50 ohm or 75 ohm coax?

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corgitwo

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Does using 50 ohm coax give a stronger signal to the receiver than 75 ohm coax using the same antenna?
Is using 75 ohm coax reducing the signal strength that reaches the radio. I noticed that most if not all radios specify a 50 ohm antenna connection.
 

Luis_R

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Depends on the cable and the loss on it and wether you want to spend a little or a lot. In Rx only applications you would probably want less loss vs impedance match ( ie scanners ). RG6 seems to be peoples choice for its low cost and low loss. Now if your talking about Tx then for sure match your impedances.
 

k9rzz

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If cost is primary then run what you can, 50 or 75, you won't notice any difference. I like RG6. Low loss, pretty cheap, and easy to buy.

Even when transmitting, if the line has low enough loss (like hardline) even the 1.5:1 SWR mismatch between 50 and 75 ohm won't make or break you (talking ham radio now).
 

jackj

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50 or 75

Does using 50 ohm coax give a stronger signal to the receiver than 75 ohm coax using the same antenna?
Is using 75 ohm coax reducing the signal strength that reaches the radio. I noticed that most if not all radios specify a 50 ohm antenna connection.

You might also notice that the antenna specs 50 ohm also. It would stand to reason that 50 ohm cable would perform better than 75 ohm, all other things being equal. But they aren't. A lot of folks will tell you that impedance doesn't make any difference and cable loss is more important. But other things enter into the equation. Are you going to have to buy special adapters to get the cable hooked to the antenna and/or radio? Does the cost of the feed line trump all other considerations?

Answer those questions and then look at the loss figures for the types of feed line you can afford. That should answer your question.
 

kb2vxa

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The simple answer to a simple answer has been given but as usual here come the complications after the fact. :)-<) Just a reminder, this very question has been asked and answered MANY times so why not read before posting?
 
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