Most
of the listings for LMR-400 cable on eBay are not. When
you read
carefully you will find that the cable is not Times Micro, Not made in
the US, and not guaranteed by a free return shipping policy if it
doesn't meet your needs.Cheap
thin cable can result in even the best antenna being worse than useless.What many
folks fail to realize is
that poor quality antenna cable will cost you all the gain you obtain
from installing even the best antenna. At some frequencies,
badly made or wimpy 1/8 or 1/4 inch cable
can cost you up to a Db a
foot!
Is
the cable you are looking at Described as "Compare to" "Equavilent
to""Replacement for"
"Same as" or even
"Like" LMR-400 ?
This is common with poor quality cable made in Mainland
China or some other lesser known locations. Our Times
Microwave
LMR-400
cable is US Made, tested and certified to ensure you will maintain the
boost in
signal from your quality antennas. 1/2 (.405) inch Cable is perfect for
runs when you don't want to loose signal strength but it isn't cheap,
so please
choose a product that will last for 20+ years and give you the service
you
require.
In
high quality cable the dimensions and spacing of the conductors are
uniform.
Any abrupt
change in the spacing of the two conductors along the cable tends to
reflect radio frequency power back toward the source, causing a
condition called standing waves.
This acts as a bottleneck, reducing the amount and quality of the
transmitted power. To hold the shield at a uniform distance from the
central conductor, the space between the two is filled with a plastic dielectric designed to maintain the
proper spacing between conductor and shielding to assure maximum signal
transmission and lowest loss.
Manufacturers specify a minimum bend radius, to prevent kinks that
would cause reflections. You
should allow three inches of cable to make a 90 degree turn in your
runs without causing signal loss. The connectors used with
the coax must also hold the correct
spacing through the body of the connector to avoid signal
loss. The transmission of energy in the line occurs totally
through
the dielectric
inside the cable between the conductors. This cable can be
bent and moderately twisted without negative effects, and can be
strapped to conductive supports without inducing signal interference.
LMR-400 cable
is
designed for outdoor applications, can be direct buried, and the outer
jacket resists
ultraviolet
light and
oxidation. There is no environmental
restriction on use for indoor installations.
LMR-400 is
NOT
Cheap Commie Cable!