I need help
- Thread starter Stan60
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I'm no expert but from poking around here for a while, I would expect saying what radio, frequencies you want to listen to and how long a run of coax will get you the answers you seek
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If you have a particular antenna in mind you might want to add it to this thread. There will be 100 different responses to your inquiry and probably most of those will be correct.
The ideal way for best performance and lowest loss would be some Times Fiber & Cable LMR400. If you're not skilled at installing connectors on cable you'll want to get a pre-made length with the proper connectors at each end. This is why it would be helpful to know what antenna you intend to use as they will have different connectors, likely either an SO-239 or an N female.
As to the length of cable, if the above applies and you're buying a pre-built length, measure several times and account for every twist and turn that cable is going to make to get into the house and to the back of your scanner/receiver. Most places are not going to take a return on cable. As soon as you uncoil it, you own it.
One of the keys to the entire operation is weatherproofing. If you don't properly weatherproof the connection from the cable to the antenna, Mother Nature will trash both in fairly short order. You probably won't notice the slow degradation of signal until it's too late. Coax Seal and tight wraps of electrical tape over that are one of many ways to do it. Coax Seal is my go-to as it is very pliable. Stretchable rubber tape is another good option.
50' is a reasonably short run. A considerably less expensive way to accomplish this might be with some RG-6 quad shield cable. This is the cable commonly used for television antenna/cable installations. It is 75 ohm but it is fine for receive only purposes. The same weatherproofing would apply, and depending on the style of antenna it is quite likely you would need some adapters at the antenna end, and possibly the scanner end. Again, this would be determined by your ability, or lack thereof, to install connectors onto the cable.
The ideal way for best performance and lowest loss would be some Times Fiber & Cable LMR400. If you're not skilled at installing connectors on cable you'll want to get a pre-made length with the proper connectors at each end. This is why it would be helpful to know what antenna you intend to use as they will have different connectors, likely either an SO-239 or an N female.
As to the length of cable, if the above applies and you're buying a pre-built length, measure several times and account for every twist and turn that cable is going to make to get into the house and to the back of your scanner/receiver. Most places are not going to take a return on cable. As soon as you uncoil it, you own it.
One of the keys to the entire operation is weatherproofing. If you don't properly weatherproof the connection from the cable to the antenna, Mother Nature will trash both in fairly short order. You probably won't notice the slow degradation of signal until it's too late. Coax Seal and tight wraps of electrical tape over that are one of many ways to do it. Coax Seal is my go-to as it is very pliable. Stretchable rubber tape is another good option.
50' is a reasonably short run. A considerably less expensive way to accomplish this might be with some RG-6 quad shield cable. This is the cable commonly used for television antenna/cable installations. It is 75 ohm but it is fine for receive only purposes. The same weatherproofing would apply, and depending on the style of antenna it is quite likely you would need some adapters at the antenna end, and possibly the scanner end. Again, this would be determined by your ability, or lack thereof, to install connectors onto the cable.
mmckenna
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What is your budget?
We can recommend things from $Free.99 to several dollars per foot.
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The question asked regarding budget is definitely a key in this as well.
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I don't have any experience with that antenna but I'm guessing it uses an SO-239/PL-259 type connection.
As an aside, is this antenna already purchased or still a consideration? If it's just the 155 and 460 MHz ranges that are of interest there are some good antennas by Comet and maybe some other manufacturers that are cut for those bands and would be a far better choice.
As an aside, is this antenna already purchased or still a consideration? If it's just the 155 and 460 MHz ranges that are of interest there are some good antennas by Comet and maybe some other manufacturers that are cut for those bands and would be a far better choice.
mmckenna
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True LMR-400 is only made by Times Microwave, and you can get it from many sources. There are also several knock-off cables that will advertise as "LMR-400 equivalent", but may or may not be.
If you want true LMR-400, the only manufacturer is Times Microwave, and there are several dealers on the web.
I'm going to guess you need to order it with the connectors already installed? There are a few sources. www.theantennafarm.com will make custom cables to your order. Provide them with length and connector type, and they'll fabricate it and ship it to you. They are a reliable company, but there are other options….
50 feet is pretty common for pre-cut lengths. You can find dealers that will sell you that, but you need to make sure they have the right connectors installed. We don't know what your antenna has on the base, so you'll need to figure that out.
Also, you do NOT want to connect LMR-400 directly to your radio. It is a stiff cable, and it'll snap the antenna jack off your radio resulting in a costly repair. You want to use a short jumper of a smaller, more flexible coaxial cable to make the final connection. Buying a short jumper made out of something like RG-58 with the correct mating connectors to match the LMR-400 and your radio would be an extremely wise idea.
But, since you haven't provided a budget in US Dollars/cents, we can't do much more than that. There are other options, but having an actual number to work with, would help. We have no idea what your budget is….
I just ordered the cable once it arrives and installed I’ll let you know how it works and have you ever heard of RG8X cable the seller I bought the antenna from recommended I use it
I changed my RG6U 50' over to LMR400 and what a great difference in signals on 155mgz to 800 MHz , it was expensive but well worth it ,...especially 460-800
mmckenna
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RG-8X for the jumper from the LMR-400 to the radio? Sure, that would be fine. It's a bit larger in diameter than RG-58, but not much, it's still pretty flexible, which is what you want.
mmckenna
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That would be just fine.
Make sure you get matching connectors for the application, avoid using adapters.
mmckenna
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You can, but it's better to avoid adapters anywhere you can. If you -must- use an adapter, make sure it's a good one, not the Chinese pop metal junk adapters.
And make sure you seal that outdoor connection properly, or moisture will collect (condensation is the big risk) and corrode out the connectors and cable.
