I have a roll of RG-214 here that I bought for my amateur radio and want to put up my Radio Shack Sputnik antenna for scanning and was wondering if it would be a good cable to use for VHF frequencies? Or should I get some RG8 instead? It will be about a 30-50' run if that matters! Thanks for the help!
RG-214U for VHF antenna...
- Thread starter Rotaxxx
- Start date
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
According to the specs, a good RG-8 would have less loss.
But if you were going with new cable, you'd do better with something like LMR-400 or LMR-600.
On the other hand, you already own the RG-214, so cost of connectors makes that pretty attractive. You can chase dB numbers all day long, and there will always be something better.
But if you were going with new cable, you'd do better with something like LMR-400 or LMR-600.
On the other hand, you already own the RG-214, so cost of connectors makes that pretty attractive. You can chase dB numbers all day long, and there will always be something better.
Ubbe
Member
RG6 are more easy to route and work with and a lot cheaper to buy. There's isn't much difference in attenuation at VHF between most coaxes and short lengths like 50ft. It's more obvious at 900MHz. A discone type of antenna, which the sputnik are not, can hold a 50 ohm impedance over a wide frequency range but scanners antenna inputs can not. Most often a 75 ohm coax are the best match to both antenna and scanner when monitoring a wider frequency range. If it actually where a mismatch between 50 and 75 ohm it would show as a 0,2dB loss.
If using a good low noise antenna amplifier it would make the coax type and length a non issue, and give a more constant impedance load to both antenna and coax, and would also overcome the high noise figure in a scanner and improve its sensitivity if the signal where boosted 4-6dB over the coax loss figure.
/Ubbe
If using a good low noise antenna amplifier it would make the coax type and length a non issue, and give a more constant impedance load to both antenna and coax, and would also overcome the high noise figure in a scanner and improve its sensitivity if the signal where boosted 4-6dB over the coax loss figure.
/Ubbe
Real RG-214 with dual silver plated braid is around $10/ft new, I would sell it and buy some LMR400 for $1/ft with lower loss. Or I'll trade you foot for foot for some new Times LMR400 with Times connectors installed.
