rg8u vs lmr400

[KC9PNN]

which coax is the best going to put a 2meter beam up at 100ft thanks 

[DXZEPP]

LMR400

[KC9NVP]

KC9PNN, do you plan to rotate your beam?  If so, LM400 may be ok up to the point just below the rotor and change over to RG213 or RG8X for flexibility as the beam is rotated.  LM400 is stiff and does not bend very well.

David

[WB6BYU]

The difference in 100' of coax is about 1dB.  Does that make a difference in your operation?

[W8JX]

The difference in 100' of coax is about 1dB.  Does that make a difference in your operation?

Very true, when you look at the difference between them instead of total loss you can see more clearly how little the difference is at times.

[N4CR]

Times also makes LMR-400 UltraFlex which is excellent for going around a rotor. Same specs as LMR-400 with a stranded center conductor.

[KA7NIQ]

Times also makes LMR-400 UltraFlex which is excellent for going around a rotor. Same specs as LMR-400 with a stranded center conductor.

Thanks for the Info! I was unaware that LMR 400 was made with a stranded center conductor. Who has the good deals on it ?

[W9GB]

Who has the good deals on it ?

The UltraFlex LMR-400 will be 30 to 40% higher than standard LMR-400.

Davis RF - Low-Loss Braided Coaxes (Times, Andrew, etc.)
The 400 size starts around 85 cents/foot.
http://www.davisrf.com/lmr.php

I actually prefer the Marine grade coaxial cables (40+ years discovery process)
http://www.davisrf.com/rgcoax.php
RG-213, 50 ohm, stranded Mil C-17, non-contaminated jacket   
C213     $0.721. $0.619. $0.577. $0.517

[AA4HA]

I am not in the business of selling it to hams (commercial only) but here are the prices we pay for it;

Cable LMR-400 Standard Outdoor Cable Per Foot  : 0.83
Cable LMR-400 Ultraflex Per Foot : 1.00
Cable LMR-400 DB Watertight Per Foot : 0.90

You should be able to find something comparable from suppliers. It looks like the $0.83 price is very similar to what you can get from a distributor of amateur radio feedline. I would think that UltraFlex or Watertight (gel flooded, direct burial rated) should be along the same lines.

As you can imagine we would mark it up and usually sell thousands of feet on spools. Freight is a killer.