Topband: Coax for Beverage feed?

[Brad Rehm]

> Can anyone suggest a suitable coaxial cable to feed a Beverage antenna,
> and where to get it?

Deni,

Many hams are using RG-59 and RG-6 TV coaxial cable to feed their
Beverages.  On the low bands, loss is not significant, even for long
runs.  The loss due to the 75-to-50 Ohm mismatch can be ignored or
handled with a simple transformer.

The RG-6 cable has a foil shield, in addition to braid.  It's also
available in a "flooded" version that's suitable for use on the ground
or buried a short distance below the surface in homogenous soil.

Obtaining this coax is normally easy.  I found the best prices at a
local home improvement store, but large quantities of it appear now
and then at hamfests and surplus outlets.

Another factor that favors this coax is the new class of connectors
that's available for it.  These have a plastic seal at the rear of
each connector to reduce moisture penetration.  Decent cable strippers
and termination tools are available at low prices, although I would
buy the best I could find.

It seems odd to be recommending TV components for a ham station, but
these have been improved a lot through the years, and the volume in
which they're manufactured makes them very affordable, even at retail
prices.

73,
Brad, KV5V