Coax Cable – You Might Just Need To Test It

The Primary Types

There are several different types of coax cables to support a wide range of specialty applications, such as satellite communications, industrial, military and marine applications. The three most common non-industrial coax types are RG6, RG11 and RG59, with RG6 being the most common type you will likely encounter in the enterprise for applications like CCTV and CATV. RG11 has a larger center conductor than RG6, which means it has lower insertion loss and can transmit signals further than RG6. However, thicker RG11 cables cost more and are extremely inflexible, making them impractical for deployment in premise applications and better suited for use in longer-run outside plant installations or for straight backbone links. RG59 is more flexible than RG6, but it features even higher loss and is rarely used anymore except in low-bandwidth, low-frequency analog video applications where distances are short and pathway space is limited (think back-up camera in your car).

Coaxial cables also come in various impedances—typically 50, 75 and 93 ohm. 50 ohm coaxial offers higher power handling and is primarily used for radio transmitters like Ham radios, CBs and walkie-talkies. 75 ohm cable does a better job of maintaining signal strength and is primarily used for connecting any type of receiving device such as CATV receivers, high-definition TVs and digital recorders. Originally used in mainframe IBM networks in the 1970s and early 1980s, 93 ohm coax is rare and expensive. While 75 ohm coax is likely the impedance you will encounter in most present-day applications, it’s important to note that all components in a coaxial cabling system should have the same impedance to avoid internal reflections at connection points that can cause signal loss and poor video quality.

Digital Signal 3 (DS3) signals used to carry traffic in central offices (also referred to as a T3 line) also use coaxial cable, including 75 ohm Type 735 and Type 734. Type 735 cable can be used to cover distances up to 69 meters, while Type 734 cable can be used up to 137 meters. RG6 cable may also be used to carry DS3 signals but over shorter distances.