12/6/2017 Guide to Antenna Cables & Connectors
Guide to Antenna Cables & Connectors
Cable Types
All cables lose some signal, the amount depends on the quality of both the cable and connector. As a general guide the thicker and less flexible the cable, the better the cable. Th
signal loss cables often have a number of layers designed to insulate and shield the inner core from external noise.
For a more detailed explanation of coaxial cable please see our Coaxial Cable Theory guide.
Accessory Cable - RG316
RG316 is a low loss, FEP jacketed miniature coaxial cable capable of withstanding operating temperatures up to 200°C.
The cable's stranded silver-coated CCS inner conductor and silver-plated copper braid provide superior shielding and
low attenuation losses, making it by far the preferred accessory/patch cable over similar 2.5mm cables such as RG174.
Electrical Specifications Mechanical Specifications
Resistance: 50Ω Weight/100m: 1.8kg
Capacitance: 96pF/m Minimum Bend Radius: 13mm
Signal Loss: 0.79dB/m @ 850MHz, 1.27dB/m @ 2100MHz Conductor Material: Silver coated CCS (0.51mm)
Frequency Range: 0-3GHz Insulating Material: Teflon PTFE (1.52mm)
Maximum Recommended Length: 50cm (cellular bands) Outer Shield Material: Silver coated copper braid 95% Coverage (1.95mm)
Velocity of Propagation: 70% Outer Jacket Material: Brown FEP (2.5mm)
Nominal Delay: 5.08ns/m
Voltage Withstand: 1200Volts DC
Standard Cable - RG58U
The most common type of cable encountered. It's likely the cable supplied with your antenna is RG58, which is
flexible, has reasonable performance characteristics, and is cheap.
Electrical Specifications Mechanical Specifications
Resistance: 50Ω Conductor Diameter: 0.9mm
Signal Loss: 0.46dB/m @ 850MHz, 0.76dB/m @ 2100MHz Insulating Material: Gas-injected FHDPE
Frequency Range: 0-6GHz Outer Shield Material:
Maximum Recommended Length: 15m (cellular bands) - (1) Aluminum Foil-Polyester Tape-Aluminum Foil 100% Coverage
Velocity of Propagation: 77% - (2) Tinned Copper 90% Coverage
Nominal Delay: 4.19ns/m Outer Jacket Material: Polyethylene (5mm)
Low Loss Cable - LMR195
This cable is designed to be a weatherproof high performance alternative to standard RG58. LMR-195 maintains a
5mm diameter and trades flexibility for far superior electrical shielding (90dB) and much lower attenuation. LMR195
series cabling loses only 0.36dB per metre, compared to standard grade cables which lose 0.46dB/m at 850MHz.
Electrical Specifications Mechanical Specifications
Resistance: 50Ω Weight/100m: 3.0kg
Capacitance: 83.3pF/m Operating Temperature: -40° ~ +85°C
Signal Loss: 0.36dB/m @ 850MHz, 0.53dB/m @ 1800MHz Minimum Bend Radius: 12.7mm
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12/6/2017 Guide to Antenna Cables & Connectors
Frequency Range: DC-6GHz Conductor Material: Single Strand Solid Copper (0.94mm)
Velocity of Propagation: 80% Insulating Material: Foam PE (2.79mm)
Nominal Delay: 4.17ns/m Outer Shield Material:
Voltage Withstand: 1000Volts DC - (1) Bonded Aluminium Polyester Tape 100% Coverage (2.95mm)
Peak Power: 2.5kW - (2) Tinned Copper Wire 88% Coverage (3.53mm)
Outer Jacket Material: PVC Weather & UV Resistant (4.95mm ±0.15mm)
Super Low Loss Cable - LMR400
The highest grade antenna cable, recommended for any performance critical, industrial, and harsh environmental applications.
It's exceptional performance is achieved with a much thicker diameter (10mm) and greatly reduced flexibility (72mm minimum
bend diameter). Each manufacturer of LMR400 names their cable with different letters in front of '400', for example the Super
Low Loss LMR400 series cable we manufacture is LCU400, ZCG Scalar's is RU400, Benelec's is LL400, and so on.
Electrical Specifications Mechanical Specifications
Resistance: 50Ω Weight/100m: 14.6kg
Capacitance: 78.4pF/m Minimum Bend Radius: 72mm
Signal Loss: 0.12dB/m @ 850MHz, 0.20dB/m @ 2100MHz Conductor Material: Solid Copper (2.74mm)
Frequency Range: DC-16GHz Insulating Material: Gas Injected Foamed Polyethylene (7.24mm)
Velocity of Propagation: 85% Outer Shield Material:
Nominal Delay: 3.92ns/m - (1) Sealed APA Tape 100% Coverage (7.37mm)
Voltage Withstand: 2500Volts DC - (2) Tinned Copper Braid 98% Coverage (8.17mm)
Peak Power: 16kW Outer Jacket Material: Black Polyvinyl Chloride PVC (10.3mm)
Cable Connectors
Similarities between connectors and naming conventions can often make identifying connectors difficult. To make things easy follow this rule:
Male Connector - has the protruding metal centre pin
Female Connector - contains a hole that receives the male connectors metal pin, called the receptacle.
7/16 DIN
7/16 DIN
7/16 series connectors are a threaded coupling connector designed for high wattage transmissions, requiring very low VSWR and minimal intermodulation. The name is derived
contact dimensions - 7mm OD inner contact, 16mm ID outer contact. You'll commonly find 7/16 DIN connectors on 1/2 and 7/8" feeder cables connected to LTE and WCDMA
7/16 connectors are also popular in defence, broadcast and other microwave applications.
Female 7/16 Connector Male 7/16 Connector
BNC
BNC
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This is one of the most common antenna connectors, primarily used in VHF/UHF systems. The 'B' in BNC refers to the Bayonet twisting interface, with the female connector feat
either side allowing connection to be achieved with only a quarter rotation. Ideally suited to RG58/59 and subminiature cables, BNC connectors offer good performance from D
50Ω or 75Ω resistance. All BNC connectors on our website are 50Ω.
Male BNC Connector Female BNC Connector
F Type
Primarily used for cable TV, HFC, set-top boxes, cable modems, the F coaxial connector is a 75Ω connector often used in conjunction with standard RG59 and RG6 75Ω coaxial
good performance characteristics up to about 1GHz and is not suitable for modern day broadband requirements.
Male F Connector Female F Connector
FME
FME
This is the standard 50Ω connector for all mobile phone and wireless broadband antennas. The FME connector was selected for its excellent performance in the 0-2GHz freque
connector diameter making it easy to fit in tight places. Rarely seen in any other RF applications, the FME connector is used almost exclusively for cellular telephony and data a
Male FME Connector Female FME Connector
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MC Card
MC-Card
The MC-Card connector is a microminiature 50Ω that features snap-on mating, suitable for RF devices operating between DC and 6GHz. This connector is often used as a subst
wireless and telecom applications due to its similar performance and physical dimensions.
Male MC-Card Connector Female MC-Card PCB Connector
MCX
MCX
The MCX or, Micro Coaxial, connector is a 50Ω miniature coaxial connector designed for RF applications between DC and 6GHz. It has identical inner contact and insulator dim
common SMB connector, but a 30% smaller outer diameter, making it ideal for tight installations. This connector is often used for GPS, TV tuner cards, RF hardware, and is ofte
Male MCX Connector Female MCX Connector
Mini-UHF
Mini-UHF
A minified connector based off the larger UHF connector, designed for space-limited RF applications. Like its larger counterpart, Mini-UHF series also have a variable impedanc
transmissions between DC and 2.5GHz. You will find this type of connector on many different RF applications, most prominently in UHF/VHF communications where its variable
50Ω mark for good quality connectors) isn't as important.
Male Mini-UHF Connector Female Mini-UHF Connector
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MMCX
MMCX
The MMCX or, Micro-Minature Coaxial, connector is a miniature version of the 50Ω MCX coaxial connector. It performs well between DC to 6GHz and has a snap-lock function
rotation once connected. This connector is most often seen PCB mounted on PCMCIA cards, modems, and GPS devices.
Male MMCX Connector Female MMCX Connector (PCB Bulkhead)
N Type
N connectors are the 50Ω connector of choice for most high quality antenna systems due to their wide performance band - DC to 11GHz. This large sized connector has a wide
connectors but is easily tightened by hand. You will find this connector on most RF applications including radar, mobile base stations, electronic instrumentation, and of course
antennas.
Male N Connector Female N Connector
QMA
QMA
The QMA connector has a snap-lock mechanism designed for easier, faster and safer coupling. Often used to replace SMA, the connector can be seen in cellular base stations a
This 50Ω subminiature coaxial connector has a frequency range extending up to 18GHz.
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Male QMA Connector Female QMA Connector
SMA
SMA
A smaller 50Ω connector, most often found on the back of desktop modems and as the physical interfacing screw thread of some smaller antennas. Some antennas come pre-t
connector over the normal FME connector for hassle-free connecting to desktop wireless broadband modems, like the Bigpond Wireless Gateway series. SMA is designed for a
applications and is suitable for communications DC to 18GHz.
Male SMA Connector Female SMA Connector
SMB
SMB
Similar in size and performance to the SMA connector, SMB was designed with a snap-on interfacing. SMB connectors have a 50Ω or 75Ω impedance, and are suitable for RF a
4GHz. You will find SMB connectors in a wide range of areas from telecommunications through to industrial equipment. Gender of SMB connectors can often be confusing as t
socket/jack body, with the female having the plug body.
Male SMB Connector Female SMB Connector
SSMB
SSMB
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This connector is the subminiature version of the SMB connector. It is a 50Ω impedance coaxial connector with good performance from DC to 12GHz. Like its larger brother, SS
interfacing. Gender of SSMB connectors can also be confusing as like SMB, the male has the receptacle, with the female having the centre pin.
Male SSMB Connector Female SSMB Connector
TNC
TNC
Identical to the BNC design, but have a threaded connector. Operates better than the BNC connector at microwave frequencies. TNC are miniature, threaded weatherproof unit
impedance and operate from DC to 11 GHz. Widely used in WiFi equipment, radar, and military/aerospace systems.
Male TNC Connector Female TNC Bulkhead Connector
UHF
UHF
UHF series are a variable impedance connector designed for low frequency operations 600KHz to 300MHz. This very large connector is used almost exclusively for radio and UH
cost design of UHF connectors often results in impedance varying between 30-40Ω causing significant reflections above 300MHz. Despite this, the connector remains popular w
users.
Male UHF (PL259) Connector Female UHF (SO239) Panel Mount Connector
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