Using cheap cable tv coax for Ham Radio.
Despite some disadvantages, I've used common tv coaxial cable (RG-6) for antenna feed lines for nearly 40 years. RG-6 is readily available, inexpensive, has good shielding, and is acceptable for short antenna runs (under 50-feet/15.24-meters). As Stephen (KD2WTU) explains in this excellent tutorial, the only drawback to RG-6 is its 75-ohm impedance, which leads to a small SWR mismatch when it's connected to the 50-ohm impedance of most modern transceivers. Stephen does a good job of showing both the pros and cons of this valuable alternative to 50-ohm coax such as RG-8, RG-58, and RG-8X. So, the next time you're out of RG-8, please pick up a cheap roll of RG-6, a few suitable connectors, and build a basic dipole antenna. RG-6 coax should be part of your emergency "go-kit." If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5knzS-1gCUM. Thanks for joining us today. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6...