75 ohm "Hardline Coax" For Scanning

[TeRayCodA]

I'll have to keep an eye out for some of this,It's cheaper than heliax,and should work great for scanning!

http://www.thejs.com/ham_hardline.htm

Lots of good installing tips here too!

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi all,

The best place to scout around for it is the cable company. If you spot an installer you can ask for spool ends but likely all he'll have is the fancy version of RG-6U unless you find a team working on the trunk. Your best bet is contact the engineer through the office switchboard and ask him. Most likely there's plenty of scrap floating around at the head end site(s). Be specific, most trunk cable is larger diameter and a PL-259 or N connector won't go on, they're for 1/2" cables.

Some points worth mentioning about that loss chart on the web link, it's in dB per 100' and Belden 9913 isn't RG-8. It's an RG-8 TYPE, the difference is it's air dielectric with lower loss than RG-8U which is solid, the foam isn't always labled properly as RG-8A. Notice the difference between 9913 and LMR400 is negligable.

As far as I'm concerned 800 isn't much better which is why I have been saying that the genuine Belden 9913 gives more bang for the buck, these "gold plated" cables aren't worh the expense for scanner users. If you're working on a cell tower or something Cellwave and Times Microwave is the choice of professionals for more reasons than signal loss. The company pays for it out of pockets deeper than yours and they tax write off certain expenses you can't. Yeah, when you try balancing the household expense budget I don't want to hear "Oh, The HUMANITY!". (;->) Best bet, go for the CATV stuff, it's going in the dumpster anyway when they get around to cleaning the place.

 

[scannerfreak]

I'll have to keep an eye out for some of this,It's cheaper than heliax,and should work great for scanning!

http://www.thejs.com/ham_hardline.htm

Lots of good installing tips here too!

Shown in that pic is Aerial Feeder or "500" as we call it..If you do get some, you are going to need a coring tool as well as connectors. While a Tech may give you some scrap hardline, He probally won't core it and put connectors on it for you..I know I wouldn't Then you will need a Hardline to F connector, commonly called a "pin to F".

This stuff works pretty good, But I prefer my LMR-400 as I only need 35' of cable. If I was doing a tower run over 100' I might use it..

Feeder is 1/2 inch or .500

Trunk is 3/4 inch or .750

 

[selgaran]

Actually, there are a fair number of creative ways of getting around the CATV hardline connector problem. One example:

http://www.hamstuff.com/Hardline/hardlineprep.html

 

[bsavery]

On the plus side, if you drill a hole straight through the wall, push the 500 through it, then hang your scanner off the end of it, you won't need a desk for it to sit on! :lol:

Bob

 

[scannerfreak]

Actually, there are a fair number of creative ways of getting around the CATV hardline connector problem. One example:

http://www.hamstuff.com/Hardline/hardlineprep.html

Wow, that looks like it works :roll: Probally doesn't even have any ingress either :lol:

 

[selgaran]

Probally doesn't even have any ingress either :lol:

That's why you keep a roll of aluminum foil handy, right?
:twisted:

 

[K5MAR]

Wow, that looks like it works :roll: Probally doesn't even have any ingress either :lol:

I'd seal it real well, just to make sure. Once you get moisture in your hardline, it's trash.

Mark S.

 

[TeRayCodA]

I'll have to keep an eye out for some of this,It's cheaper than heliax,and should work great for scanning!

http://www.thejs.com/ham_hardline.htm

Lots of good installing tips here too!

Shown in that pic is Aerial Feeder or "500" as we call it..If you do get some, you are going to need a coring tool as well as connectors. While a Tech may give you some scrap hardline, He probally won't core it and put connectors on it for you..I know I wouldn't

But, the author on that site already has some great tips on how to prepare the ends for a connector with common plumbing compression fittings.

 

[TeRayCodA]

Finding some of this stuff is almost impossible around here.I have called all the scrap metal yards,tried to phone my local CATV office,but get an operator some 200 miles away,and she does'nt have a CLUE as to what I am talking about.Seems the day of just calling the local office,here in town,does'nt happen anymore.

I'd settle for some used hardline,preferrably 100ft. if anyone knows where else I can look?Online?

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi all,

"Seems the day of just calling the local office,here in town,does'nt happen anymore."

Nope, but if you call the local access studio you're in the local head end. The operator will be confused at first, after all it's a broadcasting studio. Use a bit of "social engineering" and talk your way around, soon enough you'll find yourself in engineering.

As for dealing with the cable once you've got it, be creative, surely you can outsmart a bit of coax. (;->) Last year my club's 70cM repeater went down, they replaced the antenna and hardline which was full of water. It's at Lakehurst NAS, oh the humanity, the repeater is broken! Right, sealing is all important but don't expect to get away without periodic inspection and maintanence. BTW, I like that idea of mounting the scanner to the wall with hardline, I'll have to try it with these ham rigs cluttering up my table. (;->)

 

[TeRayCodA]

On the plus side, if you drill a hole straight through the wall, push the 500 through it, then hang your scanner off the end of it, you won't need a desk for it to sit on! :lol:

Bob

Would'nt that qualify as "Hamsexy"?

 

[kb2vxa]

"Would'nt that qualify as "Hamsexy"?"

Not unless you're a sexy ham. :lol:

 

[Grog]

I used to make CATV "hardline". We made .500, .625, .750, & .875. There were a couple of other sizes in between, plus some fireproof and all copper core coax. Talk about heavy :lol:

 

[mjw357]

I would just drive around and stop by and talk to an installer, he'd probably be able to tell you where to round up short lengths. Maybe find an area of new residential development where they are installing new distribution.

The 500 and 750 I have seen used for direct bury has a PVC liner on the outside of the aluminum jacket. And it is flooded, too if I remember. That means it has a water resistant goo used to fill any air voids between the shield/foam core/center conductor.