Wall plate connector recommendation

[scott216]

I've got a Uniden Bearcat BCT15X scanner that I want to wire to an external antenna. I'd like to run 50-foot coax from my antenna, into the house, up inside a wall and into a wall plate. Then on the other side of the wall plate I'd have a short length of coax that goes to my scanner. The antenna has a UHF Male (PL-259) connector, the radio is BNC male. My question is, What type of connectors should I have on the wall plate? I guess my options are BNC or F connector.

 

[ab5r]

If I understand your description, the exterior cable would have a PL-259 from the antenna. Therefore, you would need a pass thru SO-234 on the plate. And, a Pl-259 to BNC on the inside cable.

The latter may be difficult to find and a standard coax with 259's on each end and BNC/SO-234 ADAPTER would work.

 

[jackj]

Scott, are you going to make up the cable or buy a prefabricated one? You can get prefabricate cables with almost any combination of connectors. The ones you make yourself are usually cheaper and sometimes of better quality, it all depends on the vender you choose.

 

[cavmedic]

F connectors would be the easiest and available anywhere. You could probably go to your cable company and ask for it all and they will give it to you, including the 50 foot run , then just some f-pl and f-bnc adapters.

 

[jackj]

Almost all commonly available F connectors depend on the solid-wire center conductor of the 75 ohm cable for the connector's center pin. But 50 ohm coax uses stranded wire for the center conductor and that won't work for a connector center pin. Also F connectors are sized for 75 ohm cable, at least I've never seen a F connector for 50 ohm cable. You can use F connectors without any problem if you stay with 75 ohm cable like RG-59 or RG-6.

 

[scott216]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like the easiest thing to do is use RG-6 75-ohm coax with f-connectors, then use adapters for the antenna and radio. Plus the with the f-connector I can have a smaller hole in the side of my house to run the cable through.