For the radio lovers, coaxial cables are a must. Basically, coaxial cables are wire cables which are generally copper-based and is a product of a composition of 4 different layers. A wire conductor is present in the cable center which is thin. A plastic insulation layer surrounds copper wire. For preventing any interference from outside and to shield the coaxial cable, another layer of wire mesh is provided. For the last insulation, a rubber layer is provided for utmost security on the outer part of the coaxial cable. These cables are used for purposes of visual and audios and they can be used with many or I can say with almost all types of electronic appliances. So basically, coaxial cables are lines for transmissions and carries electrical signals with a high frequency. They assure you the lowest leakage of signals and offers you most amazing sound quality. Most of these coaxial cables have a great length which makes them more convenient to use. The effectiveness of these cables is tested when they are used by organizations such as NASA, NOAA, and other departments such as police, fire departments, marine organizations etc. Their magnetic base makes the installation of these coaxial cables very easy. These coaxial cables promise you great reliability, flexibility, and toughness required.
You’ll get more features about these cables while going through the compiled list given below of coaxial cables for HF Ham radios including a detailed information about each one of them for you to make an informed purchase decision by making your task easy.
Best coax for HF Ham radio
1. Cable Experts RG-8X Coax Cable
This RG-8X coax cable by Extreme consumer products (Amazon) has a cable wire of 50 ohm which is coaxial. It is manufactured in the country of America and the assembling of the cable wire is also done there. This RG-8X heavy duty coaxial cable has the capacity of holding the signal which is the strongest with the very minimal loss rate as compared to other brands. This coaxial cable is suitable for a Ham radio or a CB, antenna tuner or a switch meter, antenna connection of RF, and more. For its optimum protection, this cable wire has a very durable and flexible jacket of polyethylene. This cable wire is rated as a burial in direct. A warranty of five years is given with this cable wire. Also, for preventing any amount of outer electrical interference or a signal leak, this coaxial cable is shielded with a copper braiding which provides you with a 95% of protection coverage. This coaxial cable wire has an inside core of 16 AWG copper conductor which is stranded barely. The measurements are such that the conductor is of 0.058”, the stranding is of 19/29 or 0.0113”, the dielectric diameter is of 0.155” and overall diameter of the cable is 0.242”. the maximum handling of power by the cable is of 875W with a velocity factor of 74%.
2. 100 ft RG8X Coax Cable
This RG8X coaxial cable is a product of Workman and comes with a conductor which has a 16 Ga center and is stranded. The protection of this RG8X coaxial cable wire is ensured by the 95% shielding of copper braid and is soldered with PL-259 on each of its ends. The cable length is of 100 feet and can be used for a Ham radio and can work in any weather be it summer, winter, snowy, or rainy thus proving its durability.
3. MPD Digital LMR400-PL259
This MPD digital LMR400 PL259 is manufactured in the USA with a trademark that is registered as of the digital systems of MPD. It connects to the receivers, antennas, radio transmitters and meters. This cable comes with connectors of Teflon dielectrics which are soldered with silver plating. The frequency range of these connectors is of DC – 11 GHz with impedance of 50 Ohms. This MPD digital cable comes with a warranty of 10 years and applications such as specialty, outdoor and indoor all are supported by this coaxial cable. For an effective coaxial cable to function properly, the right manufacturing techniques and right cable both are necessary and so this cable is usually the first choice for people working at NASA, NOAA, fire departments, police, marine corporations and army personnel. This MPD digital cable wire assures you the minimum loss of signal at 5W and power levels which are supported are up to 15 Kw.
4. HYS TC-110NMO RG58 Coaxial Cable
This HYS TC PL-259 RG58 is a product of HYS and has a connection style of NMO with 16.4 feet length and as it is mounted with NMO base which is magnetic, it has a diameter of 110mm or 4.3”. Because of this magnetic base, the pulling strength of this HYS coaxial cable is 30.8 lbs. This type of coaxial cable is appropriate for almost all kinds of UHF-MALE, PL259 antenna, SO239 mobile radio and a SL16-MALE. Easy installation and plugging and playing installation are achieved because of this magnetic base.
5. HYS TC-110M RG58 Coaxial Cable
In this HYS TC-110M RG58 cable by HYS, the coaxial cable has a connection style of SO-239 with 16.4 feet length. Again, this SO-239 coaxial cable has a magnetic base which is mounted on it and a diameter of 110mm or 4.3” is there. This coaxial cable is suitable for mobile radios such as UHF-MALE, SO239, PL259 antenna and SL16-MALE. The pulling strength of this cable is of 30.8 lbs. with an easy installation process along with plugging and playing installation.
6. MPD Digital LMR-400 Coaxial Cable
This LMR 400 jumper coaxial cable is trademark which is registered under MPD digital systems. It provides connectivity to the receivers, antennas, radio transmitters and meters. It is a 6 feet long coaxial cable manufactured in the USA and Teflon dielectric connectors are soldered with silver plating. An optimum performance is ensured with the minimal loss of signals. An impedance of 50 Ohms is there and the range of frequency is DC – 11 GHz. This cable wire is flexible enough to meet the requirements of Ham radio, CB radio and WIFI radio installations. These are used for a wide range of applications of RF transmission. Main uses of this coaxial cable wire are for military systems which are ground based, airborne and shipboard systems.
7. MPD Digital RG-8U PL-259
The RG-8U PL-259 is a product of MPD digital systems and is super flexible with a diameter of .405 inches. It the coaxial cable wire exceeds all the standards of NATO, IDF MIL-C-17 and US. A return policy period of 60 days is provided with a one-year exchange for you to return and exchange the cable with any defects. A five-year warranty is also given on the connectors along with a warranty of 10 years on the cable jacket. This cable’s jacket is made of PVC which is non contaminating with a braid of pure copper, a PE dielectric of less density and a center of pure copper braiding thereby making this cable more versatile and flexible among all the other VHF-HF cables. The propagation velocity is 66%, corona extinction of 5 kV, dielectric strength of 10,000 V, and voltage rating of 3700 V. This coaxial cable generally supports equipment of military because of its features such as reliability, toughness and high performance of cable, tubing and wire.