50 Ohm RG Coax cable

The best coaxial cable impedances in high-power, high-voltage, and low-attenuation applications were experimentally determined at Bell Labs in 1929 to be 30, 60, and 77 Ω, respectively. For a coaxial cable with air dielectric and a shield of a given inner diameter, the attenuation is minimized by choosing the diameter of the inner conductor to give a characteristic impedance of 76.7 Ω. When more common dielectrics are considered, the best-loss impedance drops down to a value between 52-64 Ω. Maximum power handling is achieved at 30 Ω.

The arithmetic mean between 30 Ω and 77 Ω is 53.5 Ω; the geometric mean is 48 Ω. The selection of 50 Ω as a compromise between power-handling capability and attenuation is in general cited as the reason for the number.50 Ω also works out tolerably well because it corresponds approximately to the feedpoint impedance of a half-wave dipole, mounted approximately a half-wave above "normal" ground (ideally 73 Ω, but reduced for low-hanging horizontal wires).

All of the components of a coaxial system should have the same impedance to avoid internal reflections at connections between components. Such reflections may cause signal attenuation. They introduce standing waves, which increase losses and can even result in cable dielectric breakdown with high-power transmission. In analog video or TV systems, reflections cause ghosting in the image; multiple reflections may cause the original signal to be followed by more than one echo. If a coaxial cable is open (not connected at the end), the termination has nearly infinite resistance, which causes reflections. If the coaxial cable is short-circuited, the termination resistance is nearly zero, which causes reflections with the opposite polarity. Reflections will be nearly eliminated if the coaxial cable is terminated in a pure resistance equal to its impedance.

It is important to choose the correct 50 Ohm RG style cable for your requirements, but also to look carefully at the specifications to confirm the performance of the cable from a particular manufacturer meets the requirements of your particular application. 

Our standard range of 50 Ohm RG Style Coax Cables

• RG174
• RG213
• RG213-MIL SPEC
• RG214
• RG223
• RG316
• RD316
• RG58-CCA
• RG58-MIL SPEC
• Other RG style 50 Ohm cables available on short lead time