> The ARRL Antenna Book - page 24-18 (edition from 1995) says:
>
> "In general, full legal amateur power can be safely applied to
inexpensive
> RG-58 coax in the bands below 10MHZ. Cables of RG8 family can withstand
> full amateur power through the VHF spectrum, but connectors must be
> carefully chosen in these applications...."
>
> It looks that the power capabilities varies a lot when the frequency
> changes......As I am changing the cables I had the curiosity to check in
> the Antenna Book the power capabilities of each cable family....
>
> I will try to check another source like ON4UN's book...The RG58 looks so
> weak to handle 1500w, doesn't it??
The Handbook is correct.
It will handle 1500 watts CW and SSB below 10 MHz. I use it in jumpers,
sometimes even on the test bench. Sometimes I run up to 5 kW through it on
higher frequencies (like 27.120 MHz and 40.68 MHz) and it gets pretty
darned "limp"! I've melted some down, but only on long steady carriers on
27.120 and above. On 13.56 MHz, it is marginal for steady carriers at 1000
watts.
For SSB use, I wouldn't worry at all about hurting it.
73 Tom
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