coaxial cable
- Thread starter redhead78
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The RG-59 is a 75 Ohm Impedance cable, and I think that the VHF Radios want to mate with a 50 Ohm Impedance cable. The RG-58 Coax cable has a 50 Ohm Impedance.
The loss per 100 feet of RG-58U is 6.1 dB, and for RG-8X it's 4.5 dB. Either would work, but you will have less cable transmission signal loss with the RG-8X.
Check the VHF Radio manual to verify the impedance rating of the output, and cable recommendations for 55 Ft length.
The loss per 100 feet of RG-58U is 6.1 dB, and for RG-8X it's 4.5 dB. Either would work, but you will have less cable transmission signal loss with the RG-8X.
Check the VHF Radio manual to verify the impedance rating of the output, and cable recommendations for 55 Ft length.
Don't use RG-59. It won't work as well and there's a possibility that you could fry your VHF when you transmit.
I asked the same question last year.
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=126879&highlight=Coax+Cable
I used LMR400UF which I believe will out last me. In hind sight it was heavy Ø.400 and wasn't easy to run and takes up a lot of space in the tube that runs up the mast. Do a search, Mainsail also has a post on his "How To" sight.
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=126879&highlight=Coax+Cable
I used LMR400UF which I believe will out last me. In hind sight it was heavy Ø.400 and wasn't easy to run and takes up a lot of space in the tube that runs up the mast. Do a search, Mainsail also has a post on his "How To" sight.
Making a fully waterproof joint at the mast heel is always a problem. I have fitted a rubber gland to the deck so my joint to the cable is a pair of M & F PL259 connectors inside the headlinings.
My boat has a detachable panel at the top of the compression post to hide the connectors.
No leaks this last 18 years.
It is no more trouble to undo the gland than it would have been to undo a so called waterproof connector.
These glands can be bought with several holes for standard diameters of cables and one just leaves the rubber plugs in the unused ones.
My boat has a detachable panel at the top of the compression post to hide the connectors.
No leaks this last 18 years.
It is no more trouble to undo the gland than it would have been to undo a so called waterproof connector.
These glands can be bought with several holes for standard diameters of cables and one just leaves the rubber plugs in the unused ones.
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