Practical answer: Feed-line loss rises with frequency, so a cable that is acceptable on HF can waste a large share of the signal on VHF or UHF.
What changes on the air
Cable length, construction, connectors, adapters, moisture, and mismatch all contribute. The radio can still show full output while substantially less power reaches the antenna.
Plan the installation
- Read loss at the actual frequency.
- Scale the value to installed length.
- Include adapters and switches.
- Use the shortest safe run and a low-loss line when distance grows.
Common mistakes
- Using one cable-loss number for every band.
- Ignoring receive loss.
- Adding long RG-58 at UHF without calculation.
Technical boundary
General VHF/UHF antenna and transmission-line practice. Use the current product guide for exact dimensions, ratings, connectors, mounting, and supported configurations.
