RG58 cables - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Housedad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 03:57:15 am
content: I want to start making my own cables. I'm hoping I can make high quality cables at a better price, and especially at custom lengths as needed. 50 ohm test cables with ends like BNC, SMA and N. It will all sub 1.5 Ghz for the forseable future, so that makes it easier, I imagine.The thing is that I want to use quality materials. What types and manufacturers of cable and ends should I look for?Where are good places to go for price and quality? I am wary of Chinese clone crud, so I know Ebay is a total crap shoot.Edit to add: Many thanks to w2aew for his video on assembling cable ends.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 11:14:57 am
content: I like Canare for BNC, RCA and a few other connector types, they are a top quality Japanese company with top notch, rated and characterized parts.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 11:55:25 am
content: Amphenol are very good quality connectors. I use them for my ham radio gear.

author: Housedad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 12:38:36 pm
content: any special source or maker for RG58C/U?

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 12:47:44 pm
content: Amphenol connectors and Belden cable here. Be prepared to spend. I got a part used roll of belden 8262 for virtually nothing fortunately. Think a full roll is about $500 or so.Amphenol sell premade cables too that are good and cheaper than making your own. Newark sell them I think.Really depending on frequency I tend to stick with shit cable and SO239 for radio use as it goes outdoors. Doesn’t seem to make enough of a difference for that sort of stuff.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 03:03:37 pm
content: For pre-made cables, you can't beat the quality of Pasternack, but they are pricey.Seehttps://www.pasternack.com/bnc-male-bnc-male-rg223u-cable-assembly-pe3087-36-p.aspxfor very good cables, using double-shielded RG223 50 ohm cable, at $34 (depending on length).

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2018, 03:30:36 pm
content: I've had good luck with Chinese made harnesses. Oddly enough, only failures I personally experienced happened with Amphenol connectors.That basically told me other than obvious junks, buying cheap doesn't mean useless and paying premium doesn't guarantee trouble free success. Since then, I have been purchasing large quantity of Chinese eBay stuff and I have been satisfied. As I am going higher in frequency, this may change. Oh, yes... I had to throw away a whole batch once for obvious issues....Since I have a spectrum analyzer and a tracking generator, and a return loss bridge, checking cables aren't big deal. I just look for odd reflections and loss.For cables, I like Belden and Times Microwave. Most of my cables are RG58 and thinner, RG316 stuff. Be careful with RG223 as it has a solid center conductor. Excess and repeated flexing will sever it. (I have personal experience on this one)

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2018, 03:16:15 am
content: I've been burned too many times by garbage connectors from China to bother for anything remotely critical. Fake gold plating, poor tolerances, unknown specs, in most cases it's just not worth the risk. You don't have to spend a lot to get stuff that at least meets known specs.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2018, 03:47:43 am
content: That's true. I don't have time to waste for poor cable either.But my counter point to that is, just because something is sold by first class vendor, made by top notch manufacturer, in USA, and is new, doesn't guarantee it's a good product either. I've personally ran into few adapters that were bad. It must have been a batch failure because 80% of what I bought that time were bad. It was an Amphenol bought from Digi-key. Of course, as soon as I notified the vendor, my money was quickly refunded.But that told me this. Never to trust anything without checking myself first. I should have known that, too.Since that time, for anything that matters (pretty much every time if I even cared to measure that), I check cables. If the reading doesn't make sense, I check cables. Known bad cables are promptly marked and thrown away or repurposed.Of course, I did get some bad stuff from China. I've thrown them away, send complaint, and forget. Sometimes I get money back, sometimes, I don't. Stuff are cheap enough, I'm actually ahead.If I am working with something I have no way to verify, yes, I buy products from good dealer with well known names. That reduces my rate disappointment. I still have to remember, most everything we get these days are made off-shore. US manufacturers don't verify every one of them either.An interesting world we live in these days.

author: Housedad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2018, 04:40:37 am
content: This is great information, folks. Thank you.I noticed that there are different specs for shielding braid, too. 60%, 80%, 90% or what have you. What are the things to look for in that spec? Stiffer? Better shielding? Lower loss? in other words, what am I looking at for real world advantages/disadvantages?is RG316 crimped the same way? That are the advantages of RG316?

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2018, 04:58:40 am
content: Percentage of braid coverage that is appropriate depends on WHAT you are doing with it and WHERE. It is not a simple, isolated factor.Remember that you must use cable that you can easily get connectors for AND VICE-VERSA. Many proprietary varieties of RG cable are non-standard diameters and require their own matching connectors.And if you are going to use crimp connectors, then you have the triple-task of getting cable, connectors and crimping tools and dies that all work together. Hope you have some $$$ saved up for crimping tools and dies.Unless you are going to be making enough connections to justify the cost of tooling, you might want to consider old-fashioned 10-piece (its a joke!) screw-together kind with the rubber compression gland, etc. It is fiddly to use, but at least you can take it apart if you got it wrong and it doesn't require any expensive crimp tools, etc.

author: Housedad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2018, 05:29:25 am
content: Thank you Richard.I have seen these types in the catalogs online, but I had concerns that the electrical characteristics of them would not be as good as crimped or soldered. Are there any differences in performance to justify that concern?

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2018, 05:40:33 am
content: The old style connectors were the whole game for many decades. Crimp-style connectors are a relatively modern invention.You said "sub 1.5GHz", so I wouldn't think that even the old-style connectors would pose any significant problem, even those installed while you are still on the learning-curve. Certainly soldered center-pin connections will be more certain than the crimped kind if you aren't using exactly the right crimper and die.And the original style BNC connectors are "re-enterable" and repairable while crimp-style are once-and-done. If there is any problem with installation or use, your only option is to chop it off, discard the connector, and lose several mm of cable length.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2018, 05:25:14 pm
content: As far as shield coverage is concerned, 100% is what you aim for (but never get it).... Braided shield should be above 90%. Foam dialectic has lower loss but it's harder to solder and if cable gets warm, center conductor can shift. Solid center has lower loss but will break if you flex it many times. Stranded has higher loss but more flexible and tolerates repeated bending. Double shielding is better but more stiff. RG223 is like this. Some cable has aluminum shield (100%) and braid. I like these. Peeling aluminum off is pain as it is glued.RG316 is thinner than RG58. It is about the same as RG174. It is very flexible. Pretty tough. I use a lot of these. I have never seen solder and clamp type connector. Usually, these are crimped. Crimpers are widely available on Amazon. Mine is generic kind but seem to work correctly. I usually buy mine pre-terminated. Since I have an ability to sweep my cables I typically buy from Chinese sellers and in quantity. So far, so good.By the way.... if you buy cables from eBay, buy small quantity first and cut it open to check. There are some awful stuff out there. One time, I received a coax that's only 40% shielded. Jacket was made with very stiff PVC. I threw that away. I never had issue with transparent jacket type like RG316.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2018, 05:29:59 pm
content: By the way....RG58 is a partial description. RG58C/U is what you want. Its a uncontaminated version. Contrary to popular misconception, C/U does not mean you can bury it underground. It is non-contaminating in a sense that outer jacket does not contaminate inner shield and under. Most of my good harnesses use this cable.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2018, 06:02:27 pm
content: Quote from: Housedad on October 22, 2018, 05:29:25 amI have used this type. the center conductor solders into the pin. Proper application of a wrench on the nut, as long as you have exposed the proper amount of shield, gives a solid connection. For the few MHz I have used my cables at, there doesn't seem to be an issue.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2018, 03:07:59 am
content: Quote from: tkamiya on October 23, 2018, 05:29:59 pmTo expand a bit.The 'U' in the part number (ie. RB58/U) stands for 'Universal' meaning it can be used for any application, but some believe is means 'Underground' or 'UV resistant', there is no definite designation as to what the 'U' means, so best to double check the actual cable characteristics for suitability before use.Any letters before the slash are modifiers for different versions of the cable, for example RG58A/U is stranded core as opposed to solid core of RG58/U etc.