I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and I'm going to set up
a couple of pretty long wires and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much
decided on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot. Is the impedance mismatch here
going to be negligible, or should I just bite the bullet and go with RG-8 or
a similar 50 ohm coax?

-Brian

On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:45:38 -0500, "Brian"
wrote:

I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and I'm going to set up
a couple of pretty long wires and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much
decided on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot. Is the impedance mismatch here
going to be negligible, or should I just bite the bullet and go with RG-8 or
a similar 50 ohm coax?

-Brian

Go with the RG-6, the loss at HF is negligable - in fact I believe
less than RG-58 and perhaps RG-8 as well. The 'mismatch' isn't an
issue at all & your receiver will likely never know it either. If
you are putting together the antenna yourself I suggest using a panel
mount 'F' connector at your feed point, use the coax as-is from the
box - though I cheat at the radio end and use an 'F' to UHF adapter.

Brian wrote:
I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and I'm going to set up
a couple of pretty long wires and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much
decided on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot. Is the impedance mismatch here
going to be negligible, or should I just bite the bullet and go with RG-8 or
a similar 50 ohm coax?

-Brian


Belden 9258 is not cheap.

On Dec 30, 7:45*pm, "Brian" wrote:
-
- I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and
- I'm going to set up a couple of pretty long wires and my
- Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much decided on RG-6
- for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
- and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot.
-
- Is the impedance mismatch here going to be negligible,
- or should I just bite the bullet and go with RG-8 or a
- similar 50 ohm coax?
-
- -Brian
-

Brian,

RG6 Coax Cable will work A-OK with only the smallest of
Impedance Mismatches over RG58 or RG8.

Consider the 'Quad-Shield' type of the RG6 Coax Cable.

# 1 - Search around your Backyard for an RF 'Quiet' Location
before Planting your Wellbrook Antenna. )

Mount the Wellbrook Loop Antenna where you can : the best
that you can for your Property and Location.

Place a Ground Rod at the base of the Wellbrook Loop Antenna.

Mount an F-Connector Pass-Through type Grounding Block
on the Ground Rod and Run a short Coax Cable down to this
Grounding Block; and then your main {long} Coax Cable from
the Grounding Block to you House.

If you can : Bury the Coax Cable from the Grounding Block
to the House.

You should have a good in-the-earth 8-Foot Ground Rod as
the basis for you Radio Shack's Ground that is Bonded
{Connected} to your House's AC Mains Electrical System
Ground.

TIP - For Active Shortwave Listener's Antennas like the
Wellbrook Loop Antenna and many others : A One-Piece
Antenna Mast made from a single piece of 21-Foot Long
Top-Rail works very well.
* One Piece of Metal Pipe-Tube with a Solid Electrical Path.
* Relatively Light and Easy to Handle by One Person.
* Three Feet in the Ground leaves 18-Feet in the Air.
* Base can be Telescoped into a Larger Diameter 3-Feet
piece of Metal Pipe-Tube which is placed in an 6~8 Inch
Hole and surrounded by Concret that is used as a Support
Anchor for the Top-Rail and Antenna.
* Allows for a Free Standing Antenna without the need for
any Guy Wires or Ropes
* Place the Ground Rod within 3~6 Inches of the Top-Rail and
connect a Short-Heavy Ground Wire-Strap-Web between them.
the Result is that you have a Solid One-Piece Ground Active
Antenna Support that places your Antenna 18-Feet Up-in-the-Air.


good luck with your wellbrook loop antenna ~ RHF

RHF wrote:
On Dec 30, 7:45 pm, "Brian" wrote:
-
- I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and
- I'm going to set up a couple of pretty long wires and my
- Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much decided on RG-6
- for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
- and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot.
-
- Is the impedance mismatch here going to be negligible,
- or should I just bite the bullet and go with RG-8 or a
- similar 50 ohm coax?
-
- -Brian
-

Brian,

RG6 Coax Cable will work A-OK with only the smallest of
Impedance Mismatches over RG58 or RG8.

Consider the 'Quad-Shield' type of the RG6 Coax Cable.

# 1 - Search around your Backyard for an RF 'Quiet' Location
before Planting your Wellbrook Antenna. )

Mount the Wellbrook Loop Antenna where you can : the best
that you can for your Property and Location.

Place a Ground Rod at the base of the Wellbrook Loop Antenna.

Mount an F-Connector Pass-Through type Grounding Block
on the Ground Rod and Run a short Coax Cable down to this
Grounding Block; and then your main {long} Coax Cable from
the Grounding Block to you House.

If you can : Bury the Coax Cable from the Grounding Block
to the House.

You should have a good in-the-earth 8-Foot Ground Rod as
the basis for you Radio Shack's Ground that is Bonded
{Connected} to your House's AC Mains Electrical System
Ground.

TIP - For Active Shortwave Listener's Antennas like the
Wellbrook Loop Antenna and many others : A One-Piece
Antenna Mast made from a single piece of 21-Foot Long
Top-Rail works very well.
* One Piece of Metal Pipe-Tube with a Solid Electrical Path.
* Relatively Light and Easy to Handle by One Person.
* Three Feet in the Ground leaves 18-Feet in the Air.
* Base can be Telescoped into a Larger Diameter 3-Feet
piece of Metal Pipe-Tube which is placed in an 6~8 Inch
Hole and surrounded by Concret that is used as a Support
Anchor for the Top-Rail and Antenna.
* Allows for a Free Standing Antenna without the need for
any Guy Wires or Ropes
* Place the Ground Rod within 3~6 Inches of the Top-Rail and
connect a Short-Heavy Ground Wire-Strap-Web between them.
the Result is that you have a Solid One-Piece Ground Active
Antenna Support that places your Antenna 18-Feet Up-in-the-Air.


good luck with your wellbrook loop antenna ~ RHF
.

Around here the top rail comes in 10' sections. Ever try to get a 20'
pipe into a pickup bed?

On Dec 30, 7:45*pm, "Brian" wrote:
-
- I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and
- I'm going to set up a couple of pretty long wires
-
- and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much decided
- on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's
- dirt cheap and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot.
-
- Is the impedance mismatch here going to be negligible,
- or should I just bite the bullet and go with RG-8 or a
- similar 50 ohm coax?
-
- -Brian
-

Brian,

For the Longwire Antennas {Random Wire} consider the
Inverted "L" Antenna.

READ - For Basic Shortwave Radio Listening (SWL)
-Think- Inverted "L" Antenna
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...0a3255b9ad5367

READ -Why- The Far-End-Fed Shortwave Listener's (SWLs)
Inverted "L" Antenna
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...cfc6b9cb2447c0
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw.../message/11698

Re-READ - SWL Longwire + Low Noise Antenna Connection
+ Grounding Is Key To Good Reception -by- John Doty
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...bc6a2bf8acc12d

Two separate but identical Inverted "L" Antennas both with 15~30
Foot Vertical-Up-Legs and 75~120 Foot Horizontal-Out-Arms.

Located with the Antenna Feed-Points about 75~120 Feet apart
and use a separate Ground Rod for each Antenna.

Position the Horizontal-Out-Arm Wire Antenna Elements so that
they are Perpendicular 90 Degrees to each other : N2S and E2W

Think of the Two Inverted "L" Antennas as Diversity Antennas
Being Both : Opposites -but- Equal.


good luck with your longwire antennas ~ RHF {pomkia}

RHF wrote:

.
|
|
|
/ \
.......!.......

I have a lazy twisted L HF receive antenna.

Brian wrote:

I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and I'm going to set up
a couple of pretty long wires and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much
decided on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot.
snip

Be careful of coax purchases from Home Depot; strip the outer jacket and
inspect the braid before buying. Product that I have bought has lousy
shielding at low vhf (50 Mhz) and probably will be unsuitable at HF as
well. I don't remember the OEM.

Regards,

Michael

msg wrote:
Brian wrote:

I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and I'm going to
set up a couple of pretty long wires and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've
pretty much decided on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the
stuff's dirt cheap and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot.
snip

Be careful of coax purchases from Home Depot; strip the outer jacket and
inspect the braid before buying. Product that I have bought has lousy
shielding at low vhf (50 Mhz) and probably will be unsuitable at HF as
well. I don't remember the OEM.

Regards,

Michael



Use satellite rated quad shield.

On Dec 30, 9:44*pm, msg wrote:
Brian wrote:
I finally got a house out in the woods on five acres and I'm going to set up
a couple of pretty long wires and my Wellbrook ALA-1530. I've pretty much
decided on RG-6 for a couple of 150 ft. runs because the stuff's dirt cheap
and I can pick it up at the local Home Depot.

snip
-
- Be careful of coax purchases from Home Depot;
- strip the outer jacket and inspect the braid before buying.
-*Product that I have bought has lousy shielding at low vhf
- (50 Mhz) and probably will be unsuitable at HF as well.
-*I don't remember the OEM.
-
- Regards,
-
- Michael
-

MSG,

Yes the 'quality' of Coax Cable does vary.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable#Standards
Especially when you buy 'Generic' Stuff at a BigBox
{Discount} Retailer at a Low Price.

Usually Quad-Shield RG6 {75 Ohm} Coax Cable is fairly good stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RG-6
http://www.hometech.com/techwire/coax.html#HT-RG6QB
http://www.hometech.com/techwire/coax.html#BE-1189A
http://www.hometech.com/techwire/coax.html#BE-7916A
* Two Aluminium Braid Shields 60% and 40%
* Two AL Foil 100% Shields
* Gas-Injected (Foamed) PE Dielectric
* Inner Conductor : Solid Copper or Copper-Clad-Steel
PVC Outer Jacket {Cover}
http://cableorganizer.com/coaxial-ca...oax-cable.html
http://www.homenetworkgear.com/catal...6F 8&pid=1207

Genesis* 1000 Feet Bulk RG-6 Quad Shield Coaxial Cable
http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ130139914168
* Genesis Premium Broadband Cable, Manufactured by Honeywell

What Does "RG-6" {Coax Cable} Mean ?
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/rg6.htm
-presented by- Blue Jeans Cable

Note - Home Depot only lists one RG6 Coax Cable OnLine.
http://tinyurl.com/3y97cq
Brand 'BICC'
500 Ft. Black RG6 Quad-Shield Coaxial Cable
Model 92041-45-08 -
Cable Type : RG6/U
Impedance Ohms : 75 Ohms
Nominal O.D. : 0.307 In.
Wire Gauge/Number of Conductors : 1/18 AWG
Cable Length : 500 Ft.
Suitable for LAN, cable, digital video, and direct broadcast
satellite.
Sunlight Resistant - Coaxial Cable
Home Depot - http://www.homedepot.com/

CAUTION - The big problem with RG6 Coax Cable and even
the Quad-Shield type is the Aluminium Braid is not as good
a Conductor as Copper Braid.

TIP - You may have to run a Heavy Copper Wire along with
the RG6 Coax Cable to "Bond" your Antenna Ground with
your House's AC Mains Ground.

Be Advised - None of the above RG6 Coax Cable
is 'designated' for Direct Burial.


you got to be 'wired' to listen to the radio - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}