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[KE7FD]

I'm looking for a bright color (yellow?) jacketed coax, RG8X, for portable use. I'd like something that's easy to see against shades of grass, day or night. Black
doesn't cut it; I need something bright.

Glen KE7FD

[KC0W]

 A  lot cheaper than purchasing colored coax. Buy the good stuff (3M or Scotch) & not the Chinese crap. One wrap every 3 feet should do the trick.

 


                                                    Tom KH0/KC0W

[WB6BYU]

I've seen a fair bit of yellow coax in past years - typically seemed to
be plenum networking cables designed for indoor use, but looked like
it would work for portable use.  Might have been replaced by a
different standard for use in buildings by now, though.

Looking through the Belden website, their #9222 is triax with a
yellow jacket, and they have some types in blue.

White jackets are actually fairly common, often designed for marine
use.  That might show up better than black, especially with some
orange or red electrical tape as KC0W suggested.

[K5LXP]

Back when I was a tech in a radio shop I spray painted parts of my test cables so they wouldn't get used for an installation, and so I knew who in the shop stole my test cables.  Many years later I still have some of those test cables and the spray paint is still on them.  Seems some regular 8X and some blaze orange or whatever spray paint would achieve the goal without having to find an obscure cable source.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[K4GTE]

ABR Industries has coax available with colored sleeves. https://abrind.com/

[KH6AQ]

If you don't mind 75 ohms coax there are several brands. Amazon stocks 1000' rolls of direct burial orange RG-6 for $97.

[AI5BC]

Plenum coax is brightly colored But it is going to cost you 300% more in cost for Teflon or halogen free jacket coax. Plenum coax like other plenum cables is brightly colored to make identification easy for fire marshals and inspectors. Inspector sees black cable in plenum space, he shuts you down and evacuates the building. Hams can remain inside.

[WB6BYU]

Plenum coax is brightly colored But it is going to cost you 300% more in cost for Teflon or halogen free jacket coax. ...

I saw it in a local industrial surplus store, where they had
several spools of it.  The price was less than new RG-213
for an equivalent size.  So if you only need a ham-sized piece
from a leftover spool-end, it might not be as expensive as
if you were using it to wire a whole building.

The point is that it is available commercially from manufacturers
like Belden, if you know how to look for it.

Whether the cost is appropriate for a particular application is
a decision to be made by the individual user.

[W1VT]

I bought a thousand feet of RG-6 plenum coax on ebay for $55.
It has an orange yellow color.  It looks more orange indoors and more yellow outdoors.
Not only is it cheap, but as I replace the old RG-6 I can tell which is the old and which is new just by the color.

I've also bought white dacron rope for the same reason.  Makes it easier to tell the ropes apart.

Zak W1VT

[VE7RF]

 A  lot cheaper than purchasing colored coax. Buy the good stuff (3M or Scotch) & not the Chinese crap. One wrap every 3 feet should do the trick.

 


                                                    Tom KH0/KC0W

Agreed.  This is the easiest solution.  I use red tape every 1', to mark black coax cables used to carry B+ between cabinets.   It would also work for the op's application.   That, or spray paint it every few feet, with yellow/orange.

[KE7FD]

Lots to consider. Regarding the tape solution, have you noticed any slipping of the materials such that adhesive is exposed? I absolutely do not want to handle something that's sticking to my hands and ground litter.

BYU, you mentioned a cable source but didn't say what that was; could you include that please?

Glen KE7FD

[AI5BC]

Agreed.  This is the easiest solution.  I use red tape every 1', to mark black coax cables used to carry B+ between cabinets.   It would also work for the op's application.   That, or spray paint it every few feet, with yellow/orange.

Sounds like uncle Elmer to me, piss poor ways leaving a mess for someone else to clean up.

[VE7RF]

Agreed.  This is the easiest solution.  I use red tape every 1', to mark black coax cables used to carry B+ between cabinets.   It would also work for the op's application.   That, or spray paint it every few feet, with yellow/orange.

Sounds like uncle Elmer to me, piss poor ways leaving a mess for someone else to clean up.

Electricians do it all the time.  They will wrap white tape on black RW-90 cables to signify it's the neutral.
You want to buy megabuck plenum coax, cuz it comes in different colours other than black....go for it.

Heck, even my 3-000 cu uses white tape on it, to signify it's the neutral... just before it goes into the pothead. Standard procedure.  I used white tape on my 1-0 cu..to signify neutral...and green tape on my 1-0 cu, to signify ground..... on the 4 x 1-0 cu cables I ran from  my hb HV supply...over to the main 200 amp panel...where the 2 x hots terminate on a 100 amp breaker.

Where all 4 x 1-0 cables terminate on the HB B+ supply, I used a pair of 100 amp superior electric ...'supercon connectors' for the grnd + neutral...... and a pair of 250 amp supercon connectors for the 2 x hots.   Those supercon connectors come in 6 x different colours, so used white for neutral, green for grnd, and black for the 2 x hots.

[AI5BC]

Electricians do it all the time.  They will wrap white tape on black RW-90 cables to signify it's the neutral.

True dat and permitted by code. However, it is done at the point of termination inside an enclosure where it cannot make a mess or be seen or accessed.

But this proves the case of an Elmer's ignorance and complete lack of regard of safe operating principles.   

I use red tape every 1', to mark black coax cables used to carry B+ between cabinets.

Uncle COW never considered the voltage rating of the coax insulation. Never gave it a thought he is many magnitudes higher voltage than the insulation is rated for. DOH!

There is no code or safety issues using tape to identify conductors, just some ways are better than others depending upon the application. If you like sticky adhesive collecting dirt and debris and sticking to your fingers, knock yourself out, that is what they make Goo-Gone for. 

FWIW they do make conventional cable insulation in white and gray.

[VE7RF]

Electricians do it all the time.  They will wrap white tape on black RW-90 cables to signify it's the neutral.

True dat and permitted by code. However, it is done at the point of termination inside an enclosure where it cannot make a mess or be seen or accessed.

But this proves the case of an Elmer's ignorance and complete lack of regard of safe operating principles.   

I use red tape every 1', to mark black coax cables used to carry B+ between cabinets.

Uncle COW never considered the voltage rating of the coax insulation. Never gave it a thought he is many magnitudes higher voltage than the insulation is rated for. DOH!

There is no code or safety issues using tape to identify conductors, just some ways are better than others depending upon the application. If you like sticky adhesive collecting dirt and debris and sticking to your fingers, knock yourself out, that is what they make Goo-Gone for. 

FWIW they do make conventional cable insulation in white and gray.

Sticky side of the tape faces the cable. There is nothing sticky..to get stuck on.   I got loads of 1-0, all in one roll, so that's what I went with.

Insulation rating of  RG-213 is through the roof.   Try hi-pot testing 213-U..... with the braid peeled back 2-4".   It's off the chart.  Heck, even RG-59 will not show any  leakage on a hi-pot tester at 30 kv...... same deal, braid peeled way back.

I have a 200' roll of  RG-393 teflon coax.  Peel the braid way back...2-4". Good luck trying to find a hi-pot tester that will go high enough.  100 kv will not do it.

At each end of the coax cable used for HV, braid peeled way back, cut off, leaving only 1/2" of braid exposed.  cu strap wrapped around the braid, and pinched tight with a single set screw..and also silver soldered.   Other end of cu strap bonded to chassis.  Loads of strain relief  at both ends. Braid is at chassis potential.   This is one method to hardwire B+ between cabinets.

2nd method uses special connector's..that look just like bored out SO-239/PL-259, and modified, so they have a long white plastic 2-3-4" long piece inside em on both halves of the connector.  Banana  plug on end of center conductor mates with receptacle at other end.   They are rated for 10-20-30 kv.... and designed to fit RG-213 U.... and are stupid expensive...and yes, they are UL rated. 

Now if you really want something to sink your teeth into, forget the non-UL rated  ASTRON supplies.   Take a look at the
CHINESE variacs, the RED ones.   They are DEATH traps.  Fixable, but what a bitch.  Everything stupid u can think of, like fuse in the neutral leg..along with the flaky switch.  Non existent case grnd.  And 120 vac sitting just .002"  away from the case...which of course is sitting insulated via 4 x rubber feet on your work bench.  It's all over the internet.