Hello, everyone.

 

This afternoon, A friend and I took down my Alpha Delta DXCC antenna from
the camp site we used last year, and I'm getting ready to put the antenna
up at a different camp site that we will be using this season.

 

I have noticed that the 75 feet of RG8X coax I have used as a feedline for
probably the past 1 or two years seems flaky, in that I get a short across
both of the coax connectors when I check for continuity.  I took off one of
the connectors that I felt was questionable, and installed a new one, just
to have the same problem recur.  I am beginning to think that my best option
might be simply to replace the old coax with something new, rather than risk
getting the antenna up in the air at the new camp site, only to have a bad
feed line.

 

I have 100 feet of RG8U here, and am considering using part or all of that
coax run, depending upon how much I will need, rather than buying completely
new RG8X.  I will have to put connectors on the RG8U if I go this route, but
that shouldn't be too big of a deal.

 

My question is this:  Can someone tell me how RG8X and RG8U compare, for a
simple HF installation?  Initially, I was going to put the RG8U in my go
kit, and use it  for emergency VHF/UHF communications, but if it would be ok
for my HF RV installation, I may just go that route for now.

 

Any wisdom on the topic would be appreciated.

 

Tom Behler: KB8TYJ