If you’re like the active hams at DX Engineering, you’ve likely had the weekend of June 25-26 circled in bright red on your calendar for some time now. If you haven’t, it’s time to start thinking about getting ready for the biggest amateur radio operating event of the year—ARRL Field Day. If you’re a bit behind in gathering what you need to replace worn coaxial cable, upgrade to a new rig, or purchase masts, guy rings, and rope, you’ve come to the right place. Throughout May, OnAllBands will be highlighting Field Day gear available at DX Engineering, from wire antenna kits to generators, foot switches to some of the extras, like hats, T-shirts, canopies, folding chairs, and logbooks.
A word to the wise: We strongly encourage you to assess your existing equipment now, compile your “Items I Need” list, and start placing your orders. After all, a big part of Field Day is about being ready to operate at a moment’s notice, so in that spirit, make sure you’ve got everything ready to go well before the last weekend in June rolls around.
Don’t Overlook the Coaxial Cable
Seasoned Field Day participants will tell you that the latest shiny rig and sparkling new antenna won’t mean much if your coaxial cable has seen a few too many Field Days and isn’t delivering the performance it should. Or if you’ve been using lesser-quality coax that saved you a few dollars at the expense of greater signal loss and fewer QSOs. Don’t think a coax upgrade can make that much of a difference? Watch this video of DX Engineering CEO Tim, K3LR, and Jeff, KB8ZWT, discussing coax, connectors, and more, with plenty of visual examples of coax that deserves a well-earned retirement party. One of the video’s big takeaways: “Even good coax goes bad in time.”
If your coaxial cable resembles weathered and worn examples as shown in the above video, the great news is that DX Engineering makes it easy to order the precise cable you need, whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or prefer to receive your cable with connectors already installed. Choose from three hassle-free ways to order:
- Premade cable assemblies in a variety of types and lengths (3 feet to 200 feet), with DX Engineering’s patented crimp/solder 8U or 8X PL-259 connectors installed on both ends or BNC male ends in some cases
- By the foot and by the roll up to 1,000 feet
- Made to spec (type of cable, connectors on both ends, length) using the online DX Engineering Custom Cable Builder at DXEngineering.com
DX Engineering branded coaxial cable covers the full range of ham uses and price points, from high-end RG-214 Double Shielded 50-ohm cables to types that deliver great performance but might make better sense for your amateur radio budget—everything from cables for direct-bury applications to those best suited for mobile radio setups. Click on these links below for full details.
- RG-214 Double-Shielded 50-ohm Coaxial Cable
- RG-400 High-Isolation Double-Shielded 50-ohm Coaxial Cable
- 400MAX Low-Loss Cable 50-ohm Coaxial Cable
- RG-8U Low-Loss 50-ohm Foam Dielectric Coax
- RG-8X Low-Loss 50-ohm Foam Dielectric Coaxial Cable
- RG-6/U 75-ohm Quad-Shield Coaxial Cable
- RG-58A/U 52-ohm coax
- RG-11U 75-ohm Bulk Coaxial Cable
- 213U Mil-Spec 50-ohm Cable
Also visit DXEngineering.com for coaxial cable connectors, connector adapters, coaxial cable prep tool kits, and anything else you could possibly need to make Field Day 2022 a roaring success—other than a guarantee of sunny skies and outstanding propagation.
