Choosing the Right Coaxial Cable for Your VHF
A couple of years ago we unstepped and repainted our mast. While it was horizontal and easy to work with, I inspected the wiring. Some of it, like the wiring for the radar and windspeed was fairly new, but the wiring for the lights and the coaxial cable for the VHF antenna were original equipment, and at least 25 years old. It was definitely time to replace it. Finding replacement cable for the lights was easy. There are several types of coaxial cable, however, and deciding which one to use for the VHF required more research.
Coaxial cable, or coax (pronounced COE-axe), is a cable that has a center conductor enclosed in a shield and protected by an outer plastic jacket. The conductor and shield are kept apart by a thick insulation layer. This type of cable is called coaxial because the conductor and shield share a single common axis. It is used for carrying high frequency radio waves, and comes in many varieties depending on the application.
Photo 1: Coaxial Cable Segment
When the VHF radio is transmitting, a radio frequency wave travels along the wire that connects the radio to the antenna, and this high frequency signal tries to radiate away from the conductor. If a wire without a shield was used, the entire length of the wire from the back of the VHF to the top of the mast would become a very inefficient antenna, and most of the output signal would be lost inside the boat and mast before it ever reached the antenna. Coax cable, with its concentric shield, prevents most of this radiation from occurring by reflecting the signal back towards the center conductor rather than letting it radiate outward.
When the VHF is in receive mode, a weak radio signal is picked up at the antenna and conducted along the coax to the radio. The coaxial shielding prevents RF noise from other sources like motors, generators, HF radios and pumps, from interfering with the received signal.
There are dozens of different types of coax cable, but for a marine VHF application, the choices are narrowed down considerably. Most fixed mount marine VHF radios have a maximum output power of 25 watts, have an output impedance of 50 ohms and operate in the frequency range of 156Mhz to 164Mhz. The three most commonly used coax types that are available in marine stores that meet these specifications are RG-58U, RG-8X, and RG-213 (which replaced the older RG-8U). Which one you choose is a trade-off between the amount of signal loss in the cable, the cost and the wire size.
Photo 2: Three Common Coax Types
Table 1 below illustrates some of the differences and trade-offs for these three types of coax. The second column provides the outside diameter of each type of wire. In general, a larger diameter wire will have lower losses than a smaller diameter. Sometimes the deciding factor in selecting a type of coax cable is the size of the wire. If a better grade wire just will not fit inside the space allowed, the only choice may be to use a lesser grade.
Table 1 Coax Differences and Trade-Offs
The values in column 3 represent how much signal will be lost per 100 feet of cable at 150 Mhz, and is expressed in decibels (dB). Every 3 dBs equates to a 50% loss in signal power. This is the specification most manufacturers provide to quantify the signal loss for its coax cable at various frequencies. It is important to have the value for 150 Mhz, which is the radio frequency for a marine VHF. Often, the loss in decibels will be provided for 100Mhz instead of 150Mhz. In this case, a reasonable approximation can be calculated by multiplying the loss at 100Mhz by 1.25.
The fourth and fifth columns show how much of the transmitted 25 watts of power actually makes it to the antenna after the losses due to the coax cable. For example, if there is 75 feet of RG-58U cable between the radio and the top of the mast, after the losses in the cable, only 8.5 watts would be transmitted. That means two thirds of the signal is lost due to the cable! It is easy to see from these values that if the cable run is short, RG-58U coax is marginal and RG-8X may be acceptable, but for a long cable run, even the RG-213 cable will have a 40% signal loss.
I found that if I was willing to compromise slightly, there was another alternative. Amateur radio suppliers carry a type of coax that is the same size as RG-213 coax but incorporates a double shield, resulting in a cable with much less loss. It can be found with a tinned copper outer shield, and an aluminum inner shield and with an expected UV resistance of 20 years. It is used in offshore oil rigs which see many of the same conditions as a boat does. I have compared its specifications with RG-213 coax in Table 2 below. I have also listed a few sources for the wire in the notes at the end of this article. The biggest drawback is that the inner conductor is not tinned, making it more susceptible to corrosion.
Table 2 RG-213 vs LMR 400
I felt the improved performance was worth the compromise, however, and this is the type coax I decided to use in my mast. I rationalized that if the connections were properly waterproofed and the inner conductor was tinned back to the insulation, I could prevent the inner conductor from corrosion. The same caveat applies to this type of coax as for the other types, however. There is good quality and bad quality wire, so it is important to review the manufacturer's specifications before buying.
Connections
One last topic is making the connections. At the very least, there will be a connection between the coax and the antenna, and a connection between the coax and the VHF radio. I also wanted a connector near the base of the mast to make it easier to un-step and step the mast in the future. It is possible to buy cables made to length with the connectors already in place, but it isn't difficult to install a connector on the end of the wire. I purchased the wire by the foot and bought the necessary connectors. I made one cable that extended from the antenna base at the top of the mast, down through the mast and about two feet beyond the bottom. I made another cable that could be routed from the mast to the radio located at the Nav station.
On the end of each cable section, I installed a PL-259 connector. There are solderless, crimp type versions of these connectors available, but I prefer the type that is soldered in place. The PL-259 connectors are available for all three varieties of coax cables. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing the connectors. I used a PL-258 double-female socket to connect the two cables together at the base of the mast.
The last step is to seal the connectors to prevent moisture ingress. I first coated the connector bodies and threads with Lanacote. Silicone grease will also work well. Then I slid an adhesive lined length of heat shrink tubing over the connection and used a heat gun to shrink the tubing and melt the adhesive. To make a watertight seal around these connectors, the heat shrink tubing must have at least a 4:1 shrink ratio and should be 0.75” ID (before shrinking).
Another method to seal the connectors is to use self amalgamating tape. This tape is like a stretchy, thick electrical tape, except that it has no adhesive. The tape is stretched as it is wrapped, and it forms a tough, long lasting, watertight seal. It is sometimes referred to as cold shrink tape. The photo below shows both types of seals.
Photo 3: Sealing the Connectors
David and Marcie Lynn have lived aboard Nine of Cups, their 1986 Liberty 458 cutter since purchasing her in Kemah, TX in 2000. Since that time, they have sailed her over 70,000 nautical miles in their ever so slow world circumnavigation and are currently cruising the south coast of Australia. Find them on their website at www.nineofcups.com or their daily blog at www.justalittlefurther.com.
Notes:
Sources for low loss Coax:
Belkin Part: 9913, Newark Electronics, www.newark.com
Times Microwave Corp Part: LMR-400, Amateur Radio Supplies, www.amateurradiosupplies.com
Times Microwave Corp Part: LMR-400, www.amazon.com