Coax & Ladder Line
We carry a variety of coax cables to fit most any application. Selecting the right one can seem confusing at times, especially for newer Hams. Here's a brief description of each. It's important to note that ALL of our coax is American made and top quality. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. You spent good money on that transceiver. It took some effort to get that antenna up in the air. Don't throw away your power with lossy cable! Our coax is also guaranteed gluten-free and non-GMO.
Some coax basics to keep in mind:
1) In general, loss in coax increases as diameter decreases.
2) In general, loss in coax increases as frequency increases.
3) In general, loss in coax is directly proportional to its length.
4) Coax power ratings assume a matched load (i.e. a 1:1 SWR). If you're using a tuner, coax between the tuner and the antenna does NOT have a matched load.
USA-Flex™ is our top-of-the-line cable. Nearly (but not quite) the lowest loss of any coax in its class. It has the best jacket of all -- so good, you can not only direct-bury it, you can even run it under water. It will easily outlast other cables in an outdoor installation. And with a stranded center conductor, it's flexible enough to use with a beam and rotor. That means one run (no splices) from the top of the tower right into the shack. Rated for legal limit, .405" diameter.
USA-400™ is our lowest loss cable. Note that most so-called "400 type" cables are made in China, including some of the well-known names -- yes, even "that one". Like all of our cable, USA-400 is made in the USA. Although its solid center conductor does make it somewhat stiff, it's ideally suited for VHF and UHF vertical antennas mounted high in the air. We do NOT recommend the various "400-Flex" cables on the market. Instead, choose our USA-Flex if you need a flexible cable. Rated for legal limit, .405" diameter.
USA-213™ has been a standard "workhorse" cable for many years. It's the most flexible of any of the larger cable, and at HF the additional loss over USA-Flex or USA-400 is not that much. If RG-213 meets your needs, you'll be pleased with our top-quality, American made cable. Rated for legal limit, .405" diameter.
USA-240™ is the star of our smaller cables. With considerably lower loss than regular RG-8X, it can be a good choice for medium length runs at VHF and even short runs at UHF. Many Hams use it for HF, mostly because it's less expensive and of course lighter weight than the larger cables. Rated at 800 Watts, .240" diameter.
USA-8X™ is no doubt the most popular coax for Ham Radio use. Equivalent to RG-8X or Mini-8, but USA made and premium quality. While it does have somewhat higher loss than the larger cables, the difference is not much especially at lower HF frequencies (like 20, 40, and 75 meters). It's even acceptable, if not the best choice, for shorter runs at VHF. Rated at 800 watts, .240" diameter.
USA-58™ is our least expensive cable. Prior to the introduction of RG-8X cable, many hams used it in their stations, and it still has a following. Due to its smaller size and lighter weight, it's often specified in plans for traps and other matching systems. Rated at 500 watts, .195" diameter.
