedance (Ohms) 50
Maximum Frequency 2.5 GHz
VOP. 88%
Peak Power (W) 315
DC Breakdown Voltage
DC Resistance (ctr/shld) Ohms 0.25/0.16
Capacitance 23.1
Inductance 0.058
Outer Conductor Copper
Inner Conductor Copper Tube
Diameter Over Jacket 1.98
Min. Bending Radius 20"
Bending Moment (ft lbs) 40
Weight Per Foot 0.82
Tensile Strength 800
Flat Plate Crush Strength 120
Atten/100 @ 30 MHz 0.109
Atten/100 @ 50 MHz 0.142
Atten/100 @ 150 MHz 0.254
Atten/100 @ 450 MHz 0.467
Atten/100 @ 824 MHz 0.662
Atten/100 @ 894 MHz 0.694
Atten/100 @ 960 MHz 0.724
Atten/100 @ 1700 MHz 1.02
Atten/100 @ 1920 MHz
Atten/100 @ 2000 MHz 1.13
Avg Power @ 30 MHz 30.9
Avg Power @ 50 MHz 23.6
Avg Power @ 450 MHz 7.18
Avg Power @ 800 MHz 5.15
Avg Power @ 894 MHz 4.83
Avg Power @ 960 MHz 4.63
Strip Tool TESSCO #448183
Mid-Span Strip Tool TESSCO #448151
Additional Notes
Comments Standard
Advise Customer
Warranty 10 Years
Qty/Uom 1 FOOT
Price List $9.35
Gold $7.20
so you see this stuff is Exellent and is not cheep..
however...be asured it is practiclly the best coax you can get..
there are several advantages to this coax..
Extremly low loss..
Extremly high power handling..
Extremly long lasting (compared to typical coax.... but like all coax it should be change every 5 years..but Andrews Heliax hardline is Guarenteed for 10 years)..
Besides the very pricy nature of Andrews Heliax (the connectors and tools needed are very expensive as well and you will need special coax connectors to keep them safly bound to the side of building or to roof etc)...
you should know this stuff is very hard to work with..
do not even attempt (as i did and ruined 150 ft of LDF5-50A) to install this coax feedline on your own...
it is best if you have 3 people (or 2 if both are used to working this type of feedline)..
If you do get this stuff and install it properly..
rest asured it is going to last..
while improving the power getting to your antennas by minimising loss and keeping swr's as low as posible..
while handling any power you want to put to it..
ah and i seriously doubt you would need worry about RF interference to your neighbors (so long as you also have a properly designed antenna for the power you intend to use..
Hope this Helps
http://www.tessco.com/products/productHierarchy.do?tabId=Transmission+Line+and+Cable
the above link will let you see any posible coax feedline you may want to get..
you can buy it from tessco..
but many of my friends and boss complain how they are hard to get aproved for a buying account..
i guess i do a lot of business with them..
P.S. they have a lot of good things..what they carry is typiclly used and sold to cell phone carriers....the quality of their stuff is far better then any of the CB shops you know of and far better then the Ham shops you know of..
Later
a little overkill
i hate to sound so negative with it only being my 2nd post, but why would anyone use ldf5-50a for cb/hf use? well.. besides the fact that you may be running 20kw, but the poster here only wants to run 5kw. do you have a 1000ft run? even that would only be a 1.95db loss using this stuff. that equates to 63.8% of your power reaching the antenna (once again at a 1000' run). that is -LESS- than 1/2 an s-unit difference from a coax with no loss. who would notice this besides your bank account? since i don't know anyone with a 1000' run at hf/cb, and most runs are only 100' or so, this is pretty much extreme overkill. i don't even use 7/8" hardline for vhf repeater systems at 100'. granted they aren't operated at 5kw, but i have several 100-125ft runs for repeaters using 1/2" hardline and they work fine. this is for public service systems where life and property count.
if you want the best for cb at a decent price, go with lmr-400. you can buy it at $0.70/per foot from tessco and have 86.2% (0.645db attenuation at 27mhz) of your power reach the antenna for a 100' run. that is compared to $3.60/ft for the 7/8" hardline. yes you will end up getting 95.6% of your power to your antenna, but is it with worth it when you are talking less than 1/2 an s-unit difference over lmr-400 at the same length (100')? by the way, lmr-400 handles 3.5kw average, and about 11k pep. if for some reason you can't buy it from tessco give me a call and i can get it for you at the same price. i can have most of tessco's products dropped shipped (if the $ amount you order is enough to qualify for drop shipment).
the equation i used to find percent of power to antenna is this:
percent of power to antenna = 1/inv. log (attenuation db/10). the outcome has to be multiplied by 100 to change to a percent.
for the 7/8' harline used above, this would be;
percent of power to antenna = 1/inv. log (.195/10)
percent of power to anenna = 1/inv. log (.0195)
percent of power to antenna = 1/1.046
percent of power to antenna = .956
percent of power to antenna = .956(100)..have to multiply by 100 to get actual percent
power to antenna = 95.6%
now imagine how much overkill the 1-5/8" harline talked about in a previous post is at 100'.
i hate to sound so negative with it only being my 2nd post, but why would anyone use ldf5-50a for cb/hf use? well.. besides the fact that you may be running 20kw, but the poster here only wants to run 5kw. do you have a 1000ft run? even that would only be a 1.95db loss using this stuff. that equates to 63.8% of your power reaching the antenna (once again at a 1000' run). that is -LESS- than 1/2 an s-unit difference from a coax with no loss. who would notice this besides your bank account? since i don't know anyone with a 1000' run at hf/cb, and most runs are only 100' or so, this is pretty much extreme overkill. i don't even use 7/8" hardline for vhf repeater systems at 100'. granted they aren't operated at 5kw, but i have several 100-125ft runs for repeaters using 1/2" hardline and they work fine. this is for public service systems where life and property count.
if you want the best for cb at a decent price, go with lmr-400. you can buy it at $0.70/per foot from tessco and have 86.2% (0.645db attenuation at 27mhz) of your power reach the antenna for a 100' run. that is compared to $3.60/ft for the 7/8" hardline. yes you will end up getting 95.6% of your power to your antenna, but is it with worth it when you are talking less than 1/2 an s-unit difference over lmr-400 at the same length (100')? by the way, lmr-400 handles 3.5kw average, and about 11k pep. if for some reason you can't buy it from tessco give me a call and i can get it for you at the same price. i can have most of tessco's products dropped shipped (if the $ amount you order is enough to qualify for drop shipment).
the equation i used to find percent of power to antenna is this:
percent of power to antenna = 1/inv. log (attenuation db/10). the outcome has to be multiplied by 100 to change to a percent.
for the 7/8' harline used above, this would be;
percent of power to antenna = 1/inv. log (.195/10)
percent of power to anenna = 1/inv. log (.0195)
percent of power to antenna = 1/1.046
percent of power to antenna = .956
percent of power to antenna = .956(100)..have to multiply by 100 to get actual percent
power to antenna = 95.6%
now imagine how much overkill the 1-5/8" harline talked about in a previous post is at 100'.
Hey ss8541..
What you say is true..
hwever some do use better stuff...
it is hard to run full hardline..i can only run it to bottom of rotor..
however..
if you use even 1/2 inch..
do you not realise a difference over lmr400 (which is decent coax...a little better then rg-213)..
granted you are using it on vhf where loss starts to add up much quicker then 11 meter frequency's..
also..
he did ask for the best..
you could never call a honda to be the best..
a honda can never be confused with a porsche or benz
now that he has the info..
he can make a informed desision..
Later
What you say is true..
hwever some do use better stuff...
it is hard to run full hardline..i can only run it to bottom of rotor..
however..
if you use even 1/2 inch..
do you not realise a difference over lmr400 (which is decent coax...a little better then rg-213)..
granted you are using it on vhf where loss starts to add up much quicker then 11 meter frequency's..
also..
he did ask for the best..
you could never call a honda to be the best..
a honda can never be confused with a porsche or benz
now that he has the info..
he can make a informed desision..
Later
ahh.......me....lol
actually here is a quick funny story..
a few years back i was teaching my brother how to drive a stick..(i told him simply knowing to drive a auto was not a true driver)..
anyways..
we went to these big parking lots for mineola court houses..
so i showed him..
next he tried and tried..
ofcourse at times he laid rubber..
other times he spun the car..
other times he stalled..
other times he burned so much rubber and did dunots that i am sure the car could not be seen except for huge smoke clouds from burning rubber..
anyways..
when i started showing him how to drive a stick..
there was a cop parked couple hundred yards away..
i had thought nothing of it...we were doing nothing wrong..
but..
after about a half hour..
the cop drove up to us..(my brother was driving)..
came up to us...got out of his car...
said to my brother...
What are you guys doing..
when i yelled out to the cop...
teaching my brother to drive a stick (i was in passenger seat..cop was on drivers side)..
Cop said....
In a Porsche..
i said yes...is all i have...
the cop walked back to his car mumbling something and drove off in amazement..LOL
fast foward 3 weeks later..
my brother was invited to go to florida with a friend of his...
only if he knew how to drive a stick(to share driving)..
he was like...cool i can drive a stick no problem..
he nearly broke the stick and clutch..
the car was a hyndii
that is ofcourse nowhere as tight a stick or as hard of a clutch as my porshe was...LOL
actually here is a quick funny story..
a few years back i was teaching my brother how to drive a stick..(i told him simply knowing to drive a auto was not a true driver)..
anyways..
we went to these big parking lots for mineola court houses..
so i showed him..
next he tried and tried..
ofcourse at times he laid rubber..
other times he spun the car..
other times he stalled..
other times he burned so much rubber and did dunots that i am sure the car could not be seen except for huge smoke clouds from burning rubber..
anyways..
when i started showing him how to drive a stick..
there was a cop parked couple hundred yards away..
i had thought nothing of it...we were doing nothing wrong..
but..
after about a half hour..
the cop drove up to us..(my brother was driving)..
came up to us...got out of his car...
said to my brother...
What are you guys doing..
when i yelled out to the cop...
teaching my brother to drive a stick (i was in passenger seat..cop was on drivers side)..
Cop said....
In a Porsche..
i said yes...is all i have...
the cop walked back to his car mumbling something and drove off in amazement..LOL
fast foward 3 weeks later..
my brother was invited to go to florida with a friend of his...
only if he knew how to drive a stick(to share driving)..
he was like...cool i can drive a stick no problem..
he nearly broke the stick and clutch..
the car was a hyndii
that is ofcourse nowhere as tight a stick or as hard of a clutch as my porshe was...LOL
It is good stuff..
you will not need to worry about the power you use..
and as long as you have a proper set up it is doubtful you will have rfi issues..
it pays in the long run and even up front..to have the best..
Later
you will not need to worry about the power you use..
and as long as you have a proper set up it is doubtful you will have rfi issues..
it pays in the long run and even up front..to have the best..
Later