Help with External Antenna and Cable.

[MozartMan]

I am thinking to install external antenna on the side of the house.

I am looking at this antenna:

Tram Browning BR-6155 76inch fiberglass omnidirectional base 450-470MHz 5dBd antenna 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S983H0K

I will need to run coax cable from antenna down to the hole in the wall into my basement, then through the lengths of the basement and then up through the floor into the office.

I already have coax cable that was installed by DirecTV that runs just from outside of the house through the basement and into the office. I would still need additional cable to run from the end of DTV cable to antenna. Here are the markings on the DTV cable:

DIRECTV  6  SERIES  PERFECTVISION  CR01BSRO-05  18AWG  E341555  PV1  c(UL)us  CM  60420  12A.

Have few questions.

1. Is this Tram Browning external antenna a good antenna for GMRS?

2. Can I re-use this DTV coax cable, or do I need to buy different one?

3. If I need to buy new cable, can anybody recommend which one to buy.

I would probably need between 80-100 feet of cable from antenna to the radio if I need to buy a new one.

TIA

[Borage257]

I am fairly new to this, but here is what I have come to understand.

1. I've heard good things about the Tram Brownings, but don't know much more about them.

2. You can, but wont be happy. Radio coax is usually 50ohms, where as TV coax is 75ohms. It will work, but not well at all.

3. For 100 ft runs you want the lowest loss cable you can afford. RG-58 is good for short runs, RG-8X has less loss, LMR-400 has even less loss.

https://qrznow.com/coax-cable-loss/

[JohnE]

Quote

1. Is this Tram Browning external antenna a good antenna for GMRS?

it will do the job. comparable to Maxrad /Pctel type antennas.

Quote

2. Can I re-use this DTV coax cable, or do I need to buy different one?

no, apples, oranges.

Quote

3. If I need to buy new cable, can anybody recommend which one to buy.

I would probably need between 80-100 feet of cable from antenna to the radio if I need to buy a new one.

yes, new cable. At 80'-100' depends on your budget. my recommendation would be 1/2" hard line but LMR 400 will suffice and be much easier to work with. I would suggest getting a a more accurate measurement and order it w/connectors installed.
JE

[Lscott]

I reference the attached file for cable losses. 1/2 inch LDF has almost half the loss of your typical LMR-400 cable. It will cost more but you get more signal to the antenna. One other point the losses also work on receive too. Lower loss cable you can work weaker stations.Coaxial Cable Attenuation Chart.pdf

[axorlov]

4 hours ago, MozartMan said:

1. Is this Tram Browning external antenna a good antenna for GMRS?

2. Can I re-use this DTV coax cable, or do I need to buy different one?

3. If I need to buy new cable, can anybody recommend which one to buy.

1. Yes

2. You cannot reuse TV cable if you plan to transmit.

3. As pointed above, LMR-400 is a minimum because of the loss on 462MHz. As pointed above, LMR-400 is much easier to work on, and connectors are abundant on Amazon and ebay. However, you can have an outside, more or less straight run, with hardline, and inside between the walls, with LMR-400. Make sure you use N connectors, they are waterproof and work well on 462MHz, unlike the UHF connector. DX Engineering sells DXE-400MAX cable that is very close in performance to LMR-400 and has stranded central conductor, making this cable easier to work with than a genuine LMR-400. LMR-400 connectors fit. It has a tiny bit more loss than a proper LMR-400.

[MozartMan]

Thank you everybody.