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Old April 7th 07, 09:35 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.policy
Tam/WB2TT Tam/WB2TT is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 125
Default RG-6 Coaxial Cable for Ham use


" anon@anon wrote in message
...

"Tam/WB2TT" wrote in message
. ..

"Nod Dloyd" anon@anon wrote in message

...
I've recently read comments that several Hams have been using the RG-6
coaxial cable instead of the standard RG-8 or other commonly accepted
cables
such as RG-58.
One said that he buys this RG-6 at one of the home warehouse stores and
buys
it in 500 foot spools. He said it is far less expensive than the

commonly
accepted cables we purchase from various Ham outlets.
Yes, it is 75 Ohm cable, but the users of same claim that it works
quite
well and can withstand higher voltages than advertised and more than
one
user claimed that they could run 1,500 watts through the cable with no
apparent deterioration.

If this is so, then I missed this open *secret*. Any input would be
welcome...especially the experiences of you who use it. I just happen
to
have a spool of this cable in my garage that I purchased at an estate
auction some years ago and if it works as said, then I will cancel my
order
with The Wireman.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Name and Call withheld to avoid spammers and Usenet flooders.

73


I would not run it up the tower, or anywhere else that is hard to get at.
Without spending an arm and a leg, use crimp on connectors. I have some
PL259 type crimp ons (Digikey), and they work fine, even at a KW+. I did
solder the center conductor on the LMR240 (same diameter as RG6). The

center
conductor might be way too small for the hole in the connector; in that

case
stuff some pieces of wire in next to the center conductor so you are not
connected through solder only.

Tam/WB2TT

I might point out to Dee that the RG-6 I see is indeed meant for outdoor
use. Our local dish installers us it as their standard feedline.

Of the few samples that I looked at, the black RG6 was outdoor rated, the
white jacketed was not. Kind of makes sense. Didn't see any power ratings at
the Belden site, but I seem to recall seeing ratings in the few hundred W
range.

Tam/WB2TT