Wondering what to use for Coax to run just 2 meter here at home. I have a bunch in the basemnet but are wondering your thoughts???? Im running a I Comm 8000 and an DIAMOND X50A for an antenna
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What to use for COAX
- Thread starter ScanMaine
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k9rzz
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Guess the rule of thumb is use the best you can afford. If you mostly work into the local repeater, then RG-8x might be fine. Like working simplex? Probably LMR-400 or 9913 is better. 'pends on your budget. I used some old TV 'coloraxial' cable for the longest time (free!). :^)
For me LMR-400 is the minimum for base use. But that also changes depending on frequencies being used and power output.
As K9ZZR said, use the best you can afford. But the thinner the cable the more loss you'll incur the longer your run is.
But do not use 75 ohm cable like he said. The impedance mismatch will not do any favors to the insides of your radio. Your radio is 50 ohm.
As K9ZZR said, use the best you can afford. But the thinner the cable the more loss you'll incur the longer your run is.
But do not use 75 ohm cable like he said. The impedance mismatch will not do any favors to the insides of your radio. Your radio is 50 ohm.
mikepdx
Member
Whatever you use for the ST2 Starcraft should work for 2m
kc5qih
Amateur Radio Operator and Scanning Enthusiast
I use plain ole RG6 on my 2 meter run. It's only about a 60 foot run and it works fine. I'm well aware it creates a very slight mismatch but the gain in the antenna minus the loss still nets me a positive and it's enough get me where I need to go plus it's super cheap.
Im also only looking to operate 2 meter
but also long and far repaters all with in 100 air milesfrom home here
kc5qih
Amateur Radio Operator and Scanning Enthusiast
I'd just get a 75 foot run of LMR 400 or 9913 and be done with it. Only issue your going to have with something being 100 miles away is that your radio horizon will not suppor it unless the receiving repeater is very very very high. We have a couple repeaters where I live that are at the 1600-1700' level on commercial television towers and they are good for a radius of about 60 miles but with that said I regularly work into the W5FC repeater in Dallas on 146.88 which is about 90 air miles from me. The conditions have to be favorable but I can work it with a Diamond CP22E mounted at the top ofa 40 foot mast fed with less than optimal RG6 so if you get virtually no loss with some gain out of the antenna you might be able to work those fringe machines.
thanks very much KC5QIH
73's
73's
kc5qih
Amateur Radio Operator and Scanning Enthusiast
A good way to calculate your line of site is to get the squre root of your antenna height in feet x 1.415 and you'll get approximate LOS however it's not going to calculate terrain etc...just over flat ground...but it'd give you an idea if you took one station where you know the height of the antenna and you know your own you could get a rough idea. You can usually expect approximately 15% over the horizon
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