Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Andrew Heliax

Category: Feedlines (coax, ladder-line, etc.)

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Andrew Heliax
Reviews: 21MSRP:
Description:
50 Ohm low loss coaxial cable
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.andrew.com/products/trans_line/heliax/default.aspx
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00215
KA2VTI Rating: 2002-02-18
Overall electrical and mechanical performance is unparalleled Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My experience with Andrew Heliax is both professional and amateur. Being involved with the cellular site construction industry I am intimately aware of the necessities of low loss and high reliability of feedline products.

The Andrew corporation is regarded as the premier manufacturer of coax in the world. Regarding our use of this product in the amateur frequencies disregarding the ill perceived high initial cost allows for extremely low loss of signal under extended feedline conditions and practicly unlimited life expectancies.

The losses heretofore considered normally acceptable at extended lengths (Over 100')with readily available coaxial feedlines such as RG-8X and RG-213 and the like with definitive life expectancies, are many times the loss associated with even 1/2" Andrew Heliax.

Looking at the losses of the popularly utilized, standard larger sizes such as 7/8" and 1-5/8 the losses are appreciably less as the size of the cable increases.

Although there are a great amount of hams out there able to recite and calculate loss formulas in their heads, I am alas not one of them.

Suffice it to say I am but an "avid amateur", however we all can appreciate coax with loss figures of a third each time the diameter is increased. (ie. 1/2" to 7/8" to 1-1/4" to 1-5/8")

Occasionaly I have laboriously calculated true feedline losses for HF, VHF and above and replaced in the calculations 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax for the more flexible RG-213 I had previously used and saw quite a difference. As is customary of late I should mention depending on the length of your feedline runs "your actual mileage may vary".

The range of conditions Heliax can be used under is wide. From laying it on your roof, directly burying it to running it under water, unless you damage the outer vinyl jacket it is truly impervious.

One condition where it can't be expected to last is continuous movement. The low losses and mechanical strengths are born from a continuous copper outer jacket under the vinyl protective cover. This copper jacket is a molded rib (not a spiral) to afford you the ability to make bends and arcs during installation but not continuously flexible as is needed between a stationary tower and rotatable antennae mast. A piece of low loss woven jacket coax is the best choice at that juncture.

There are not many applications where Heliax would not enhance station performance on any frequency as long as the flexibility issues are respected.

For more information see Andrew's website at... http://www.andrew.com/products/heliax/default.asp

Catalog 38 will make available more information than you could imagine.

For a brief and easily understandable overview in average "Ham" terms you can E mail me at ka2vti@arrl.net and I will forward you some basic specifications.

Oh, one more thing... If you run more than 5 or 10 thousand watts go with the 7/8" or larger and watch that SWR, other than that you can just have fun.

7 3 and Happy Hamming de ka2vti (Frank)