Antenna Cable

With a good quality, ideal antenna cable, metal objects around the wire will not cause performance loss, nor will external electromagnetic noise interfere with the signal. That is why these types of wires are simple and easy to use in almost any environment.

Types of antenna cables offered by DND Telecom webshop

There are three main types of antenna cables in our range. The first is the 50 ohm coaxial cables, which are used for amateur radio, between transceivers and their antennas. The second is the 75 ohm coax cable, which is used for analogue TV (antenna) and video signal transmission, but is also used to transmit signals from AHD cameras to camera recorders. There are also wifi antenna cables, which are used to connect a wifi antenna to a wifi device. But you can also choose a pre-mounted TV antenna cable or a pre-mounted 50 ohm RF antenna cable.

When to use 50 ohm antenna cables?

Among 50 ohm antenna cables, RG-174, RG-58, H-155, H-500 or H-1000 are the most popular types. These are all product designations of a single manufacturer, which have become so well known that other manufacturers have started to use the same type designation. There are, of course, some manufacturers (SSB, Draka in our range) who use their own designation, but their cables can also be matched with the above designations. Each cable can be fitted with a different outer diameter, bending radius and connector. Their pitch is progressively more favourable in the order of listing, i.e. smaller. In practice, this means that a lower signal loss is to be expected over a cable length of 100 metres. This of course also requires the use of connectors of the right quality.

Applications of 75 ohm antenna cables

The 75 ohm antenna cables are typically used for one-way communication, i.e. for TV, DVB-T antenna, cable TV reception, SAT satellite reception between the equipment and the antenna. It also includes the transmission of analogue system video signals such as AHD, HD-TVI, HD-CVI and PAL system signals. These aerial cables therefore allow signal transmission over a wide frequency range, so they are able to deliver high quality picture and sound to the TV set.

WiFi antenna cables features

Different WiFi devices may have different connections and antenna connections, which is why cable converters with different connectors are needed to ensure ideal signal transmission. These are typically pre-fabricated cables, as the miniature nature of the connectors means that they can hardly be assembled by hand.

Coaxial cable construction and characteristics

Coax cables can be broken down into 4 separate parts in terms of structure.

• Shielding layer: Most commonly, braided copper shielding is used, which has the huge advantage of being easily bendable without causing any damage.
• Insulation: There are several types of insulation: Polytetrafluoroethylene, abbreviated as PTFE; Polypropylene; Polyethylene, as well as the so-called semi-rigid insulation.
• Innersleeve: Can be twisted or solid, made mainly of copper for good conductivity. It is important to note that if the conductor will be subjected to higher than average mechanical stresses, it is recommended to choose copper-coated steel as the inner conductor, as steel has even better mechanical parameters than copper.
• Coating

How long antenna cable do I need?

The length of the antenna cable depends largely on the distance between the antenna and the device connected to it, the correct installation, the type of connector used and the quality of the antenna cable. You should use a cable with an impedance equal to the ground resistance of the antenna. But before considering a long cable, you should also be aware that the shielding will have a big impact on the quality of the transmitted signal.

Therefore, we have to take into account that the longer the cable, the lower the shielding power. This value is given in dB. The higher this value, the better the shielding of the cable. To give an example, if you need a 12 m antenna cable, it needs more shielding than a 6 m cable.

If you don't know which length would be right for you, then for TV aerial and RF cables, go for the preassembled version. For TV aerial cables, DND Telecom's webshop has 1.25, 2.5 and 3.5 metre long aerial cables available, all of which meet the quality requirements described above.

What connectors does the antenna cable have?

The antenna cable has a number of connectors, depending on the purpose for which you want to use it. Basically, you can choose between N, BNC, SMA or TNC antenna connectors. For RF connectors, make sure to use 50 ohm or 75 ohm antenna connectors. They are very similar in shape, but make sure not to interchange them. You can also choose SM, RPSMA, mini UHF, F, FME, and RPTNC connectors. In the case of TV antenna cables, the pre-assembled cables have an IEC plug and socket, which when used, simply plug one end into the TV and the other into the antenna connector on the wall.

What material is the aerial cable made of?

This type of cable has an inner core in the middle, which can be either twisted or solid. Since it needs to have excellent conductivity, it is mostly made of copper, but you can also find copper-coated steel fibres. This solution is usually used by manufacturers when the cable will be subjected to increased mechanical stress. The next part of the cable is the insulation, which is usually made of polyethylene, polypropylene or polytetrafluoroethylene. Some antenna cables have a semi-hollow insulation.

This means that air acts as an insulating material in these types of cables. Moving outwards, this is followed by shielding, which is made from braided copper or tin-plated copper by manufacturers. Many people ask the question, why is this? Because almost all wires can be easily bent, so this is one way of preventing them from breaking in tricky situations. When it comes to antenna cables, the most common type of cable we encounter is the outer sheath, which is mostly made of PVC.

Is there shielding in the antenna cable?

There are two conductors in the antenna cable, one is the center conductor and the other is the shielding. This is placed in a circle around the inner conductor. The shielding, which can be encased or foiled, should act as a protective shield to reflect electromagnetic signals.

What types of signal transmission systems is the antenna cable compatible with?

The antenna cable can transmit video, audio and other data. Perhaps its most well-known and most common application is its connection to a television. In this case, make sure you choose a cable of perfect quality and the right thickness for the connection. You can also use an aerial cable for the HDTV that is so popular today. In this case, you will need a thicker antenna cable of the so-called RG-11 type. If you want to use an aerial cable for Internet connection, you should choose the RG-6 type, because it provides a smooth Internet connection thanks to the right signal quality and special shielding.

See our range of antenna cables!