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With bandwidth to over 2 GHz, these high-performance cables are ideal for
many RF applications, including cable TV connections, satellite system down-leads, and antenna hook-ups.
We build these cable assemblies with Canare L-5CFB, which is an RG-6 type
cable, having a nominal OD of 7.7mm (.303"). It has an 18 AWG solid
annealed copper center conductor, a nitrogen-foamed polyethylene dielectric, a
100% coverage aluminum foil shield, and a tinned braided copper secondary
shield. The cable is housed in an attractive matte-finished modified PVC
jacket that stays flexible even in sub-zero temperatures. This is a precision cable,
manufactured to a high level of accuracy and like all Canare CFB-series cables,
it is 100% sweep-tested to 2 GHz to ensure the
highest level of performance in every sample. When mated with Canare's
excellent matching "F" connectors, it forms a 75 Ohm impedance-matched cable assembly that is in a class
of it's own.
Canare L-5CFB cable is rather flexible, considering it's size and performance...more
flexible that any other RG6-type coaxial cable that we have compared it to.
Flexibility is a disable characteristic in a cable for several reasons.
First, because it makes the cable easier to work with, but perhaps more
importantly, flexibility prevents unnecessary stress on your equipment
connectors.
The Connectors
The unique Canare "F" connector design features an electromechanically stable
nickel-over-brass body, with an extra-wide torque nut and machined threads.
Unlike virtually every other "F" connector, Canare's design does not unitize the
center conductor of the coaxial cable as the plug's center contact pin. Instead,
the center pin is made from gold-plated brass. This innovative approach
avoids problems that are often associated with typical "F" connectors, such as
corrosion, misalignment, incorrect length, and poorly shaped tip of the center
contact.
The dedicated center pin design prevents equipment damage
that can occur with lesser designs. For example, the instruction manual
that comes with Jensen Transformer's excellent
VRD-1FF Cable TV Ground
Isolator specifically warns that the warranty can be voided by damage resulting from using a center conductor that is misshapen, or too long. This
kind of damage will never happen with a Canare "F" connector because it is
always exactly the correct length and shape!
The precision of the body design, combined with the dedicated center pin
results in a precision connector. This precision results in a 75 Ohm
impedance-matched connector that connects up smoothly and accurately, providing
a consistently reliable connection and thus a very high level of performance.
Performance in the real world
A while back, I was out on a jobsite, searching for the reason that
the customer was experiencing marginal performance from his DBS satellite
system. The customer had multiple down-leads from the LNBF on his
satellite dish to multiple satellite receivers. Three receivers were
showing a signal strength of around 90, but one was more like 25.
Wanting to eliminate the possibility of an under-performing receiver, I
swapped one of the other receivers for the one that was showing the low signal.
It also showed a low signal strength, so I figured it had to be either an bad
cable, or a bad port on the LNBF.
Up until this time, we typically used RG-6 Quad-Shied coax for this
application, but unfortunately, I did not have any with me. I did happen
to have a 100 foot run of Canare L-4CFB cable, which is smaller than RG-6, but I
figured that it would serve as a temporary repair. The customer's existing
cable run was only about 75 feet, so 100 feet was more than I needed, but that's
what I had, so I went ahead and hooked it up.
Since the L-4CFB cable was smaller, and the run was longer, I fully expected
a weaker signal than the other runs, so I was somewhat surprised to see that the
L-4CFB cable was out-performing all of the larger and shorter RG-6 Quad Shield
cables! Whereas the other receivers in the system were showing a signal
strength around 90, the receiver that I had connected with the Canare cable was
showing about 95. Well, I have always had some respect for Canare cables,
but this really did seem to be too good to be true. I thought maybe
that particular receiver might have a more generous signal strength meter, so
I swapped another receiver onto the Canare line, but it showed similar results.
I even tried swapping ports on the LNBF, thinking that one of the ports might
have more output than the others, but no matter how I connected it, the Canare
cable was always clearly superior.
Following this experience, I had the opportunity to make direct comparisons
between Canare L-4CFB, and the larger, Canare L-5CFB, which is an RG6-sized
cable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the L-5CFB cable demonstrated an even
higher level of performance than the L-4CFB. Looking at the manufacturer's
specs, one would expect L-5CFB to have a slight performance advantage over
the RG-6 Quad-Shield cable that we were using, but not as much as I observed. It seems that
Canare's specs are rather conservative...or the other company's specs are more
optimistic.
Since this discovery, Canare L-5CFB has become our cable of choifor all sorts of RF
applications, always with outstanding results. I feel that I should
comment that Canare's "F" connectors are not water-proof, so they must be
protected in some manner when they are used outdoors. Honestly, the
so-called water-proof connectors are not very water-proof anyway, so we have
always considered it to be good practice to protect all connectors that are used
outdoors. We have used silicone grease, heat-shrink tubing, electrical
tape, and various other methods with good results.
Why Cable Solutions?
No one works harder than we do to get your order shipped out to you fast!
Customer service is our first priority. We do our best to help you find the
best solutions for your particular application. We're enthusiasts too, so
we know what it's like to wait for cables to hook up new gear. We stock
all of the components needed to build all of the items listed on our website, so we are
able to do something that most cable shops do not - we build and ship most
orders within one business day.
We also know how important it is to be able to
get a response when you need help, so you'll often find us working
long hours in an effort to get you the answers that you need. It takes
good people to do outstanding work...the kind of workmanship you want for your
custom cables. It usually costs more to keep good people, but the
importance of high-quality workmanship is second only to the importance of
superior service. I'll let you figure out for yourself why paying too
little for a cable can turn out to be just as bad as paying too much. Our
pricing is based upon the actual cost of building the cables.
Canare cable, Canare connectors, and Canare tools - an all Canare
system. When you take a system this good and put it in the hands of
technicians as good as ours, it becomes an awesome system! Design excellence, high quality materials, meticulous workmanship, and
superior service...put it all together and you get a superior product.
Don't get stuck with bad advice, poor service, slow shipment or an inferior
product. If you want the best, here it is.
Miscellaneous
Please click here to read our policies and disclaimer. Thanks for reading all of this! |
Click on any of the pictures below for a closer
view!
This picture shows a 0.2 meter cable - please select the length you need below. Our "standard" jacket color is
blue, as shown here, but feel free to select from any of the color options listed below.
This close-up will give you a better look at our F-type end preparations.
In this photo the Canare's unique gold-plated center pin and machined threads can be
seen.
This close-up may give you an idea of the workmanship that goes into these
connectors. Notice the machine marks around the circumference of the
connector and on the flats of the torque nut. As you can see, the Canare
logo is engraved into the metal.
This picture shows a 0.2 meter cable in red - please select the length you need below.
The red jacket in shown here as an example, but feel free to select from any of the color options listed below.
This close-up will give you a better look at our F-type end preparations.
In this photo the unique gold-plated center pin and machined threads can be
seen.
This close-up may give you an idea of the workmanship that goes into these
connectors. Notice the machine marks around the circumference of the
connector and on the flats of the torque nut. As you can see, the Canare
logo is engraved into the metal.
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