Whole New Radio Setup, I only wanna do this once!

Well that sucks, I had a leak that took out my new stereo and my light panel.

OK

The radios are about the same, I wouldn't do the RFX75 thing, if you run an amp.

TO me they are all the same, pretty much the same design from the 70's so as long as it is clean and works, then it is good. Yes wire it to the battery and don't forget the fuses at the power source.

Get a good coax - not cheap stuff from a truck stop. I use 58 or 8x from the wire man, with the length you have to the antenna, it really doesn't matter. A lot of people go all out and get expensive coax thinking that it would help with power, it really doesn't.

I understand, had it happen the other day in one of my assigned trucks - clipped a low tree and the antenna wasn't there. I never tried the ss route but it may be a good thing for you. I wouldn't run duals, just can't see the improvement.

 

OK.... Radio: ANY flavor of 29 will get you there.

If you are going to run an amp... DONT do the RFX-75. You automatically limit yourself to high drive amps. Amps that need to be driven by another smaller amp, or RFX equipped radio in this case, are harder to tune (i.e. get right). Also unless you have 2 really clean high quality amps, any distortion will be multiplied. The RFX 75 is great stand alone in high traffic areas.

Wanting a compact package? Check out the AD-203. It goes in the 29 and put out 100 watts. Otherwise I would get a standard 4 watt drive amp.


Antennas.... Predator and Monkey made better for distance. Wilson is a good choice too.

Someone said duals.... In effect they give you a mobile beam. Front to back is multiplied. Side to side about the same. However, no gain will be seen unless you can get them at least 8n feet apart. They also require a special 75 ohm dual coax harness,

. It will allow you to key less than 4 watts swinging to the radios max, helping to increase the lifespan of the amp.

 

I can't speak to amps, since I run legal. However, here's a couple thoughts regarding your antenna system:

1. Coax. RG58A is good; RG8X (aka "mini-8") is a bit better. Just make sure that the cable you're running has a stranded center conductor. (Most does.) Forget the truck stops and get quality stuff. I get mine from DX Engineering (dxengineering.com).

2. Antenna. The longer, the better. The local dump drivers run a 102" stainless whip with spring, mounted to the front bumper. Just try to break that...

 

Best reasonable amps for the money are, in my opinion, Texas Star. Texas Star makes both 4 watt and high drive units. I have both a 250 HDV (High Drive) and a standard 250. Less expensive but workable as long as you don't overdrive them, are the RM units out of Italy. If you have the extra money the Texas Star units are a better way to go.

Co-ax... I run quality 8/U. Yes the thick stuff. It's a bit inconvenient, as it's a bit rigid as well as thick. but it handles all the power you would want and then some.

 

If you have coax with "RG8/U" printed on it, I wouldn't use it for anything more critical than using it for clothesline. Either it's some 30+ years old, or cheap overseas junk that doesn't pass the current milspec of RG213.

58 and 8X are good for 350-400W *average* power. If you're running AM, it'll easily handle 500W. 213 is overkill for mobile, as its average power capacity is ~1800W, and not many people run 2500W or so mobile. If you're in the kilowatt class, LMR240 Ultraflex is the stuff to be running.

 

Nope... Real ham ops still use it all the time. The center lead is much thicker and handles high power better. As far as who makes it... Belden wire, perhaps the most respected wire maker in the world, still catalogs and sells 8/U. They been around over 100 years. Even the Rat Shack still sells 8/U.

 

Nope. Belden makes "RG8/U type". If you go in and ask for Belden RG8/U, you will likely get Belden 9251. Heck, Belden even calls their 9913 an RG8/U type, and anyone who's ever worked with it can tell you that it's NOT RG8. RG8 no longer exists as a spec; it's been superseded by RG213. (Officially, M17/74-RG213.)

And the crap that CellShack sells these days might as well be called RG8/U, since it's not compliant with any spec.

"RG-8" now pretty much means any type of 50Ω coaxial cable that's about 0.400" in diameter.

If you want to run the fat coax, you might as well use LMR-400 UltraFlex. It's worth it.

 

Nope... Milspec means NOTHING other than the military doesn't order/use it anymore. Specs have changed over the years but still 20% or so better propagation than LMR 400 depending on whose data sheets you read. I don't mean to be contrary but I' be ###### if I'll go by Milspec. Not from the people that brought us the $500 hammer and the $2000 toilet seat. I read the data sheets for myself. I have worked in the electronics industry for years and can attest to the fact that their data connection standards were completely fubar. However, in a brilliant move they have adopted many civilian connector standards and given them military numbers. Kinda like Al Gore inventing the internet. Our Government, God Bless em, God help em... They need both.

Almost forgot I am aware there are several flavors of RG8U out there. I have only seen 95% shielded LMR400. Belden 9213, the one you mentioned I think? Is 90% shielded. While another flavor of 8U, 8214, is 95% shielded like LMR400. The transmission performance difference, on paper at least, is negligible.

BUT, Belden also makes RG8U in the 8237 flavor which exceeds LMR400 power caps by at least double throughout the bands. If I had a badboy 10,000 watt amp 8237 would be my personal choice.

In reality great spec 8U is available. What do you need? What do you want to spend?