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Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: coax length Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:01 pm
what is the minium length of coax advisable to use between the rig and the ant ?
Victor likes this post
SangueG Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-3971 / 2E0LMI Posts : 1318 Times Thanked : 85 Join date : 2021-01-30 QTH or Location : Cirencester, Gloucestershire Equipment Used : Little radios, home-made antennas
Subject: Re: coax length Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:43 pm
There isn't one. The shorter the better.. unless you are using stubby antenna like a Super Lance which needs set lengths of coax to work properly.
Sydthecat, Victor and babis3g like this post
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:48 pm
no im using a silver rod and 7m of rg58 coax
Alan Pilot Major contributor
Call Sign : 163-CT-220... Posts : 2637 Times Thanked : 70 Join date : 2019-11-19 QTH or Location : Anglesey North Wales Equipment Used : Yaesu FT-991A,,Yaesu FTDX-10,,Icom ic-7610,,Anytone AT-D878UV PLUS",,LINCOLN II+. Age : 16
Subject: Re: coax length Thu Nov 17, 2022 5:48 am
As said no minimum length but do leave a bit of slack at the antenna end you don't want it pulling on the pl plug. Only a a bit that is.
Victor likes this post
Victor CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-3228 / M7VIC Posts : 6277 Times Thanked : 389 Join date : 2019-11-10 QTH or Location : Bedford Equipment Used : Various
Subject: Re: coax length Thu Nov 17, 2022 10:21 am
Thank God no one has given you the 'pseudo-science' answer Lionel.
.......yet.
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Thu Nov 17, 2022 6:46 pm
sounds interesting Victor tell me more
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:07 pm
well i received my coax back from rocket radio yesterday and wired it up but the bad news is i still have high swr and as i have been working today im going to loosen the bottom jubilee clip on the rod and try dropping it a bit and see what happens tomorrow
Northern Crusader Major contributor
Call Sign : M0GVZ / 26CT1760 Posts : 536 Times Thanked : 35 Join date : 2019-11-13 QTH or Location : IO94SA Equipment Used : Icom 7300, TS480, President McKinley, Albrecht AE6110, CRT Mike Age : 54
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 3:54 pm
skyrider wrote:
what is the minium length of coax advisable to use between the rig and the ant ?
The distance needed to get from radio to antenna by the path you want it to take. There is no such thing as it needing to be certain lengths except with certain antennas that rely on using your coax as part of the antenna to work which is generally not a good thing.
Sydthecat likes this post
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 5:58 pm
im on a silver rod so i should be ok
Sydthecat CT Directors
Call Sign : 2E0VRX Posts : 776 Times Thanked : 47 Join date : 2019-06-26 QTH or Location : Yorkshire dales Equipment Used : Yaesu FTdx 101d, MD200 mic ,Mosley 3ele Yagi Age : 59
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 6:53 pm
skyrider wrote:
well i received my coax back from rocket radio yesterday and wired it up but the bad news is i still have high swr and as i have been working today im going to loosen the bottom jubilee clip on the rod and try dropping it a bit and see what happens tomorrow
So when you say SWR is still high what are your readings ? does it become ok anywhere on the frequency you can transmit on ? Have you checked your coax for any shorts ?
Craig CT Admin
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:04 pm
it is over3 on channel one , twenty and forty . and what im wondering as you know i have my ant in a large holly bush yesterday i chopped all close by branches so nothing is touching the ant apart from when i fixed the ant in the bush half way up i wrapped a cable tie round the ant and the top of the bush do you think that could be the problem plus there is no 2" fixing pole at the bottom of the ant
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:08 pm
no i haven't checked for shorts , how would i do that thanks
Sydthecat CT Directors
Call Sign : 2E0VRX Posts : 776 Times Thanked : 47 Join date : 2019-06-26 QTH or Location : Yorkshire dales Equipment Used : Yaesu FTdx 101d, MD200 mic ,Mosley 3ele Yagi Age : 59
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:28 pm
thanks Craig
Sydthecat likes this post
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:32 pm
just one point when the coax went back to rocket radio last week for a new plug do you think they would have tested it at the time thanks
chazwozza Senior contributor
Posts : 130 Times Thanked : 1 Join date : 2020-02-15 QTH or Location : England Equipment Used : Radios
Subject: Re: coax length Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:26 pm
Have you checked it for water? Ideally you dont want any part of the aerial touching anything only the base to the mounting pole/mast etc Try taking it out of the tree and mount it on a small pole banged into the garden if still over 3 on those channels somethings wrong Even a bad swr will change reading as you move throigh the channels where as a short wont
skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 366 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: coax length Sun Nov 20, 2022 11:24 am
right i will try that thanks i will start with loosing the cable ties, and water shouldn't problem as it hasn't been up long enough
Today at 10:01 am by teapot
Subject: coax length 
