VHF cable through Selden mast

st599

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RG58 is quite an old design, I'd speak to Nevada Radio, Waters and Stanton and Martin Lynch and see what's the modern equivalent. Gets more power to the antenna so increases range a bit and makes it a bit more likely you'll be received when you really need it.

Should be similar cost to chandlery RG58.
If you do go thicker, the minimum bend radius normally increases, so you need to look at the route through the boat and work out what you can accommodate.
 

TSB240

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If you want the bogs dolloks of VHf cable go for RG213/U.
It has an outer dia of just over 10mm.

If you run it direct to your set you can expect to get the equivalent of 75 Watts of radio output with a good antenna.

Amazon.co.uk
 

st599

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If you want the bogs dolloks of VHf cable go for RG213/U.
It has an outer dia of just over 10mm.

If you run it direct to your set you can expect to get the equivalent of 75 Watts of radio output with a good antenna.

Amazon.co.uk
RG213 has a loss at Marine band of about 10dB per 100m and a minimum bend radius of 7cm. If you want a similar sized cable, Messi and Paolini Ecoflex 10 has nearly 1/4 of that loss figure (5dB) and a minimum radius of 4cm so is far easier to work with. If you go down a size to their aircell 5 - you get cable with the same performance as RG213 but half the diameter and a 2.5cm minimum bend. It's also similarly priced to some RG58 seen in chandlers.

M&P Airborne 5 Cable
Airborne 5 - Messi & Paoloni Coax Cable
M&P Airborne 5 Cable

If you can visit the shops, you can normally also get the connectors professionally installed - Nevada used to be near Port Solent, so was handy for Solent based installs, but I see it has now moved. I'd recommend M&P connectors if using their cable.
 
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Nina Lucia

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RG213 has a loss at Marine band of about 10dB per 100m and a minimum bend radius of 7cm. If you want a similar sized cable, Messi and Paolini Ecoflex 10 has nearly 1/4 of that loss figure (5dB) and a minimum radius of 4cm so is far easier to work with. If you go down a size to their aircell 5 - you get cable with the same performance as RG213 but half the diameter and a 2.5cm minimum bend. It's also similarly priced to some RG58 seen in chandlers.

M&P Airborne 5 Cable
Airborne 5 - Messi & Paoloni Coax Cable
M&P Airborne 5 Cable

If you can visit the shops, you can normally also get the connectors professionally installed - Nevada used to be near Port Solent, so was handy for Solent based installs, but I see it has now moved. I'd recommend M&P connectors if using their cable.
Thank you! I will try to find Nevada, boat is in Gosport, I guess they didn't move far from area.
 

Martin_J

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I was also going to recommend Nevada radio. They used to be in Fitzherbert Spur in Farlington before the recent move north. The previous owner, Mike was also a local boat owner. All the staff were full of radio knowledge.

I'm off track.. My first choice of antenna cable for the boat is Aircell 7.

Buy matching PL259 plugs for the radio end of the connection..

Regarding connecting at the antenna end.. If SO239/PL259 (like in the Metz Manta antenna) then it's easy.. PL259 and plug it in!

If on the other hand you have the V-tronix style antenna with a metal ferrule that slips over the (stripped) shield/braid, then with Aircell 7, I have found that stripping the outer jacket (about 8mm) and melting solder onto the uncovered shield/braid, you end up with a soldered shield that is the exactly same size as the ferrule would have been on a thinner RG58.

The centre core of Aircell is nicely stranded so pushes onto the internal spike of the antenna just as the thinner RG58 cable would.
 

Martin_J

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I don't know which Selden mast you have or how the wires exit at the mast step.

On my selden mast, by dropping the mouse line down the internal trunking does then make it easier to retrieve at the foot, purely because it lines up with the vertical holes built into the mast foot, under the mast..
 

Nina Lucia

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I was also going to recommend Nevada radio. They used to be in Fitzherbert Spur in Farlington before the recent move north. The previous owner, Mike was also a local boat owner. All the staff were full of radio knowledge.

I'm off track.. My first choice of antenna cable for the boat is Aircell 7.

Buy matching PL259 plugs for the radio end of the connection..

Regarding connecting at the antenna end.. If SO239/PL259 (like in the Metz Manta antenna) then it's easy.. PL259 and plug it in!

If on the other hand you have the V-tronix style antenna with a metal ferrule that slips over the (stripped) shield/braid, then with Aircell 7, I have found that stripping the outer jacket (about 8mm) and melting solder onto the uncovered shield/braid, you end up with a soldered shield that is the exactly same size as the ferrule would have been on a thinner RG58.

The centre core of Aircell is nicely stranded so pushes onto the internal spike of the antenna just as the thinner RG58 cable would.
Thanks!
 
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