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Is this an RF Savvy Joke aimed at newbies?

FreeLana

New Member
Mar 17, 2025
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This is a new one for me. Coaxial Radiator. Pictured was a coil of LMR-400 with PL-259s on each end. Narrative says maximum conductivity and extremely low-loss for great HF experience. Comes in 102" and 145" lengths. Says "To ensure optimal performance, both ends of the radiator are pre-shorted at the factory". Forgive my ignorance, but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Is it a gag?

I do have experience with "leaky coax" systems, where special coax was used in RF challenged areas (underground systems) using portable radios in the 40-50 MHz range, but this does not seem to be the case here.

Insights or explanations?
 

This goes with the CHA-F loop antenna system that Chameleon Antennas sells. The box at the bottom (I assume) is a variable capacitor, which would explain why the coax ends would have the inner shorted to the braid. Its a loop antenna.


Here is the original ad for the cable in question, sold by the same company.


The connectors are just a convenient way of swapping loops. The variable cap only has so much range, so to get other bands, the loop needs to change. There is a driven loop and a tuned loop, that product is for the tuned loop. It is being used as a regular conductor and has nothing to do with common-mode current like the facebook comments are talking about.
 
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I saw that ad. I assumed because of the length of the cables that it was for a loop antenna. No expert in that world, but made sense to me.



 
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