Eric,
I agree often the wording on cable, and other things like drugs,
batteries, etc, are ment to mislead.
On my RG223 it says "NETWORK CABEL 7725 TYPE RG223". I does have double
copper shield. I had thought it had stranded center cond, but it is
solid, looks like maybe #22 copper with non-foam dielectric. It is a
good cable, stiffer then the typical RG58, has a good I'd say 99%
shields. Ihave used it for jumers on duplexers, that is from-to
duplexer to the rx and tx.
I, and I'm sure you have also, seen RG8 from someone like RS that had
maybe 50% shield and it probably said "RG8 TYPE". Got to look at the
details.
73, ron, n9ee/r
Ron Wright, N9EE
727-376-6575
MICRO COMPUTER CONCEPTS
Owner 146.64 repeater Tampa Bay, FL
No tone, all are welcome.
On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 11:26 PM, Eric Lemmon wrote:
Ron,
This is a touchy topic! If the cable you have has plain copper braid
shield, it is not RG-223 cable but may be "RG-223 TYPE." Genuine
MIL-C-17/84- RG223 coaxial cable has a silver-coated solid copper center
conductor and two silver-coated copper shields. RG223 cable is not made
in
a non-silver-coated version. The Military Spec is here:
<www.dscc.dla. mil/Downloads/ MilSpec/Docs/ MIL-DTL-17/ mil17ss84. pdf>
The problem I have found with most coaxial cables with the word "TYPE"
printed on the jacket, is that such cable is frequently- but not always-
inferior to the genuine Mil-Spec version. One example is the "RG-213/U"
cable that Radio Shack sold for many years- it was junk! Tandy Wire &
Cable
marked the jacket "MIL-C-17 RG-213/U TYPE" and touted it as "Military
Specification cable." When you stripped the jacket back, you could see
that
the shield coverage was much less than the genuine cable, but how many
Hams
or CB-ers knew better or cared? Not surprisingly, Tandy W&C was never
listed as a cable supplier in the MIL-C-17 Qualified Products List
(QPL)!
The RG-223 TYPE cable you have may be a high-quality, economy version of
a
MIL-Spec cable made by a qualified supplier, or it may be an imported
knock-off that has relaxed shield coverage or some other deficiency.
The
only way to know for certain what a cable's pedigree is, is to see if
the
manufacturer is listed in the QPL as an approved supplier of that cable
type. If the manufacturer' s name is not spelled out, look for a
five-digit
CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code stamped on the cable.
According to recent QPL listings, only three companies made approved
versions of RG-223 cable:
Coleman Cable Company (CAGE 0JUD5)
Rockbestos Suprenant Cable Company (CAGE 90484)
Times Microwave Systems, Inc. (CAGE 68999)
Some cable vendors are selling "non-silver RG-214 cable" for much less
than
the genuine M17/75-RG214 stuff, but how do I know that the only
difference
is a lack of silver? Is the shield coverage exactly the same, with the
same
number of carriers, ends, and picks per inch? Are all of the diameters
the
same? Rather than use the same cable-making machinery that is used for
precision manufacturing of the Mil-Spec cable, the company probably
out-sources the non-silver cable manufacturing to a smaller vendor of
unknown reputation. Somehow, a jacket marked "Manufactured for Belden
by
Billy Bob's Cable Works" does not inspire confidence!
Bottom line: Your cable may be every bit as good as the genuine
Mil-Spec
stuff. Trust, but verify.
73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY
-----Original Message-----
From: Repeater-Builder@ yahoogroups. com
<mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto: Repeater-Builder@ yahoogroups. com
<mailto:[email protected]> ] On Behalf Of Ron Wright
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 6:56 PM
To: Repeater-Builder@ yahoogroups. com
<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: Re: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Best coax for short jumpers in
repeater
cabinet?
Another good cable for inside a repeater is RG223. It is a double
shielded
RG58. Best is the silver type, but I have about 400 ft of the
non-silver,
but still is good. It also has standed center.
Ron Wright, N9EE
<mailto:[email protected]>
