Airband cable

[BladePlayer]

Hi all!

What kind of cable is recommended between an airband scanner (ICOM IC-R5) and an external antenna (Diamond D-777). Cable length max. 15 meters.

/Robert

[valerie]

Hi all!

What kind of cable is recommended between an airband scanner (ICOM IC-R5) and an external antenna (Diamond D-777). Cable length max. 15 meters.

/Robert

sorry for being so slow to answer.
Robert i always us westflex low loss.
 Westflex 103 Ultra Low loss Cable

    * Semi airspaced low loss 50 Ohm Co-axial Cable

      Ideal for UHF and VHF or HF where extra low loss is required

      Specifications :-

      Loss per 100 Metres
    * 10 MHz .................0.9dB
    * 30 MHz .................1.7dB
    * 50 MHz .................2.0 dB
    * 100 MHz ................3.2dB
    * 144 MHz ................4.5dB
    * 200 MHz ................5.4dB
    * 300 MHz ................6.2dB
    * 432 MHz ................7.5dB
    * 1000MHz ...............13.0dB


      Dimensions : Outer Sheath 10.3 mm
      Inner Conductor : 2.7 mm
      Min Bending radius : 55mm
      Velocity Ratio : 0.85
Price: about   ?1.20 m?
i know its pricey but its the best,  your scanner is only as good as you aerial.
from Valerie

[Gunner]

Robert-
 This website contains a wealth of sound information which should prove of interest to you:-
http://www.ssejim.co.uk/
 I use their dedicated SBS/Radarbox anttenna with excellent results.Normal disclaimers apply.
Regards-
Gunner

[BladePlayer]

Thank you Valerie and Gunner for your input!

For my SBS-1er I'll use a Westflex 103 equvivalent cable but wondered if the same cable should be used for the scanner as well, or if some other (thinner, cheaper) cable would do. If not the absolutely best results at least I want to have very good results when mounting an outdoors antenna. According to you Valerie I should go for the Westflex and I think I will.

Since I have the SBS-1er I wonder if I should use the built in receiver (will save me a lot of cable length = better signal) but is the receiver good enough, or should I go for my IC-R5 but on the other hand have a longer cable? Any ideas?

I bought my SBS-antenna from Jim at ssejim.co.uk, he provided great service.

/Robert

[jannuh]

SBS-1er has no built in scanner, it is a airband receiver, that's something different!

Go for a descent antenna + coax cable, for VHF Airband RG213 could do the trick, if also interested in Mil.Airband (220-400 mHz) take Aircell, Aircom+ or equivalent.
Put N connectors on your coax, the wellknown "UHF" connector PL259 isn't suitable for VHF-high or up.

[G4UMW]

Put N connectors on your coax, the wellknown "UHF" connector PL259 isn't suitable for VHF-high or up.

Unfortunately the D-777 is fitted with a SO-239 "UHF" socket and the IC-R5 has an SMA aerial socket.

[BladePlayer]

You are of course correct, scanner and receiver isn't quite the same thing, which I'm aware of but didn't express very well. Sorry about that. For my needs the receiver functionality only would do just fine.

Military airband is of no interest right now.

Thanks for your input regarding the connectors as well! I'm not very familiar with the different connector types but the antenna has a SO-239 connector instead of the "N". And this is commented by G4UMW just as I wrote this reply... 

/Robert

[G4UMW]

Hi Robert,

The SMA connector at the receiver end of your cable is far too small to be fitted directly to thick coax like W103. I suggest that you fit an N-type or BNC plug and invest in a "tail" - a short length of thin, flexible coax with an N-type or BNC socket at one end and a SMA plug at the other. This will allow you to connect the external aerial to your receiver without putting any mechanical strain on the receiver's aerial socket - they aren't the most robust items in the world!

[Hamish McTorsk]

I use a Maldol High Quality BNC-to-SMA adaptor Bought from ML&S, its about 8 inches long.

[jannuh]

Sry, didn't know that the D-777 antenna has a PL259 connector.

If you gonna use aircom+/aircell, watch that you get the right PL259 connector, they're different from the RG213 ones!!