Fuggawi

I want to thank all you guys with great information and patience for us new guys. I wouldn't have thought twice about using some of these adapters and connectors. I'm all about the gidgits/gadgets, erector set type of building stuff. One wouldn't think that they have that much loss by looking at them. It makes me feel a lot better that this project will have a better chance of working. Thanks again.

Thanks berkinet. Yes I did mean PL-259 connector. Sorry, typing to fast for my brain. So, looking at your table, at 15 ft of RG-58 my loss should be 1.68 db. Which sounds very acceptable. I guess the key for this application is, keep line as short as possible and minimize/eliminate connectors. Thanks again.

Thanks all for the advise. Sorry to have such a newb question but I guess I have to start somewhere. Just wasn't sure if using smaller diameter cable would have an effect on the radio performance per some of the discussion I read about. Yes there are three vehicles I will be installing on. Thank you everyone for helping me out. Now to read up on attaching the SL-259 connectors...

That is a very good point my friend. Mostly the reason we went cheap to start with.

Looking for advise (and I may be over thinking it). Searched here and online and couldn't really find info on a mobile application. So here goes. I will be installing 3 radios in utv's and basically wondering what would be a decent coax to go with. Not sure if the 'bigger the better' theory is in play here or not. Was thinking anywhere from RG-58/LMR-195, RG-8x/LMR-240, and RG8/LMR-400. Specs we are using are: Radios are all Kenwood TK-880H (40w). 2 NMO antennas that are 1/2 wave NGP hooked on a roll bar. 1 NMO antenna 1/4 wave going in center of his roof. Will be about a 15ft (+/-) run? Pretty much using on simplex mode for the most part. Thanks.

I am curious to this antenna as well. It would be well suited to the offroad environment if it works well. My friend has a metal roof on his utv and we went with the regular Laird 1/4 wave as it was a third of the price. We might have to go with this one if he breaks it tho because he got his nickname "Flipper" for a reason.