coax type for mobile use

[ddemmers]

Good Everning,
Can anyone recommend a good coax for mobile setup. I currently use 75 ohm but am a bit concerned about swr and would like to upgrade to 50 ohm solution.

[zz0468]

You didn't give us much to work with as far as the application, but most mobile antennas are factory supplied with RG-58 or similar size coax. In the case of antennas operating at higher frequencies, better quality teflon coax is frequently supplied.

If this is for a scanner, 75 ohm coax is fine. If you're running a mobile kilowatt on the ham bands, RG-58 isn't going to work to well.

[ddemmers]

sorry,
it is for 2m ham use. I am looking to set up my mobile. I have the radio picked out but would like to use something better than rg58.

[gewecke]

You could try RG8X for mobile use as well.
N9ZAS

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by ddemmers

sorry,
it is for 2m ham use. I am looking to set up my mobile. I have the radio picked out but would like to use something better than rg58.

If it's for 2m FM use, in the typical lengths used in a mobile installation, good quality RG-58 is just fine. Anything better than that would be a waste of money because you won't see an improvement in performance.

[stateboy]

RG58 is fine for mobile use. As a rule, I use NMO mounts with double-shielded teflon coax (100% foil / 95% braid)

RG8X or RG8 is absolutely not needed unless you have some type of high power transmitters in the vehicle, such as a contest rig.

[kb2vxa]

"RG8X or RG8 is absolutely not needed unless you have some type of high power transmitters in the vehicle, such as a contest rig."

RG8X or RG8 is absolutely not needed unless you have some type of high power transmitters in the vehicle, such as a keydown in da bowl CB leenyar.

There, fixed it fer ya!

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by stateboy

RG8X or RG8 is absolutely not needed unless you have some type of high power transmitters in the vehicle, such as a contest rig.

I use WR-90 waveguide for my contest rig, but I'm just weird that way.

[Citywide173]

I have 100 feet of LMR-195 from another project, and ordered 10 NMO mounts to go with it. All tolled, between the cable and mounts, with shipping, it was $81.00. The cheapest I could find NMO kits with RG-58 cable was $12.49 (I'm sure someone knows a cheaper place, but it's all I found). If I get 10 antenna kits out of the 100 feet, it comes down to $8.10 per kit plus a little extra soldering time, and even though it's a negligible difference, it's still a better kit than the $12.49 one.

I have plans for four immediately, possibly a fifth if I add APRS to my truck and maybe two more on my son's truck, so 10 isn't really a ridiculous number.

[n5ims]

Originally Posted by zz0468

I use WR-90 waveguide for my contest rig, but I'm just weird that way.

I didn't know that there was much contesting in the 10 GHz band.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by n5ims

I didn't know that there was much contesting in the 10 GHz band.

Used to do that back in the late 80's

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by n5ims

I didn't know that there was much contesting in the 10 GHz band.

There's quite a bit actually, but it seems to be in localized pockets of activity. There's maybe 100 or so guys in California that are quite active on 10 GHz, there's a handful in Arizona, Texas and New England have large pockets of activity, and there's more scattered around the country.

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by N_Jay

Used to do that back in the late 80's

Back in the gunnplexer days?