Topband: Home Depot RG-6 Cable

[Dennis W0JX]

Stay away from the low priced RG-6. I used to buy 500 foot rolls of RG-6 Quad from Home Depot to be used to feed my beverages and K9AY loop.
 
The cable was made in Canada. Its weakness is its PVC jacket which is easily scored, nicked, or cut. I found several instances in my system where a small tear occurred and allowed water into the cable. The outside aluminum shield quickly deteriorates and a powder starts to form.
 
The best way to go is to use a flooded cable which I will do for all replacements. Also, once installed, it is a good idea to measure the total cable resistance of the installed feedline and record it for future reference and trouble-shooting. I was surprised at the resistance of the combined center conductor and shield of a 500 foot length of feedline. It runs in the range of 14 to 18 ohms for RG-6.
 
73, Dennis W0JX/8