What is characteristic impedance?
The RF world is full of esoteric terminology, and not least of these is characteristic impedance, or Z0. Most coaxial cables have a characteristic impedance of 50 or 75 ohms. If you want to...
Tagged: Cable
Antenna Tuners, Impedance Matching, and SWR
Antenna tuners seem to be some of the most misunderstood devices in all of amateur radio. In this article, I’ll try to explain what is happening when you use an antenna tuner. I’ll try...
LMR-400 for Ham Radio?
I see lots and lots of posts from people extolling the virtues of using LMR-400 coaxial cable in their ham radio setups. LMR (Land Mobile Radio) cable was developed by Times Microwave Systems as...
Coaxial Cable Length Does Not Change Antenna SWR
I’ve heard this for decades, and I first heard it when I got into CB radio when I was a kid. You’ve gotta to cut your coax to the right length if you want...
Why 50 ohms?
Coaxial cables, antennas, amplifier inputs and outputs, typically have either a 50 ohm or 75 ohm characteristic impedance. Why? It all comes down to the characteristic impedance value for maximum power transfer being 30...