Sorry if this doubles, but 12 hours after I post my first reply it
still wasn't
up.

The 1505A was "free". My friend is on long term disabiltiy insurance.
His interests are fairly limited at this time. He wants to monitor the
FD
that he worked in for 20+ years and they have gone to trunking.

I would have gladly bought him the correct cable, but his is very
stuffy
about charity. He is OK with helping others, but has a very difficult
time accepting if from others. Between he and his wifes saving, the
procceds
from the sale of ther fancy home, and money saved by movcing to a much
smaller town ~20 miles away from Lexington, they get by in a fairly
comfortable life style.

His brother found a NRD525? in what appears to be mint condition.
His wife found a Pro2067 at a flea market for next to nothing. The
Radio Shack diskcone was sitting in another friends collecting dust.
He dropped out of scanning 15+ years ago.

The Belden PDF spec sheet for 1505A says that the black is suitable for
exterior use. If his scanning interest grow, and the need arrises I am
for
certain going to put better, as in lower loss, cable up. But for now,
he has
a very effective HF and VHF/UHF monitoring station.

Apparently I didn't make my primary reason for point clear:
50 Ohm RG-59 is not the only good choice for scanning or
SWL. "F" fittings are a good and inexpensive alternative to
BNC connectors. And by using "F" "static"/ground blocks
where the coax enters the dwelling, one can meet the requirement
of the NEC to "..ground the outer conductor before the coax cable
enters.."

And that a little scrounging can greatly reduce the cash outlay for a
beginner, or for an experimenter. I installed a coaxial dipole using
the
1505A for feedline. "F" fittings all the way to my IC28A. SWR, 1.5:1.
I can bring up a usefull number of repeaters. And on my ancient Pro2004
I can hear PD/FD/PS comms out to maybe 50 miles. My friend has a
general class ticket, but has been inactive for a LONG time. I am going
to
do a test and see if we can reach each other simplex. I am loaning
him the antenna and an acient Clegg @mTR FM rig.

Just for grins I tossed a 10mtr coaxial dipole, again fed with 1505A,
and was pretty well shocked by how well it works. Talked to a mobile
in GA early this afternoon. Even with near 0 sunspots 10Mtrs opens up
every now and then.

Now to see if I can trade a HTX100 from a friend who has left radio for
the lure of evercrack. (EverQuest) He plays 30+ hours a week, and works
a 40 hour work week!

I wasn't trying to say, or claim that 1505A is great cable. At it's
inflated price
it is far from a bargin. But as you point out there are other, low and
very low loss RG59/RG-6 75 Ohm coax available. But for free it is one
hell of a bargin. And I suspect that even you will admit that given his
listening
target, and antenna, better calbe wouldn't have given him better
reception.
After all, full quiting is hard to improve up on. I don't know if it is
practical to think of trying to monitor trunked mobiles directly, and
at his distance I doubt
if heliax would help.

Terry