Topband: PL 259 for RG6

[Mike Waters]

On Sat, Oct 8, 2011 at 3:40 PM, Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:

> ... you should be using ONLY coax with a heavy copper braid shield for
> transmitting on the HF and MF bands.
>

I know several Topbanders--and others--that are using inexpensive 75-ohm
aluminum shield CATV-style 'RG-6', even running the legal limit through it.
It is actually quite low loss.

I regularly run 700 watts through flooded Commscope aluminum quad-shield CCS
stuff myself, even using F-connectors filled with silicone dielectric
compound (though BNC, etc. connectors would be better, yes), and I know I'm
not alone. It's also what I feed my Beverages and 40 meter vertical antenna
with.

Take a look at Fig. 2 on http://vk1od.net/transmissionline/RG6/. Aluminum
shield RG-6 will actually take quite a bit of power.

And you can't beat the price! 1000' rolls of this Commscope flooded
quad-aluminum-shield CATV can be had very inexpensively. The last two spools
I bought were well under $100 including shipping.

There is nothing sacred either about copper or the need to solder coax
connectors. There are very good crimp-style connectors available. DX
Engineering and Home Depot sell good quality snap-and-seal F connectors for
it.

73, Mike
www.w0btu.com