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PTFE vs PE Dielectric in Coax Cables: Performance and Cost Trade-offs
A cable inside a warm enclosure has to carry a 2.4 GHz signal and remain stable while the equipment heats up. A feeder outside the enclosure has to carry the same band over several meters. Choosing PTFE everywhere can add cost without solving the l… More
Posted on 10/13/2026
Velocity Factor Table for Common Coaxial Cables
An engineer builds a phase-matched pair and cuts both cables to the same length, then measures a 20 degree difference at 6 GHz. One cable was foam dielectric and the other solid PTFE. Same length, different velocity factor, different phase. That is… More
Posted on 10/13/2026
VSWR / Return Loss / Reflection Coefficient Conversion Table
A datasheet lists return loss of 14 dB. The amplifier manual asks for VSWR below 1.5:1. A quick check on a calculator, then a second check to be sure. Conversions between VSWR, return loss and reflection coefficient come up in every RF review, and … More
Posted on 10/13/2026
Understanding Coax Cable Datasheets: How to Read Loss, VP & Power Ratings
A coax datasheet describes one cable construction under stated conditions. Read attenuation at the operating frequency and convert its length units; read velocity of propagation as a fraction of light speed; read power with its thermal and mismatch… More
Posted on 10/13/2026
HF Ham Radio Coax Guide: 1.8-30 MHz Cable Selection
For 1.8 to 30 MHz ham radio, choose coax from feed length, operating power, antenna mismatch and mechanical exposure rather than from frequency alone. A short portable jumper and a long permanent feeder can justify different cable constructions eve… More
Posted on 10/13/2026
RF Connector Power Ratings Table: CW Power vs Frequency
A transmitter datasheet says 40 W at 2.4 GHz. The cable is rated for it, the antenna is rated for it, but is the SMA connector between them? Connector power ratings are rarely printed on the part, they fall with frequency, and they are often lower … More
Posted on 10/13/2026
Braided vs Foil vs Combination Shielding: Which Coax Shield Do You Need?
A receiver works on the bench, but develops interference when the cable passes near a switching power supply. A better shield may help, yet the connector termination or enclosure bond can still be the dominant leakage path. Buying more braid layers… More
Posted on 10/13/2026
Coax Cable Temperature Ratings: Operating Ranges by Jacket Material
A cable assembly is specified for an under-hood sensor at 125 C. The datasheet lists the dielectric as PTFE, which is fine, and the jacket as PVC, which is not. The signal still works on day one, then the jacket softens, cracks and exposes the brai… More
Posted on 10/13/2026
RF Connector Identification Chart: Photos, Dimensions, Genders
A box of unmarked cables arrives from a client's old lab. Some have threaded ends, some have bayonet pins, some have tiny snap fittings. Without a datasheet, you need a way to tell an SMA from a TNC or a BNC from an SMB, and whether a connector is … More
Posted on 10/13/2026
Frequency to Wavelength Table for RF Design (1 MHz - 40 GHz)
An antenna designer needs a quarter-wave monopole at 868 MHz, a stub length at 2.4 GHz and the distance between two patch elements at 5.8 GHz. The calculator is slow and the formula is simple, but the numbers come up in every RF design. This table … More
Posted on 10/13/2026