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Did you test this on a cable TV signal? A TV antenna signal has a much lower frequency than a cable TV signal and should be much less sensitive to the quality of the cable. I'd be curious to see how it performs. In fact, I'm having difficulty understanding how these type of cables can even call themselves coaxial since the entire point of a coaxial cable is creating a shielding which is equally spaced concentrically around the conductor.
The thinner "cable" will be susceptible to the effects of any metal it goes around. This is because the metal increases the capacitance between the two wires inside the strip. This capacitance acts as an extra load on the signal, reducing it. especially at UHF, where a lot of digital TV signals live.
You can also take a length of 1x4” pine board that is cut to the same width as your window. Paint it whatever color works best. Place it edgewise at the bottom of your window and lower your window down upon it and caulk it in. If you want, put a screw in your window frame at the top of your window to keep the window from being opened any further for security. Now you can either drill holes in the board and pass your coax through (and caulk around it), or install barrel connectors which allow you to attach the coax from either side of the board. Requires a little bit of tool skill to do, but at least you don’t have to drill a hole through the wall of your house for each cable you need to put through the wall, which is a bit of a pain, especially if your house has brick or stone walls.
I have that for my amateur radio coax runs. I originally bought one from MFJ and when I saw what it was I sent it back and made my own for about half the price! I used 6 2" barrel connectors (bulkhead connectors). It is easier to weather proof using the connectors than running the coax through holes. Also more convenient if you ever move to a new location. 73, N1WOM
My dad made an insert from stainless steel sheet and had connectors in the sheet so the cables were weatherproof. It never leaked, even during bad storms. Wasn't too warm by that window in the wintertime though.
Thanks! I had purchased the thin cable a few months back as I cannot get WJZ despite living 8.3 miles from the Candleabra in Rossville, MD (21237). I have the same clear stream, use a quadshield hooked up to a Clear Stream 2, and have it ran through our apartment window under mulching and hidden in a bush! Not optimal, but I now get WJZ and most DC channels. I will try the other white coax jumper and see if it works better and reground the antenna. Can never be too safe in thunderstorm season!!!
Awhile back, I'm pretty sure I remember seein' a set of capacitively-coupled connectors (for the same purpose). One would stick each half onto one side of a window pane, then connect the cables. Always wondered how well those worked!
@@tactileslut That is an excellent point. But, the cell was pushingng a 3 watt or 7/10 watt signal through the window. For it to work with ab antenna signal you'd need amplification on the out door side of the window. Far from impossible, but probably unlikely if the installer is using the flat wire because they don't have the skills, tools, or permission to otherwise route the cable through the dwelling.
@ Madness832: I used those (two sheet-metal disks, one on each side of the glass) just as you describe, and it worked fine (living in the city about 4-5 miles from the TV towers). That was 1973 -- so maybe FORGOTTEN "technology" but certainly not something new. -- BR
@@billredding2000 I believe you were referencing the antennas that were used for vehicle cellular phones. If so they are for the very thin, about a 1/4" thick glass of automobiles, not the common double and triple insulated residential windows that have a lot of separation between the inside glass and the outside glass. My experiment with the vehicle antennas for household use did not work.
I used the flat foil cable to go through my sliding door to my clear channel antenna and it worked like a charm. I bought the white one but it was too fat to fit under the door. I used hot glue to glue the foil cable to the channel in the sliding door.
Thank you. I would like to suggest that you look at these with metal and wooden framed windows. I'd also suggest that you cover waterproofing recommendations for quad-shield coaxial connections in various situations. There are a number of solutions that other subscribers may wish to consider.
Only the Ghost Wire will fit through my patio door and allow it to close. It is extremely fragile and I gave up on using it due to lack of reliability. The other wire is too thick for my configuration, but probably works for someone with a different type of door.
Same for me. I wanted to screw brackets on both sides that would lock down the ends (built in adhesive would not do it), but the renter would not allow me to drill holes in the apartment building, afraid he would be billed at moveout time I guess. So a loose flat cable smashed daily in a sliding door doesn't last long at all. I ended up cutting a coax cable and soldering two wires in the middle to go through the door. I just replace the wires when they break. It allows him to get several channels, rather than the none if the antenna is inside the metal building.
@@jrstf I own a condo, but have the same issue with drilling a hole in an outside wall to snake coax (yes, I asked). Ultimately decided to go with Locast instead of poor antenna reception. I may have to revisit the antenna setup if Locast loses their lawsuits.
The thin one may do better if there is no significant metal in the window, such as with a wooden sash in a wooden frame, with no storm window, and with any metal rimmed screen removed. The white one will have a leg up on the thin one by keeping the conductors further from the storm window and screen metal. But note that this also gives the mosquitos a leg up. If there are any through the glass (capacitive or inductive coupling) I'd certainly be interested to see them reviewed.
The first thing I thought about was grounding. An outdoor antenna should be grounded if you plan on leaving it outside for a while. This would encourage non-grounded connections into the house.
The 'very thin, flat coaxial cable', is Kapton "type"/polyimide insulated. Polyimide tape, and polyimide-insulated "flex" cabling carries current/voltage alone very efficiently, but does not work efficiently when carrying signals or RF current.
I was guessing I could use these for a homemade outdoor antenna I’m wanting to build. Since I’m trying to pick up a weak signal, I guess not. Thanks for the information, Tyler.
Impressive cable design, and quite different from the standard coax configurations. Thank you very much for this interesting and informative review. Tale care.
Import also for signal quality is the length of coaxial used. Most common is RG6. Good for about 100' without reamplification. Flooded, even less. Also, some coaxial has a copper clad aluminum center conductor while some have a solid copper center conductor. The second is used for satelitte installs where the LNB needs to be powered on the dish.
First off, If you live in an Apartment Complex, then you got to do what you got to do, and these Flat Coax Cables will work as Tyler claims if this is what you choose to do. But Tyler also used an Indoor/outdoor Clear Stream that he used for the test. I highly recommend Clearstream, I use the Clearstream 4 Max. It's well worth the $150 for a 4 Max and if you have room in your apartment, mount it inside. It's a relatively small antenna Try to use all RG6 cables and connectors. I also use an RCA preamp and highly recommend using a similar preamp if you are mounting outdoors.
Thanks for the comparison. I have the ultra thin one, which I've used intermittently and can attest to the fact that it's not reliable with low power signals from 30 miles away.
Amazingly, the crappier cable cost more! Unfortunately that's the way things often that's why I try to buy things as inexpensively as I think that they will work for me
I bought the really flat copper looking one from Ebay. Seems to worked, I always wondered about any signal loss. I guess it is time to try the white thicker cable. Thank you for the review Tyler.
The issue I would have using these is that in CATV applications, the center conductor inside the dielectric covering needs to protect the center conductor so you don't get an Ohm reflection backwards that upsets the return path information to reinfirm the IRD status that the CATV head-in requires in fully addressable systems. How these work for over the air broadcasts? Depends. More so on how close you are to the source of broadcast.
Like another already mentioned, it seems they're converting from 75 ohm to 300 ohm (twin-lead), then back to 75. It will work, but some choke effect needs to be factored in. Might be you could build one better with two quality balancing transformers (balun).
Have you considered using something like a cheap nanoVNA to test the passive antennas electrically? SWR and impedance sweep across TV bands would be handy chart to have. I'm curious how bad some of these really are. I've tested every antenna I have and found some crazy results. Lots of expensive antennas that are dummy loads and piles of crap that work amazingly. Though I have to say after 30 years building antennas the best test is always the main test you already do: What is reception actually like?
When I installed satellite TV systems, we were issued something very much like this Holland flat coax jumper. Mostly for work in apartments where we couldn't get clearance to drill. www.amazon.com/Holland-Electronics-FBA_144823-Coaxial-Windows/dp/B005F0QILU Substantially thicker than the Ghost Wire, looks different from the Ancable model. I think it's something like 1/8th of an inch thick (3mm) and while floppier than a jumper of normal RG6, it's not super flexible either. It even worked with power pass-through, since we used these on the run connecting the power inserter to the LNB on the dish.
traditional coax is constructed the way it is for a reason... same with cat 5, so on and so forth. a flat "coax" cable is nothing more than 2 wires with a coax end on them.
I have that very thin cabel. I use it with my sat tv antenna its working perfectly. Because of sat tv technical differences it does not affect reception at all.
I remember John Young tripping on one of those flat cables on the moon during Apollo 16. It tore the cable end from the connector linking the heat flow probes to the monitor, wrecking the experiment. They found that those flat cables were difficult to work with in the 1/6th G of the moon's gravity. They wouldn't stay put on the ground and would float up from the surface, creating a tripping hazard. Luckily, that's not a problem on the earth,.
The two lines version is not coaxial by any definition. The best thing is just to keep that as short as possible, and but an inline amp before any long runs or "flat" coaxials.
I use one similar to the gold coloured one because I'm in an apartment. My local channels are rock solid regardless, and my marginal channels from across lake Ontario have been highly weather dependent anyway... Still, wonder if the flat antenna has ever made the difference in not getting one when I otherwise would have.
Wire has different properties at different frequencies. A good test would be to do a low VHF channel, a high VHF channel, a UHF on the lower end of the spectrum and then one high on the spectrum and compare all those values. Chances are the most difference is at higher frequencies and the low VHF doesn't care
That is no more a coaxial transmission line than 300 Ohm twin lead or a twisted pair is coaxial. Coax is a contraction of co-axial, the conductors share the same axis. Co-planar strip transmission line would be a more accurate description. Coax is one of many types of transmission lines.
You could always build an entrance panel for a window and use bulkhead connectors. Minimal insertion loss and you could have 1 or many feed through points. Amateur radio operators use these all the time!
Nice --- Just how much power/wattage will it handle ? Looks like it has no RF shielding to it - so how is stray RF radiation and interference prevented with it - or will its just suffice to piss off all my neighbors when I pump a RF transmitter through it - not to mention any of my own TV's, radios, computers, stereo's etc ??
The version made for RF transmissions (50 Ohms) are rated at 100 to 200 watts (HF through 70cm) depending on which one you get. I tried one (200) and is is not worth the money, ended up getting n MFJ feed-through panel. They range in price from about $90.00 to $200.00 depending on what you need. Or, you could make one yourself, not hard to do! N1WOM
If it is flat it is a balanced cable not coaxial. Balanced to the same impedance to to connect to a coaxial which means circular form sharing the same axis..
Since I can't see inside the white one, I am not sure about it, but the other one...is NOT co-axial! Stripline perhaps, but not co-axial! Coaxial cable is a transmission line that consists of a tube of electrically conducting material surrounding a central conductor held in place by insulators and that is used to transmit telegraph, telephone, television, and Internet signals. - called also coax cable. The distance from the center conductor to the outer (Braid) conductor matters.
a few years ago I bought the white flat cable. I put the antenna out on my balcony and when I closed the sliding door on the flat cable it cut it right in half
Nice a solution that I can look at, because even do I have the equipment; I just don't want to drill any holes. have you test these with a preamp or with out preamp?
What if you use 2 matching transformers and connect those with 2 strips of stranded copper wires that have been stripped and flattened and then sealed with gorilla tape?
would it be better to run 30 feet total with the window coax in middle to outdoor antenna, or run 50 feet to my home's cable inlet and connect to it. this will add another junction (turnaround) in the av closet, plus another 50 feet or so to the tv (but will not need any window wiring). Thanks for all your great help!
I actually went with the flat cable (the exact white one Tyler showed) and only total of 30 feet of good quad shield. Getting 96 channels in DFW area! No drops, no issues, and I am 43 miles from towers with a small yagi antenna, mounted on 8 foot pole in a 20 gallon bucket of concrete in backyard! Pretty amazing actually!
I was just thinking how about the coaxial antenna that connects to the glass like some car antenna do have you seen this? If not can that be considered for the antenna instead of the pass-through antenna that flattens the coaxial antenna? I look forward to your response Jaso
Back in the day had Dish Network on an apartment balcony with flat coax running through a sliding glass door. The apt. management banned these flat coax saying they were a fire hazard. Not sure if this would be at all a concern with a basic antenna connection.
If i am not wrong a good flat wire like that could allow an apartment dweller to hang an unfixed antenna out improving the signal from an antenna inside in the window. My only concern would be grounding for lightning . Of course,home owners get that drill out.
When I lived in an apartment I found my reception was so much better if I put a flat antenna outside over attaching it to the window. Even if they were in the same general area.
At least reception engineering hell didn't completely freeze over. Spoiler alert: The shorter, less-flat cable (probably still has some sort of shielding) worked better as it's less of an engineering compromise.
The jumper F connection cable both don't report the insertion loss that causes to the entire line, I have one at home a Holland one and they report the insertion loss in Db to get aware before you purchase how much signal week degrade by losses,I suspect that the losses of the white one is around 3,5Db or perhaps a bit less plus the insertion loss of splitter, couplers and by longitude of coaxial cable get conclusions just as suggestion say that and by my own experience in setting antennas and etc, also an observation the performance of the gold jumper is bad due that looks like the insulation or perhaps the internal cables or wires are thin and the insulation looks like of steel or something alike the kitchen foil which would make the performance worse
Now if this was made in an RG-8X that would be a good thing, as a ham op I am always looking for cables that can be put in a window frame or in a door frame for a car can you look into something like this.
They make flat 50 ohm cables for that purpose, rated At 200 watts max. Not worth the money but if you are interested you can find them at most online ham dealers. 73, N1WOM
With good coax and a short run the barrel connector losses would be negligible. It's when you get into splitters and long runs then you have to be concerned with losses.
I have used the brown one for over a year with zero issues. I tried the white one last week and the results are identical with previous one. The brown one is not a piece of junk. A/B comparison signal strength basically identical. Antenna on 2nd floor with 20 feet coax run.
I honestly think you should suggest your affiliate link after the review in your videos. This is just good for specific situation where you are either super unskilled or super restricted like a rental. Just saying so no one does impulsive buy.
I was disappointed that you had no actual data on the losses. W6NBC shows how to make a low-loss flat coupler on page 31 of On-The-Air MAR/APR 2020. He uses 450 ohm window line and a couple BNC chassis mounts.
That stuff is too technical and causes most of my viewers to tune out. It's one of the reasons I don't even use the Televes H30 meter anymore. Whenever I used it people would get confused so I simply use the percentage meter on the one DTV box.
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👉 www.antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html
Thank you for this amazing review! Can’t wait to learn more about this and purchase one for myself!
Did you test this on a cable TV signal? A TV antenna signal has a much lower frequency than a cable TV signal and should be much less sensitive to the quality of the cable. I'd be curious to see how it performs. In fact, I'm having difficulty understanding how these type of cables can even call themselves coaxial since the entire point of a coaxial cable is creating a shielding which is equally spaced concentrically around the conductor.
I had no idea that they made FLAT cable's that could be used under a closed window, thank you for this Video.
I have used jumpers like this from Comet and Diamond for 50 Ohm amateur radio
Coax cables with some success. Thanks,
Ray W2CH
See the questions I just asked here about stray RF radiation, transmitter power handling (maximum wattage handling) ??? --- WB8LYF
The thinner "cable" will be susceptible to the effects of any metal it goes around. This is because the metal increases the capacitance between the two wires inside the strip. This capacitance acts as an extra load on the signal, reducing it. especially at UHF, where a lot of digital TV signals live.
You can also take a length of 1x4” pine board that is cut to the same width as your window. Paint it whatever color works best. Place it edgewise at the bottom of your window and lower your window down upon it and caulk it in. If you want, put a screw in your window frame at the top of your window to keep the window from being opened any further for security.
Now you can either drill holes in the board and pass your coax through (and caulk around it), or install barrel connectors which allow you to attach the coax from either side of the board.
Requires a little bit of tool skill to do, but at least you don’t have to drill a hole through the wall of your house for each cable you need to put through the wall, which is a bit of a pain, especially if your house has brick or stone walls.
I have that for my amateur radio coax runs.
I originally bought one from MFJ and when I saw what it was I sent it back and made my own for about half the price!
I used 6 2" barrel connectors (bulkhead connectors). It is easier to weather proof using the connectors than running the coax through holes. Also more convenient if you ever move to a new location.
73, N1WOM
My dad made an insert from stainless steel sheet and had connectors in the sheet so the cables were weatherproof. It never leaked, even during bad storms. Wasn't too warm by that window in the wintertime though.
Thank you Tyler. Stay cool buddy.
Thanks! I had purchased the thin cable a few months back as I cannot get WJZ despite living 8.3 miles from the Candleabra in Rossville, MD (21237). I have the same clear stream, use a quadshield hooked up to a Clear Stream 2, and have it ran through our apartment window under mulching and hidden in a bush! Not optimal, but I now get WJZ and most DC channels. I will try the other white coax jumper and see if it works better and reground the antenna. Can never be too safe in thunderstorm season!!!
Awhile back, I'm pretty sure I remember seein' a set of capacitively-coupled connectors (for the same purpose). One would stick each half onto one side of a window pane, then connect the cables. Always wondered how well those worked!
Sounds like a good idea for another review video!
Car phone antennae worked that way too.
@@tactileslut That is an excellent point. But, the cell was pushingng a 3 watt or 7/10 watt signal through the window. For it to work with ab antenna signal you'd need amplification on the out door side of the window. Far from impossible, but probably unlikely if the installer is using the flat wire because they don't have the skills, tools, or permission to otherwise route the cable through the dwelling.
@ Madness832:
I used those (two sheet-metal disks, one on each side of the glass) just as you describe, and it worked fine (living in the city about 4-5 miles from the TV towers). That was 1973 -- so maybe FORGOTTEN "technology" but certainly not something new.
-- BR
@@billredding2000 I believe you were referencing the antennas that were used for vehicle cellular phones. If so they are for the very thin, about a 1/4" thick glass of automobiles, not the common double and triple insulated residential windows that have a lot of separation between the inside glass and the outside glass. My experiment with the vehicle antennas for household use did not work.
I used the flat foil cable to go through my sliding door to my clear channel antenna and it worked like a charm. I bought the white one but it was too fat to fit under the door. I used hot glue to glue the foil cable to the channel in the sliding door.
I just found out about these a couple days ago. Thanks for making a video about them!
Yeah I've used white ones b4 to good success.
But like anything else your milage may vary
Thank you. I would like to suggest that you look at these with metal and wooden framed windows. I'd also suggest that you cover waterproofing recommendations for quad-shield coaxial connections in various situations. There are a number of solutions that other subscribers may wish to consider.
Only the Ghost Wire will fit through my patio door and allow it to close. It is extremely fragile and I gave up on using it due to lack of reliability. The other wire is too thick for my configuration, but probably works for someone with a different type of door.
Same for me. I wanted to screw brackets on both sides that would lock down the ends (built in adhesive would not do it), but the renter would not allow me to drill holes in the apartment building, afraid he would be billed at moveout time I guess. So a loose flat cable smashed daily in a sliding door doesn't last long at all.
I ended up cutting a coax cable and soldering two wires in the middle to go through the door. I just replace the wires when they break. It allows him to get several channels, rather than the none if the antenna is inside the metal building.
@@jrstf I own a condo, but have the same issue with drilling a hole in an outside wall to snake coax (yes, I asked). Ultimately decided to go with Locast instead of poor antenna reception. I may have to revisit the antenna setup if Locast loses their lawsuits.
Needed these for my apartment thank you
Another great video on what works and what won't!! Thanks Dude!
I had to use the white one once when connecting a satellite dish I had at an apartment complex. DirectTV supplied it. It worked for me.
The thin one may do better if there is no significant metal in the window, such as with a wooden sash in a wooden frame, with no storm window, and with any metal rimmed screen removed. The white one will have a leg up on the thin one by keeping the conductors further from the storm window and screen metal. But note that this also gives the mosquitos a leg up.
If there are any through the glass (capacitive or inductive coupling) I'd certainly be interested to see them reviewed.
Tyler is a cool antenna dude!!
The flat coax is nice but a window passthrough is a more sturdy choice. Still a great option for a temporary setup or from a convenience factor
The first thing I thought about was grounding. An outdoor antenna should be grounded if you plan on leaving it outside for a while. This would encourage non-grounded connections into the house.
The 'very thin, flat coaxial cable', is Kapton "type"/polyimide insulated. Polyimide tape, and polyimide-insulated "flex" cabling carries current/voltage alone very efficiently, but does not work efficiently when carrying signals or RF current.
I was guessing I could use these for a homemade outdoor antenna I’m wanting to build. Since I’m trying to pick up a weak signal, I guess not. Thanks for the information, Tyler.
Impressive cable design, and quite different from the standard coax configurations. Thank you very much for this interesting and informative review. Tale care.
I got the smaller flat white cable because it was recommended for satellite reception. I would recommend it highly.
Import also for signal quality is the length of coaxial used. Most common is RG6. Good for about 100' without reamplification. Flooded, even less. Also, some coaxial has a copper clad aluminum center conductor while some have a solid copper center conductor. The second is used for satelitte installs where the LNB needs to be powered on the dish.
I've never heard such a thing. Thanks for sharing.
Did you just recommend a flat, wobbly antenna? Has Hell frozen over?
No the mohu's are different they're better it's the only ones he recommends.
The flat antennas made by Channel Master and Mohu are OK. They're certainly not the best but much better than the generic models on Amazon.
First off,
If you live in an Apartment Complex, then you got to do what you got to do, and these Flat Coax Cables will work as Tyler claims if this is what you choose to do.
But Tyler also used an Indoor/outdoor Clear Stream that he used for the test.
I highly recommend Clearstream, I use the Clearstream 4 Max. It's well worth the $150 for a 4 Max and if you have room in your apartment, mount it inside.
It's a relatively small antenna
Try to use all RG6 cables and connectors.
I also use an RCA preamp and highly recommend using a similar preamp if you are mounting outdoors.
Thanks for the comparison. I have the ultra thin one, which I've used intermittently and can attest to the fact that it's not reliable with low power signals from 30 miles away.
Amazingly, the crappier cable cost more! Unfortunately that's the way things often that's why I try to buy things as inexpensively as I think that they will work for me
Thank you for doing this test!
I bought the really flat copper looking one from Ebay. Seems to worked, I always wondered about any signal loss. I guess it is time to try the white thicker cable. Thank you for the review Tyler.
Thanks for the review on these products! I've wondered how well they would perform.
The ultra flat appears to be using two transformers to convert 75 to a short 300 ohm flat lead and back to 75, .. that explains the mega signal loss.
For that camera you linked to: on the example picture, they mixed up overexposed and underexposed. I am filled with confidence.
Yes I noticed that too. Pretty funny!
The issue I would have using these is that in CATV applications, the center conductor inside the dielectric covering needs to protect the center conductor so you don't get an Ohm reflection backwards that upsets the return path information to reinfirm the IRD status that the CATV head-in requires in fully addressable systems. How these work for over the air broadcasts? Depends. More so on how close you are to the source of broadcast.
Like another already mentioned, it seems they're converting from 75 ohm to 300 ohm (twin-lead), then back to 75. It will work, but some choke effect needs to be factored in. Might be you could build one better with two quality balancing transformers (balun).
Yep... coax to twin lead back to coax...
By definition, a flat cable is not a coaxial cable.
Have you considered using something like a cheap nanoVNA to test the passive antennas electrically? SWR and impedance sweep across TV bands would be handy chart to have. I'm curious how bad some of these really are. I've tested every antenna I have and found some crazy results. Lots of expensive antennas that are dummy loads and piles of crap that work amazingly. Though I have to say after 30 years building antennas the best test is always the main test you already do: What is reception actually like?
When I installed satellite TV systems, we were issued something very much like this Holland flat coax jumper. Mostly for work in apartments where we couldn't get clearance to drill.
www.amazon.com/Holland-Electronics-FBA_144823-Coaxial-Windows/dp/B005F0QILU
Substantially thicker than the Ghost Wire, looks different from the Ancable model. I think it's something like 1/8th of an inch thick (3mm) and while floppier than a jumper of normal RG6, it's not super flexible either. It even worked with power pass-through, since we used these on the run connecting the power inserter to the LNB on the dish.
Thanks, I always wondered about those flat cables
The one works pretty well.
traditional coax is constructed the way it is for a reason... same with cat 5, so on and so forth. a flat "coax" cable is nothing more than 2 wires with a coax end on them.
Indeed. Nothing flat can possibly be coaxial.
If it works, it works.
I have that very thin cabel. I use it with my sat tv antenna its working perfectly. Because of sat tv technical differences it does not affect reception at all.
You say at 1.45 that thickness of the cable will affect reception which was discussed in a previous video. Can you give a link to this please ?
I remember John Young tripping on one of those flat cables on the moon during Apollo 16. It tore the cable end from the connector linking the heat flow probes to the monitor, wrecking the experiment. They found that those flat cables were difficult to work with in the 1/6th G of the moon's gravity. They wouldn't stay put on the ground and would float up from the surface, creating a tripping hazard. Luckily, that's not a problem on the earth,.
So what your saying is , get a ping ding pong Yong 15000 mile true hd antenna.
Got it!
I used one of those for a 3G cellular internet internet from 2008-2013. Went up from 500 k in to 1 M in
If it's flat it cannot be Coax (by definition). This is strip line with coax adapters. It is also not shielded. lol
The two lines version is not coaxial by any definition. The best thing is just to keep that as short as possible, and but an inline amp before any long runs or "flat" coaxials.
Do they make this for 2 prong
I use one similar to the gold coloured one because I'm in an apartment. My local channels are rock solid regardless, and my marginal channels from across lake Ontario have been highly weather dependent anyway... Still, wonder if the flat antenna has ever made the difference in not getting one when I otherwise would have.
Wire has different properties at different frequencies. A good test would be to do a low VHF channel, a high VHF channel, a UHF on the lower end of the spectrum and then one high on the spectrum and compare all those values.
Chances are the most difference is at higher frequencies and the low VHF doesn't care
That is no more a coaxial transmission line than 300 Ohm twin lead or a
twisted pair is coaxial. Coax is a contraction of co-axial, the conductors
share the same axis. Co-planar strip transmission line would be a more
accurate description. Coax is one of many types of transmission lines.
Interesting
But better drill and wire cable
I agree!
You could always build an entrance panel for a window and use bulkhead connectors. Minimal insertion loss and you could have 1 or many feed through points. Amateur radio operators use these all the time!
Nice --- Just how much power/wattage will it handle ? Looks like it has no RF shielding to it - so how is stray RF radiation and interference prevented with it - or will its just suffice to piss off all my neighbors when I pump a RF transmitter through it - not to mention any of my own TV's, radios, computers, stereo's etc ??
The version made for RF transmissions (50 Ohms) are rated at 100 to 200 watts (HF through 70cm) depending on which one you get.
I tried one (200) and is is not worth the money, ended up getting n MFJ feed-through panel. They range in price from about $90.00 to $200.00 depending on what you need. Or, you could make one yourself, not hard to do!
N1WOM
If it is flat it is a balanced cable not coaxial. Balanced to the same impedance to to connect to a coaxial which means circular form sharing the same axis..
Nice one ☺️ I didn't know about this
Thanks for the video information.
Since I can't see inside the white one, I am not sure about it, but the other one...is NOT co-axial! Stripline perhaps, but not co-axial!
Coaxial cable is a transmission line that consists of a tube of electrically conducting material surrounding a central conductor held in place by insulators and that is used to transmit telegraph, telephone, television, and Internet signals. - called also coax cable. The distance from the center conductor to the outer (Braid) conductor matters.
Would be better to use 300 ohm twin lead in wire and use a balun at the antenna and the set.
That's actually not a bad idea!
Yeah I use to have bunch of 300 to 75 ohm adapters, better see if I find them.
a few years ago I bought the white flat cable. I put the antenna out on my balcony and when I closed the sliding door on the flat cable it cut it right in half
Thank you for sharing, Tyler!
Couldn't you ideally add an indoor amplifier to the super flat one to regain the lost signal in the coaxial cable?
Nice a solution that I can look at, because even do I have the equipment; I just don't want to drill any holes. have you test these with a preamp or with out preamp?
What if you use 2 matching transformers and connect those with 2 strips of stranded copper wires that have been stripped and flattened and then sealed with gorilla tape?
Dunno, but if you had a nano vna you might be able to build something far better tuned to your specific needs.
would it be better to run 30 feet total with the window coax in middle to outdoor antenna, or run 50 feet to my home's cable inlet and connect to it. this will add another junction (turnaround) in the av closet, plus another 50 feet or so to the tv (but will not need any window wiring). Thanks for all your great help!
I actually went with the flat cable (the exact white one Tyler showed) and only total of 30 feet of good quad shield. Getting 96 channels in DFW area! No drops, no issues, and I am 43 miles from towers with a small yagi antenna, mounted on 8 foot pole in a 20 gallon bucket of concrete in backyard! Pretty amazing actually!
While the thicker white cable may pass a stronger signal, they are more prone to failure than the ghost wire type, in my experience, with both types.
I was just thinking how about the coaxial antenna that connects to the glass like some car antenna do have you seen this? If not can that be considered for the antenna instead of the pass-through antenna that flattens the coaxial antenna? I look forward to your response
Jaso
Never knew those existed I might recommend them to a few people I know who want to put an antenna on there balcony
1st time I seen a flat flex version of one.
Back in the day had Dish Network on an apartment balcony with flat coax running through a sliding glass door. The apt. management banned these flat coax saying they were a fire hazard. Not sure if this would be at all a concern with a basic antenna connection.
If i am not wrong a good flat wire like that could allow an apartment dweller to hang an unfixed antenna out improving the signal from an antenna inside in the window. My only concern would be grounding for lightning . Of course,home owners get that drill out.
When I lived in an apartment I found my reception was so much better if I put a flat antenna outside over attaching it to the window. Even if they were in the same general area.
this would have been great when I was a kid. my dad just cut the window screen out and kept the window slightly open for years on end
Would be more satisfying to see insertion loss and SWR on a network analyzer.
I like the new haircut!
So, not co-axial (coax) cable. FFC, flat flexible cable, flat foil cable.
At least reception engineering hell didn't completely freeze over. Spoiler alert: The shorter, less-flat cable (probably still has some sort of shielding) worked better as it's less of an engineering compromise.
I remember the old analog days when i had to run a cable thru my bedroom window, and it would never close properly!
Me too! Or if you tried to close it the station would come in worse.
Never had to do that. LoL
This was a good one. Thanks
But if it's flat, then it's not exactly "co-axial," is it?
Is the white one "plastic" outer material? Did you run any test with metal framed windows?
Isn't a flat cable literally by definition NOT "coaxial", i.e. the two conductors do not run along the same axis?
Is there a reason why you can't run twin lead (300 ohm) and use two baluns for 75 ohm to 300 ohms?
Tik Tech pricing is $23.99. Link to Amazon bumps it up to $39.95. The TIKTECHNOVA discount code does not work. ☹
I've been telling them that and they don't seem to listen. Oh well. I appreciate you checking out the item anyway.
The jumper F connection cable both don't report the insertion loss that causes to the entire line, I have one at home a Holland one and they report the insertion loss in Db to get aware before you purchase how much signal week degrade by losses,I suspect that the losses of the white one is around 3,5Db or perhaps a bit less plus the insertion loss of splitter, couplers and by longitude of coaxial cable get conclusions just as suggestion say that and by my own experience in setting antennas and etc, also an observation the performance of the gold jumper is bad due that looks like the insulation or perhaps the internal cables or wires are thin and the insulation looks like of steel or something alike the kitchen foil which would make the performance worse
what about using it for MoCA connections?
I realize that this is for TV reception. Is there a version available for CB or HAM use?
Now if this was made in an RG-8X that would be a good thing, as a ham op I am always looking for cables that can be put in a window frame or in a door frame for a car can you look into something like this.
They make flat 50 ohm cables for that purpose, rated At 200 watts max. Not worth the money but if you are interested you can find them at most online ham dealers.
73, N1WOM
Wow, this guy is like a total stud, and should be worshiped!
Also, just curious how much does a coupler decrease the signal?
The coupler shouldn't decrease the signal at all
@@AntennaMan
Thank you!
With good coax and a short run the barrel connector losses would be negligible. It's when you get into splitters and long runs then you have to be concerned with losses.
Have you reviewed the Flatenna+ or the Smartenna+?
Tyler won’t waste money on junk.
@@ClassicGuy57 Tyler has a link to the Flatenna in the description.. Is the Flatenna+ worse for some reason?
I haven't reviewed either. I'm waiting to finish a room in my home where I can pick up VHF to test out more indoor antennas.
@@AntennaMan Very cool. Thanks.
Where can I buy just a flat coaxial cable? Nothing attach on them.
I have used the brown one for over a year with zero issues. I tried the white one last week and the results are identical with previous one.
The brown one is not a piece of junk. A/B comparison signal strength basically identical. Antenna on 2nd floor with 20 feet coax run.
I honestly think you should suggest your affiliate link after the review in your videos. This is just good for specific situation where you are either super unskilled or super restricted like a rental. Just saying so no one does impulsive buy.
Anyone know what adapter fitting would work with the HiBoost Dot?
The people who dislike have DirecTV
Tyler, can the RCA ANT5000E Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna with Trimodal Technology supported Hi-VHF?
No, that antenna doesn't have any VHF elements. It looks like junk anyway.
When I'm looking for coaxial cables making sure they're flat is almost as important as making sure they're HD
I was disappointed that you had no actual data on the losses. W6NBC shows how to make a low-loss flat coupler on page 31 of On-The-Air MAR/APR 2020. He uses 450 ohm window line and a couple BNC chassis mounts.
That stuff is too technical and causes most of my viewers to tune out. It's one of the reasons I don't even use the Televes H30 meter anymore. Whenever I used it people would get confused so I simply use the percentage meter on the one DTV box.
I feel calm watching these videos don't know why!