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Author Topic: Cable question  (Read 6195 times)

Offline Raycefrk

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Cable question
« on: April 29, 2006, 09:53:02 AM »
I was researching what kind of cable to use and ran across this article. Anybody know if this would work? I will just be using it for scanning only.
Also has anybody ever had any luck using a Vhf/Uhf tv antenna?


http://www.irving.org/ftplib/scanning/50v75ohm.txt




Scott Bledsoe



Offline sean

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Cable question
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2006, 10:10:57 AM »
Scott,  

Using 75-ohm cable isn't a terrible thing in the scanning world.  If you are going to use it, make sure it's RG-6, which is one of the lower loss versions.  I wouldn't use a TV antenna, though, because of it's polarization.  It's better to get a decent scanner antenna which is correctly polarized - vertically - than to use a TV antenna.

Sean

Offline Raycefrk

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Cable question
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2006, 11:34:07 AM »
Thanks Sean, I was wondering about the whole TV antenna thing. My brother in-law was getting rid of real nice one and I thought if anybody had any luck I might try it. Oh well I will get the mounting pole any way.

Scott

Offline cysj_saintjohn

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Cable question
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2006, 12:19:22 PM »
i use RG-58 cable that you can purchase at radioshack. its connected to my discone antenna and works great. im sure it should work good all around with any type of scanning

Offline Lezam

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Cable question
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2006, 08:58:02 PM »
Dont tell anyone about this, buuuut.....  8)  8)  8)

The new JFK tower feed is running on 75 ohm RG-6 cabling, which I picked up in radioshack for 20 bucks? Works fine for me, I dont hear any loss.

I actually had luck that day, a guy who works with antennas for a big company gave me advice on setting up my feed, and told me RG-6 would be fine.... :D

Offline RatOmeter

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Cable question
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2006, 05:56:04 PM »
Heh. I use RG-58U that I got for free.

A few years back at my old place of employ, we ripped out all the cabling for our ethernet "ThinLAN" and upgraded to 100 Base T.

Not all of the coax went into the dumpster ;)

Offline Lezam

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Cable question
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2006, 06:48:57 PM »
Quote from: RatOmeter
Heh. I use RG-58U that I got for free.

A few years back at my old place of employ, we ripped out all the cabling for our ethernet "ThinLAN" and upgraded to 100 Base T.

Not all of the coax went into the dumpster ;)


Can you notice any difference when your scanner is hooked directly into your antenna, and when its hooked up via the RG-58?

Offline RatOmeter

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Cable question
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2006, 08:08:15 PM »
I have not tried that, but it's a very good question.  Since I put male BNC connectors on the antenna(s), a ThinLAN cable was perfect to connect to them (actually, that's the reason I made the ants that way, 'causa the cable!).

I do have a commercially made BNC patch cable about 24" long that I should use to test as you suggested.

Will do on Wed. along with other antenna tests.

Thanks for the suggestion!