Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Lossy RG-174 cable is good for DX! Despite its well known losses, this extremely lightweight and compact cable might give a good service in the POTA/SOTA activities if handled and designed properly. I know it from my own experience which is presented in this video!
The RF-Toolbox App is available on Appstore, I bought it on my own money.
My Dipole Center 3D printer files are available for free here:
printables.com/model/621336-universal-doublet-dipole-centre
Please leave your comments in the comments section.
Please consider subscribing to my channel if you like my videos.
Thanks for watching!
73! @Linas_LY2H
Update November 6, 2025:
ERRATA!
1. Thanks to one of my viewers, my mistake was discovered! I said in the video the loss in the 10 meters of the RG-174 cable would be 1dB. But! This would be valid for the length of 10 feet, NOT meters! The loss for 10 meters would be about 3dB. But ...
2. I was using the RG-174 specs from the manufacturers tables which were only providing data for the VHF/UHF frequencies (100Mhz and up)! Figures for HF, though, are much less! But no manufacturers give data for the HF (1-30Mhz), so...
3. I found a good info by skilled hams on dxing.info (dxing.info/equipment/rg_174_coax_bryant.dx) who presented this cable's loss measurements for the HF radio spectrum. So, based on their data, the loss in the 100ft ( 30m) of RG-174 would be 2.01dB at 7Mhz and 4.5dB at 15Mhz (I would use this frequency to calculate average values for both 20m and 17m bands). This is much less than my original reference of 9dB for the VHF/UHF!
4. Based on this new data I recalculated my antenna's cable loss as following:
- on 7Mhz (as reference for the 40m and 30m bands) the loss in 10 meters of cable is 0.67dB. At RF output power of 75W this loss would make 10.73W, or 64.27W left in the antenna. At 10W power output level, 8.57W is left in the antenna, at 5W output power 4.29W is left in the antenna.
-on 15Mhz (as reference for the 20m and 17m band) the loss in 10m of cable RG-174 is 1.5dB. At 75W this means 53W left in the antenna , at 10W power output this means 7W left in the antenna, at 5W power output , this means 3.54W left in the antenna.
These new calculations do not change the main conclusion in the video: the RG-174 cable is still good for dx, when used at lengths up to 10m!
Sorry for mistake folks, thanks for your comments, CU on the air!
73! Linas LY2H
--------
RG-174, Ham Radio, dipole, cable loss, SOTA, POTA, WWFF, linked dipole, HF antenna
Lossy RG-174 cable is good for DX! Despite its well known losses, this extremely lightweight and compact cable might give a good service in the POTA/SOTA activities if handled and designed properly. I know it from my own experience which is presented in this video!
The RF-Toolbox App is available on Appstore, I bought it on my own money.
My Dipole Center 3D printer files are available for free here:
printables.com/model/621336-universal-doublet-dipole-centre
Please leave your comments in the comments section.
Please consider subscribing to my channel if you like my videos.
Thanks for watching!
73! @Linas_LY2H
Update November 6, 2025:
ERRATA!
1. Thanks to one of my viewers, my mistake was discovered! I said in the video the loss in the 10 meters of the RG-174 cable would be 1dB. But! This would be valid for the length of 10 feet, NOT meters! The loss for 10 meters would be about 3dB. But ...
2. I was using the RG-174 specs from the manufacturers tables which were only providing data for the VHF/UHF frequencies (100Mhz and up)! Figures for HF, though, are much less! But no manufacturers give data for the HF (1-30Mhz), so...
3. I found a good info by skilled hams on dxing.info (dxing.info/equipment/rg_174_coax_bryant.dx) who presented this cable's loss measurements for the HF radio spectrum. So, based on their data, the loss in the 100ft ( 30m) of RG-174 would be 2.01dB at 7Mhz and 4.5dB at 15Mhz (I would use this frequency to calculate average values for both 20m and 17m bands). This is much less than my original reference of 9dB for the VHF/UHF!
4. Based on this new data I recalculated my antenna's cable loss as following:
- on 7Mhz (as reference for the 40m and 30m bands) the loss in 10 meters of cable is 0.67dB. At RF output power of 75W this loss would make 10.73W, or 64.27W left in the antenna. At 10W power output level, 8.57W is left in the antenna, at 5W output power 4.29W is left in the antenna.
-on 15Mhz (as reference for the 20m and 17m band) the loss in 10m of cable RG-174 is 1.5dB. At 75W this means 53W left in the antenna , at 10W power output this means 7W left in the antenna, at 5W power output , this means 3.54W left in the antenna.
These new calculations do not change the main conclusion in the video: the RG-174 cable is still good for dx, when used at lengths up to 10m!
Sorry for mistake folks, thanks for your comments, CU on the air!
73! Linas LY2H
--------
RG-174, Ham Radio, dipole, cable loss, SOTA, POTA, WWFF, linked dipole, HF antenna
