Topband: Use CAT6 as a feedline for you RX antenna

[Stan Stockton]

Steve,

Thank you so much for all you do to provide practical information to help everyone with their RX antenna projects!  

If you are using Cat 6 to provide voltage to 12v relays, do you just feed it with enough voltage to overcome the voltage drop, if it is too great.  For example, in addition to using it for feed lines I would want to provide voltage to a YCCC 9 Circle combiner/relays and preamps/relays and the voltage drop would be too much if I started with 13.8V  in the shack. It might be on the edge of working or not if I used two pairs. There is too much drop with a Bias T at either end of RG6.

Stan, ZF9CW

> On Jan 15, 2025, at 6:31 PM, ve6wz at shaw.ca wrote:
> 
> I uploaded a new YouTube video about using CAT6 as a feedline for receive antennas.
> I show how to design and make passive transformers to match the 100 Ohm pairs.
> I also describe a modification of my TI amplifier that I use from my BOGs to match the CAT6.
> 
> About 20 years ago I was using CAT5 for feedlines, so using twisted pairs is not new. It's been around a long time.
> However, I'm expanding my phase Beverages arrays and feeding them with CAT 6 helps consolidate feedlines and control voltages into fewer lines in the field.
> It is possible to find some very tough, outdoor direct burial CAT6 that can work well.
> 
> https://youtu.be/i44PU8NJf1M
> 
> 73, de steve ve6wz
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