You may be furiously trying to find the perfect coaxial cable for your electronics project when you come across two such cables that appear alarmingly like: RG58A/U and RG58C/U. They look so similar yet there are differences between them which would make or break a successful electronics experiment. This article is meant to shed light on the disparities between RG58A/U and RG58C/U so that you could pick the one fitting for your project.
RG58A/U-RG58C/U Cable Summaries
RG58A/U and RG58C/U Coax Cables. The reason that coaxial cables are a little different is that in the center of all of them (sort of), there is a wire surrounded by an insulating layer. That insulating layer is, in turn, surrounded by a shield to block interference while an outer jacket protects the whole thing. They operate at a 50 ohm impedance, making them suitable for use in radios and cameras. The only thing that separates these cables is the type of materials used for the insulating layer and shield.
RG58A/U and RG58C/U Cable Specs
RG58A/U is a radio cable that comes with a pure polyethylene insulator. It also comes with a copper braided shield to improve signal insulation. This cable accommodates frequencies as high as 11 GHz and up to 1,000 watts of power. This kabel rg58 is generally referred to as Low Loss 50 because it can travel long distances while losing only little power. The connector's popularity for applications in amateur radio, ham radio and CB radio has made it among the most common RF connectors.
Because RG58C/U was designed differently. The foam insulating layer is made of polyethylene and is lighter, more flexible. RG58C/U shield manufactured from tinned copper braid. The cable has a frequency range of up to 3 GHz and a power rating of 500 watts. For one thing, it is a versatile cable and because of this, it is also called General Purpose 50 cable. This is usually used in cases like CCTV systems, security cameras or any application where it needs to be a low-frequency and flexible data cable; you typically find rg58c u.
RG58A/U vs RG58C/U Cables: In Summary
The main difference between RG58A/U and RG58C/U cables is the insolation as well as the shield — these are created by different materials. The RG58A/U has the insulation of solid polyethylene and a braided copper shield, this makes it very suitable for high-frequency signals. On the contrary, rg58C/U would use foam polyethylene for insulation and a tinned copper braid shield which has it behaving slightly different. The differences determine their performance, e. g. how far they can transmit signals and for how long they can do so without degrading the quality.
Which Path to Go with RG58A/U: or RG58C/U?
So when comparing cables during a project keep what you need in mind. If you need a highly efficient cable though for extended signals then RG58A/U would be the best choice. Suitable for high-frequency applications, is popular in higher demand situations. But if you need a cable that works in many areas of applications, then the RG58C/U is for you. This is much more versatile and cheaper so that it's used commonly in general.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of RG58A/U and RG58C/U cables
RG58A/U Pros:
A low power loss results in a better performance over large distances.
High frequencies: best suited for advanced applications.
Great with high power for driving strong signals.
The better it is shielded, the more interference free your signal will be.
RG58A/U Cons:
More expensive than RG58C/U most likely.
It is less flexible than RG58C/U which means that it might not be best suited for all applications.
RG58C/U Pros:
Highly potent and can be used in variety of applications; major plus.
Cheaper than RG58A/U, so it is a suitable option for many applications.
RG58C/U Cons:
It is fairly loss, more so than RG58A/U which may not always work to advantage.
May not be good enough for high demand applications with low power rating
It might bleed a couple of tenths more, which could cause some crosstalk.