RF Cables

There are a wide number of RF cable types that you might run into in industry or even CSE 4340 (Fundamentals of Wireless Networks) or CSE 4377 (Wireless Communication Systems). Here in the SD labs, you will only see a few of them.

Cable Types

The two most common types of coaxial cable used in modern environments are “RG” and “LMR”.

Most coaxial cable uses a foam dielectric, so care must be taken (especially for outdoor cables) when crimping or soldering connectors to use an adhesive-type heatshrink. Otherwise, moisture can wick down through the outer braid into the foam, disrupt the impedance of the cable, and eventually cause a moisture-short between the center conductor and the outer braid.

RG

RG is an old military cable title, “Radio Guide”. It is an ambiguous specification for which cable is made by multiple manufacturers.

LMR

LMR is made by Times Microwave and is generally labeled as “LMR” plus the nearest tenth of an inch of cable diameter. All LMR cables are nominal 50 ohm impedance.

Video

The videos below are courtesy of the Electrical Engineering Department. They demonstrate the installation of various connectors on various coaxial cables.

Direct video links (YouTube): Connector installation video 1 (YouTube), Connector installation video 2 (YouTube), Connector installation video 3 (YouTube)