"Michael Lawson" wrote in message
news

"Dave" wrote in message
...
I recently installed a makeshift antenna on my roof similar to the
"temporary" one I have been using for a couple of years, but its
performance
is severely degraded (not quite as good as my whip antenna, by
itself). Now
I think I have found the problem, but want to check with those on
the group
to confirm my suspicions. I used RG59 coax in combination with
300-ohm/50
ohm baluns, but now find a source of information that says RG59 is
75-ohm,
not 52 ohm like the guy at the parts depot told me. Which do I
believe?
The (young) guy who cut the cable for me, or the book on RF design
that some
people says is full of mistakes? What is the actual impedance of
RG59 coax?

RG-59/RG-6 is 75 ohm, and RG-58/RG-8x/RG-8 is 52 ohm.
How long of a run do you have from the antenna to the
receiver??

I'd suspect something more than just the coax if you've
got severely degraded performance. What's the radio
and the type of antenna you're using??

--Mike L.




Thanks for the quick response, Mike!

65 feet of coax between the radio (DX-402/ATS-505) and the antenna (200 feet
of 300 ohm twin-lead hidden along the ridge on the roof of the house.) And
I don't think I would call it "severely" degraded, only slightly so. Only a
little less than the old "temporary" antenna (60 feet of four strand copper
wire thrown over the house.) Also, the new antenna is oriented primarily E/W
while the "temporary" antenna was oriented primarily N/S, if that matters.

Thanks again for the help.

Dave