FSJ4-50B Hardline Heliax

[TeRayCodA]

I finally broke down,and purchased some Heliax.It's pretty much a toss up between installing for my discone,(Pro-2004 scanner)or,my VHF MURS base station....

I'm turning into a "purist" on coax loss!

I will have to look on the net to find some "N" female connectors to finish my project.(pigtail "N" to PL-259)

I'm leaning toward exchanging the RG-8 currently on my MURS base exposed dipole stack antenna.

This stuff sometimes sells on EBAY for what you would pay for the same length of LMR-400.
I'll post back when I get it ,and installed.

 

[JohnWayne]

Be aware that the Superflex Heliax cable like you have uses different connectors than the standard Heliax cable (like LDF4-50A). The part number you want is F4PNF-C, which is an N-female captivated center pin for FSJ4-50B.

I do sell the connectors for a reasonable cost if you need one. I can also make the custom jumpers to go from the Heliax to your scanner.

Jeff

 

[TeRayCodA]

Thanks;Jeff
This hardline already has the "N" connectors factory installed,all I need to get is a couple of RG-8 female "N" connectors;one for the dipole antenna,one to make a "pigtail"for the radio.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...amp;rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

I'm leaning more towards installing this on my VHF radio(MURS).

 

[TeRayCodA]

Also,I see quite a bit of the 1/4" heliax on ebay.Would this be a good choice for general scanning?say,70ft.

What is it primarily used for?

 

[JohnWayne]

The 1/4" stuff is mostly used for jumpers. You may have something like a 1-5/8" run up the tower, then you'll have a 1/4" Superflex jumper between the main run and the equipment. They also make regular 1/4" Heliax which has less loss than the Superflex.

You can get similar performance out of LMR-400 at about half the cost for the coax and connectors. LMR-400 actually has less loss than Superflex 1/4". However, I don't recommend LMR for some situations like duplexed repeaters. In my opinion, the Andrew Heliax products are much better than the Times Microwave LMR products for serious installations. However, for scanning, the LMR is just fine for a lot less money.

All that being said, the 1/4" stuff would be pretty good for scanning. The regular (LDF1-50) is going to have a lot less loss than the Superflex though. One thing to be aware of is the connector cost. An N-male for the LDF1-50 is about $30, and an N-male for the FSJ1-50A (Superflex) is about $26. Compare that to about $5 for an LMR-400 N-male connector.

I wouldn't pay more than about 50 cents per foot on eBay for the LDF1-50, and not more than about 75 cents per foot for the FSJ1-50A, Adjust the price accordingly if it comes with connectors. If you have to buy connectors, they are not hard to put on, and they don't require any special tools.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Jeff

 

[TeRayCodA]

Ok,thanks for your input,I should see a bit of difference in the hardline compared to the cheap RG-8(Tandy Wire)

 

[TeRayCodA]

Got the hardline up on the tower today.What a difference!
I did end up using it on my MURS base station.
Great Stuff!