[TenTec] OT: Half inch Andrews Heliax LDF4-50A vs LMR-400

[GARY HUBER]

As I consider the materials required to replace my 30 year old tower, rotor, antenna and cables, I have several like new runs on LDF4-50A terminated with N-male which could run from my ground window (UHF female) to the top of my 53 foot tower (60 feet max LDF4-50A cable run)  where a flexible low-loss 10 foot jumper would terminate on a new BN-4000 and new TH-7 tribander.  This configuration would require the 60 feet max LDF4-50A cable run,  two half inch N female to UHF male adapters, one UHF double female and 10 feet of high quality RG8 cable as the jumper to the BN-4000.

The alternative which I’m leaning towards as it seems less likely to have connector/adapter loss and other potential problems is a single run of 75 feet of LMR-400 with factory terminated PL-259s between the BN-4000 and ground window UHF female termination. My current installation is 60 feet of RG-9913, a UHF double female adapter and a ten foot RG-8214 jumper.

I know the half inch Andrews Heliax has a much lower loss figure (0.357 db per 100 feet at 30MHz) for a given length versus the same length of LMR 400 (0.7 db per 100 feet at 30MHz) , but I’m thinking those three adapters (six connection points for loss) and their potential problems make it a wash or maybe the advantage goes to the 75 foot run of LMR-400. 

I’d be interested in any comments or experiences you might have on the subject.

73 ES DX,
Gary -- AB9M