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View Full Version : Will My SWR suffer on 40 feet of coax???



StormyNitesOnCB
01-04-2014, 08:57 AM
I know firestik recommends multiples of 18 feet
so for my situation it should be 54 feet to a rooftop antenna
per their suggestion. will only 40 feet be okay???

This is the stuff I plan on using 40 feet of for my Solarcon A-99 No Ground Plane
and will be Running Barefoot!!!
http://www.showmecables.com/product/ECore-Cables-Low-Loss-400-Cable-Per-Foot.aspx
1.) Will my SWR suffer like firestik claims?
2.) Running Barefoot it's note horibbly important
to ground coax Just unplug in a storm to save radio correct???

(http://www.showmecables.com/product/ECore-Cables-Low-Loss-400-Cable-Per-Foot.aspx)

Beercanman
01-04-2014, 01:00 PM
You'll be fine, if you have a high swr reading it's not because of the coax length.

Sent from my titty phone.

Gordon Gekko
01-04-2014, 01:14 PM
Coax length does not affect the true swr. On some occasions coax length can show an incorrecg reading on the swr meter but its a matter of fooling the meter. As Mr. Beercanman said, you'll be just fine with the 40' run.

222DBFL
01-04-2014, 01:21 PM
Do not purchase the cheap coax. Get the real stuff from times microwave.

StormyNitesOnCB
01-04-2014, 03:52 PM
Do not purchase the cheap coax. Get the real stuff from times microwave.

I provided a link to my coax I got a
Times Micro Equiveent it cost me $80...+ shipping
rated for 26,000 watt SOLID center conductor and Diamitor .1079 inch
AND I'm ONLY Running Barefoot! 4 Watts
Plus it was peaked and tuned in the 1970's During the Craze LOL
I just want to be sure ALL 4 Watt GET to the ANtenna

Gordon Gekko
01-04-2014, 04:03 PM
Why does it matter if its rated for 25,000+ watts? You're only using 4 of them.
You'd be perfectly fine using lmr 240 ( not the knockoff shit) or even Belden rg8

222DBFL
01-04-2014, 04:22 PM
I tried to tell him, don't buy the knock off shit, and haven't seen any lmr400 rated for 26000 watts lol. But anyway, Gordon gekko is 110% right, i am using 50ft of lmr240 (times microwave) with a home brew dipole and talk all over the country with it on a stock uniden pc122xl. Don't skimp out on the cheap coax or should I say the off brand (generic) stuff. JMO.

Gordon Gekko
01-04-2014, 05:03 PM
A 40' run isn't long enough for any appreciable loss to affect transmit power. Mini 8 will be fine too. Unless the coax run is long, 50' or more and/or you're running a whole bunch of power, lmr 400 and the like isn't really necessary.

Gerowen
01-13-2014, 02:11 AM
I'm running 50 feet on an 8 watt radio and my SWR doesn't even register. Sometimes if it's really cold out it'll tick up to like 1.1 until I key down a couple times and that's it.

On a setup I did for my mom with her Galaxy 959 and an Antron A-99 18 foot antenna, I had to splice 100 feet of coax because in the process of stringing it I accidentally sliced halfway through it with the tin roof on the porch. I just cut it completely in two at the slice, pulled the middle conductor and the grounding mesh in opposite directions so they wouldn't cross, twisted it all back together, taped it all together with electrical tape, slathered it in lithium grease to keep water out, and wrapped the whole thing in gorilla tape to hold it together. Ya know what the SWR on that radio is? 1.0

As long as you do a good job putting on your connectors and don't have any un-repaired damage, sharp bends or kinks in the cable, you will be just fine.