Very high quality RF antenna cables: Widest selection. Low signal loss.

Antenna Cable-Connectors' Gender is not as you would expect

  • Gender of threaded connectors is referring to the pins inside--not the threads.
  • This applies to all of the following: N, RP-SMA, RP-TNC, SMA, TNC

Connectors with "RP" in the name are further complicated by the "reverse polarization" (RP):

  • The pins are female when they appear to be male, and vice versa.
  • If the documentation refers to the connector as "reverse ____":
  • This is the same as RP-____ (e.g, "reverse SMA" = RP-SMA)
  • RP-SMA-female has a pin RP-SMA-male has a socket
  • SMA-female has a socket, SMA-male has a pin
  • All of our cables with RP-SMA female have a bulkhead (nut and washer). They will will pass through an exterior wall covered in sheet metal and will seal out weather and survive extreme temperatures.
  • RP-TNC-female has a pin RP-TNC-male has a socket
  • TNC-female has a socket. TNC-male has a pin

Details about Reverse Polarity (RP) / Reverse Gender Connectors and Adapters (read more)


Waterproofing / Weatherproofing Connectors

Nickel-plated connectors and adapters (such as N) are the best for weather resistance. Gold-plated brass such as the SMA and RP-SMA connectors are not as weather-resistant as the nickel-plated ones. Over years exposed to weather, gold-plated brass connectors will show signs of gradual deterioration from the weather, if not protected.

Nickel will hold up with no signs of deterioration for years longer than gold-plated brass.  Outdoor antennas with N-connectors are intended to be installed outdoors and exposed to the weather for many years, without any corrosion or deterioration, and this is the norm.

Gold-plated brass (SMA and RP-SMA) connectors are really intended for indoor use, although we very commonly have customers with outdoor installations using antennas and cables with Gold-plated brass SMA or RP-SMA connectors, just because the antenna and/or cable-connector suits a particular need better than using antennas and/or cables with N-connectors. In cases like this, they should use CoaxSeal to protect the gold-plated brass - especially for long-term exposure.

CoaxSeal is very low cost and we recommend as the solution for long-term outdoor exposure, that you wrap the connections with CoaxSeal:

  • At the very least, wrap the SMA connections, and then for the sale of a super-durable solution
  • If you want to have a super-durable long-term-exposure solution for a small incremental cost: Then also wrap the nickel-plated N-connectors and adapters.

See our Weatherproofing / Waterproofing products and solutions.

Comparison of specifications of antenna cable coax types:  LMR-100, LMR-200, LMR-400

Signal Loss in Antenna Cables

Data Alliance uses low-loss double-shielded coaxial cable in all of our antenna cables, as opposed to the old standard, RG cable that is used in most other brands of antenna cables, and has a single layer of shielding.

Data Alliance uses low-loss, double-shielded coaxial cable in all of our antenna cables, as opposed to the old standard, RG cable that is used in most other brands of antenna cables. These double-shielded coax types are 100-series, 200-series, and 400-series: 100-series is 0.10 inch in diameter, 200-series is 0.20 inch in diameter and 400-series is 0.4 inch in diameter. The term "low loss" antenna cables refers to the' low attenuation (loss) over distance, of the coaxial cable used in the antenna cable, relative to a typical old standard, RG cable.

LMR-100 structure, showing two layers of shielding.

Low loss coaxial cable has far better shielding than typical RG style cable thus achieving better low loss characteristics. Additionally, low loss coaxial cables use solid center conductors which offer lower attenuation than stranded conductors that are sometimes found on RG style cables. Low loss coaxial cables are typically used in WLAN, Cellular, PCS, ISM and many other wireless applications The LMR-series coax is rated for outdoor use and are also suitable for indoor use Among the coax types below, the RG-series is the lowest quality and thinnest (RG174 & RG178, RG58). 100-series & 200-series tabs below include detailed specifications.

The attenuation rate per foot does not change with length of the cable: i.e., attenuation at 10 feet is 10x the attenuation at one foot, etc.

Attenuation In Coax For Antenna Cables: Signal strength is lost in the antenna cable: It is best to have the shortest cable that will serve your needs.

As coaxial antenna cable transfers radio frequency (RF) power from one point to another, the power that enters it is degraded along the length of the RF cable, meaning less power reaches the remote than entered the RF cable. This loss of power in the coax cable is what is referred to as attenuation. The loss is defined in terms of decibels/unit length at a given frequency:

Coax used in Data Alliance's antenna cables: We use low loss antenna cables for superior connection quality. Suited for indoor and outdoor use, our cables provide superior matching and loss values. Both connectors are soldered, not crimped, for the best possible signal quality.

Our shorter cables (less than two meters) we make with cable type equivalent to LMR100 or higher, in quality and signal-loss per meter. All of our cables of 2-meters or more are made from cable equivalent to LMR200 in quality and signal-loss per meter. The higher quality of the cable of our cables translates into lower sigal loss / better performance.

Our cables of 2-meters to 9-meters are made from cable-type equivalent to LMR200 in quality and signal-loss per meter. Longer cables made from cable-type equivalent to LMR400 The higher quality of the cable of our cables translates into lower signal loss & better performance.

SOLUTIONS FOR SIGNAL LOSS:

The solution is to reduce the length of antenna cables or eliminate them altogether, if possible: Bring the WiFi device as close as possible to the antenna.

Use one of the following solutions:

100-series attenuation at various frequencies 150MHz to 3000MHz: 100 meters

100-series Specifications & Attenuation (Signal Loss):

No. in diagram above:

Item

Structure

Material

Color

1

Inner conductor

0.45±0.02mm

Bare copper

Yellow

2

Insulation

1.50±0.10mm

LDPE

Nature

3

Folia

1.60±0.10mm

Aluminum foil

Silver gray

4

Wire braid

80*0.10mm

Tinned copper

Silver gray

5

Jacket

2.90±0.10mm

PVC

Black

Attenuation (Signal Loss) at 20℃ (Max.)

150MHz

dB/100m

32.3

200MHz

dB/100m

35.6

400MHz

dB/100m

49.3

1000MHz

dB/100m

80.6

1500MHz

dB/100m

98.7

2000MHz

dB/100m

115.5

2500MHz

dB/100m

130.6

3000MHz

dB/100m

142.4

Electrical Physical and properties of product

Item

Unit

Value

Capacitance

pF/m

100± 5

Impedance

W

50± 2

Velocity ratio

%

66

Bent radius min

mm

15

Max voltage

VMS

1500

Max Frequency

MHz

3000

Temperature scope

-20 ~ +80

 

lmr-100-rg316-compared.jpg

100-series has lower signal-loss than RG316

Temperature range for operational use of 100-series coax:  -4 F ~ +176 F  (--20°C ~ +80°C.)

100-series coaxial cable is used in short antenna cables (usually less than 7FT) Attenuation Per Foot in 100-series Coax: (black jacket)

  • at 900 MHz: 0.23 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.39 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 0.47 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 0.643 db/ft
200-Series Specifications & Attenuation (Signal Loss):
LMR100-Structure-Diagram
No. in diagram above: Item Structure Material Color
1 Inner conductor 1.12±0.02mm Bare copper Yellow
2 Insulation 2.95±0.10mm Foam PE White
3 Folia 3.07mm Aluminum foil Silver gray
4 Wire braid 96*0.12mm Tinned copper Silver gray
5 Jacket 5.00±0.10mm PVC Black
Attenuation (Signal Loss) at 20C (Max.) 200MHz dB/100m 16
400MHz dB/100m 24
900MHz dB/100m 33
1500MHz dB/100m 43
1800MHz dB/100m 47
2500MHz dB/100m 56
Electrical Physical and properties of product
Item Unit Value
Capacitance pF/m 81± 5
Impedance W 50± 2
Velocity ratio % 86
Bent radius mm 25
Max voltage VMS 1500
Max Frequency MHz 3000
Temperature scope -20 ~ +80

400-series: Attenuation Per Foot in 400-series Coax:

Frequency (MHZ) Attenuation dB/100ft. Attenuation dB/100m. Avg. Power kW
30 0.7 2.2 3.33
50 0.9 2.9 2.57
150 1.5 5.0 1.47
220 1.9 6.1 1.20
450 2.7 8.9 0.83
900 3.9 12.8 0.58
1500 5.1 16.8 0.44
1800 5.7 18.6 0.40
2000 6.0 19.6 0.37
2500 6.8 2.22 0.33
5800 10.8 35.5 0.21
8000 13 42.7 0.17

RG-174 Attenuation Per Foot:

  • at 900 MHz: 0.31447 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.60237 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 0.76886 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 1.1134 db/ft

 


Double shielding of 100-series compared to single shielding of RG174.

LMR-100 shielding compared to RG174

 


RG178 Attenuation Per Foot: (RG178: clear jacket over copper braid)

  • at 900 MHz: 0.55 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.89 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 1.02 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 1.38 db/ft

RGB-58 Attenuation Per Foot:

  • at 900 MHz: 0.1365 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.258 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 0.328 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 0.479 db/ft

MORE ABOUT GENDER DETERMINATION: Details about Reverse Polarity (RP) / Reverse Gender Connectors and Adapters

  • Reverse Polarity/Reverse Gender connectors satisfy FCC Regulation 15 by switching dielectrics and pins/contacts between genders.
  • For example, a Reverse Gender Male consists of a male body, however, the dielectric and contact are female.
  • Basically, an RP female will look like a standard male, and an RP male will look like a standard female. Reverse Polarity connectors and adapters will not mate with standard coaxial connectors. To attempt to do so will damage the connector.

Antenna Cables

Very high quality RF antenna cables: Widest selection. Low signal loss.

Antenna Cable-Connectors' Gender is not as you would expect

  • Gender of threaded connectors is referring to the pins inside--not the threads.
  • This applies to all of the following: N, RP-SMA, RP-TNC, SMA, TNC

Connectors with "RP" in the name are further complicated by the "reverse polarization" (RP):

  • The pins are female when they appear to be male, and vice versa.
  • If the documentation refers to the connector as "reverse ____":
  • This is the same as RP-____ (e.g, "reverse SMA" = RP-SMA)
  • RP-SMA-female has a pin RP-SMA-male has a socket
  • SMA-female has a socket, SMA-male has a pin
  • All of our cables with RP-SMA female have a bulkhead (nut and washer). They will will pass through an exterior wall covered in sheet metal and will seal out weather and survive extreme temperatures.
  • RP-TNC-female has a pin RP-TNC-male has a socket
  • TNC-female has a socket. TNC-male has a pin

Details about Reverse Polarity (RP) / Reverse Gender Connectors and Adapters (read more)


Waterproofing / Weatherproofing Connectors

Nickel-plated connectors and adapters (such as N) are the best for weather resistance. Gold-plated brass such as the SMA and RP-SMA connectors are not as weather-resistant as the nickel-plated ones. Over years exposed to weather, gold-plated brass connectors will show signs of gradual deterioration from the weather, if not protected.

Nickel will hold up with no signs of deterioration for years longer than gold-plated brass.  Outdoor antennas with N-connectors are intended to be installed outdoors and exposed to the weather for many years, without any corrosion or deterioration, and this is the norm.

Gold-plated brass (SMA and RP-SMA) connectors are really intended for indoor use, although we very commonly have customers with outdoor installations using antennas and cables with Gold-plated brass SMA or RP-SMA connectors, just because the antenna and/or cable-connector suits a particular need better than using antennas and/or cables with N-connectors. In cases like this, they should use CoaxSeal to protect the gold-plated brass - especially for long-term exposure.

CoaxSeal is very low cost and we recommend as the solution for long-term outdoor exposure, that you wrap the connections with CoaxSeal:

  • At the very least, wrap the SMA connections, and then for the sale of a super-durable solution
  • If you want to have a super-durable long-term-exposure solution for a small incremental cost: Then also wrap the nickel-plated N-connectors and adapters.

See our Weatherproofing / Waterproofing products and solutions.

Comparison of specifications of antenna cable coax types:  LMR-100, LMR-200, LMR-400

Signal Loss in Antenna Cables

Data Alliance uses low-loss double-shielded coaxial cable in all of our antenna cables, as opposed to the old standard, RG cable that is used in most other brands of antenna cables, and has a single layer of shielding.

Data Alliance uses low-loss, double-shielded coaxial cable in all of our antenna cables, as opposed to the old standard, RG cable that is used in most other brands of antenna cables. These double-shielded coax types are 100-series, 200-series, and 400-series: 100-series is 0.10 inch in diameter, 200-series is 0.20 inch in diameter and 400-series is 0.4 inch in diameter. The term "low loss" antenna cables refers to the' low attenuation (loss) over distance, of the coaxial cable used in the antenna cable, relative to a typical old standard, RG cable.

LMR-100 structure, showing two layers of shielding.

Low loss coaxial cable has far better shielding than typical RG style cable thus achieving better low loss characteristics. Additionally, low loss coaxial cables use solid center conductors which offer lower attenuation than stranded conductors that are sometimes found on RG style cables. Low loss coaxial cables are typically used in WLAN, Cellular, PCS, ISM and many other wireless applications The LMR-series coax is rated for outdoor use and are also suitable for indoor use Among the coax types below, the RG-series is the lowest quality and thinnest (RG174 & RG178, RG58). 100-series & 200-series tabs below include detailed specifications.

The attenuation rate per foot does not change with length of the cable: i.e., attenuation at 10 feet is 10x the attenuation at one foot, etc.

Attenuation In Coax For Antenna Cables: Signal strength is lost in the antenna cable: It is best to have the shortest cable that will serve your needs.

As coaxial antenna cable transfers radio frequency (RF) power from one point to another, the power that enters it is degraded along the length of the RF cable, meaning less power reaches the remote than entered the RF cable. This loss of power in the coax cable is what is referred to as attenuation. The loss is defined in terms of decibels/unit length at a given frequency:

Coax used in Data Alliance's antenna cables: We use low loss antenna cables for superior connection quality. Suited for indoor and outdoor use, our cables provide superior matching and loss values. Both connectors are soldered, not crimped, for the best possible signal quality.

Our shorter cables (less than two meters) we make with cable type equivalent to LMR100 or higher, in quality and signal-loss per meter. All of our cables of 2-meters or more are made from cable equivalent to LMR200 in quality and signal-loss per meter. The higher quality of the cable of our cables translates into lower sigal loss / better performance.

Our cables of 2-meters to 9-meters are made from cable-type equivalent to LMR200 in quality and signal-loss per meter. Longer cables made from cable-type equivalent to LMR400 The higher quality of the cable of our cables translates into lower signal loss & better performance.

SOLUTIONS FOR SIGNAL LOSS:

The solution is to reduce the length of antenna cables or eliminate them altogether, if possible: Bring the WiFi device as close as possible to the antenna.

Use one of the following solutions:

100-series attenuation at various frequencies 150MHz to 3000MHz: 100 meters

100-series Specifications & Attenuation (Signal Loss):

No. in diagram above:

Item

Structure

Material

Color

1

Inner conductor

0.45±0.02mm

Bare copper

Yellow

2

Insulation

1.50±0.10mm

LDPE

Nature

3

Folia

1.60±0.10mm

Aluminum foil

Silver gray

4

Wire braid

80*0.10mm

Tinned copper

Silver gray

5

Jacket

2.90±0.10mm

PVC

Black

Attenuation (Signal Loss) at 20℃ (Max.)

150MHz

dB/100m

32.3

200MHz

dB/100m

35.6

400MHz

dB/100m

49.3

1000MHz

dB/100m

80.6

1500MHz

dB/100m

98.7

2000MHz

dB/100m

115.5

2500MHz

dB/100m

130.6

3000MHz

dB/100m

142.4

Electrical Physical and properties of product

Item

Unit

Value

Capacitance

pF/m

100± 5

Impedance

W

50± 2

Velocity ratio

%

66

Bent radius min

mm

15

Max voltage

VMS

1500

Max Frequency

MHz

3000

Temperature scope

-20 ~ +80

 

lmr-100-rg316-compared.jpg

100-series has lower signal-loss than RG316

Temperature range for operational use of 100-series coax:  -4 F ~ +176 F  (--20°C ~ +80°C.)

100-series coaxial cable is used in short antenna cables (usually less than 7FT) Attenuation Per Foot in 100-series Coax: (black jacket)

  • at 900 MHz: 0.23 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.39 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 0.47 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 0.643 db/ft
200-Series Specifications & Attenuation (Signal Loss):
LMR100-Structure-Diagram
No. in diagram above: Item Structure Material Color
1 Inner conductor 1.12±0.02mm Bare copper Yellow
2 Insulation 2.95±0.10mm Foam PE White
3 Folia 3.07mm Aluminum foil Silver gray
4 Wire braid 96*0.12mm Tinned copper Silver gray
5 Jacket 5.00±0.10mm PVC Black
Attenuation (Signal Loss) at 20C (Max.) 200MHz dB/100m 16
400MHz dB/100m 24
900MHz dB/100m 33
1500MHz dB/100m 43
1800MHz dB/100m 47
2500MHz dB/100m 56
Electrical Physical and properties of product
Item Unit Value
Capacitance pF/m 81± 5
Impedance W 50± 2
Velocity ratio % 86
Bent radius mm 25
Max voltage VMS 1500
Max Frequency MHz 3000
Temperature scope -20 ~ +80

400-series: Attenuation Per Foot in 400-series Coax:

Frequency (MHZ) Attenuation dB/100ft. Attenuation dB/100m. Avg. Power kW
30 0.7 2.2 3.33
50 0.9 2.9 2.57
150 1.5 5.0 1.47
220 1.9 6.1 1.20
450 2.7 8.9 0.83
900 3.9 12.8 0.58
1500 5.1 16.8 0.44
1800 5.7 18.6 0.40
2000 6.0 19.6 0.37
2500 6.8 2.22 0.33
5800 10.8 35.5 0.21
8000 13 42.7 0.17

RG-174 Attenuation Per Foot:

  • at 900 MHz: 0.31447 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.60237 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 0.76886 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 1.1134 db/ft

 


Double shielding of 100-series compared to single shielding of RG174.

LMR-100 shielding compared to RG174

 


RG178 Attenuation Per Foot: (RG178: clear jacket over copper braid)

  • at 900 MHz: 0.55 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.89 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 1.02 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 1.38 db/ft

RGB-58 Attenuation Per Foot:

  • at 900 MHz: 0.1365 db/ft
  • at 2.4 GHz: 0.258 db/ft
  • at 3.4GHz: 0.328 db/ft
  • at 5.1-5.8GHz: 0.479 db/ft

MORE ABOUT GENDER DETERMINATION: Details about Reverse Polarity (RP) / Reverse Gender Connectors and Adapters

  • Reverse Polarity/Reverse Gender connectors satisfy FCC Regulation 15 by switching dielectrics and pins/contacts between genders.
  • For example, a Reverse Gender Male consists of a male body, however, the dielectric and contact are female.
  • Basically, an RP female will look like a standard male, and an RP male will look like a standard female. Reverse Polarity connectors and adapters will not mate with standard coaxial connectors. To attempt to do so will damage the connector.