What Is RG58 Coaxial Cable?
RG58 Coaxial Cable is a lightweight coaxial cable with a 50-ohm characteristic impedance. The central conductor is 20 American Wire Gauge pure annealed copper, although some versions may use a stranded tinned copper conductor. The outside diameter of the cable is 0.195 inches (4.95 mm), which makes it suitable for indoor and vehicular use where size matters. It is best for signal frequencies up to 1GHz, where its attenuation is 14.5 decibels per 100 feet. Above that frequency, attenuation increases, and at 5GHz it is approximately 60 dB/100 ft. The maximum voltage rating of RG58 coax is 1,900 volts.
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RG58 Coaxial Cable Construction
Center Conductor
Allied Wire & Cable RG58 cable has a 20 AWG (0.81 mm) solid pure copper conductor. Alternatively, the center conductor may be a stranded tinned copper conductor, as found in the M17/28 RG58 version.
Dielectric
The dielectric is a solid low-density polyethylene dielectric with an overall diameter of 0.116 inches (2.9 mm) and a dielectric constant of 2.3.
Shield
RG58 coax cable has a tinned copper braided shield with an overall coverage of approximately 94%.
Jacket
The coax cable outer jacket is extruded and abrasion-resistant polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The thickness of the jacket is approximately 0.03 inches, and the external diameter of the cable is 0.195 inches.
RG58 Cable Applications
Main applications for RG58 coaxial cable include feed cables for HF and VHF line-of-sight radio transmission antennas. It's also used for broadcasting equipment, electronic equipment, and closed-circuit TV circuits. RG58 cable supports 10Base2 Ethernet.
Other 50-Ohm Coaxial Cables
The so-called 50-ohm cable has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. This refers to the theoretical impedance of a line of infinite length to an AC signal. It's different from the DC impedance, and it is important you match the coaxial cable with equipment of the same characteristic impedance. Similar cables to RG58 coaxial include M17/28-RG58, RG8, and RG223 coaxial.
M17/28-RG58 Cable
This is a military specification version of RG58, built to stringent military standards. M17/28-RG58 is like standard RG58 except that it uses a stranded tinned copper conductor and the outer conductor is a 36 AWG tinned copper braid. Military specification coaxial cable must meet rigorous specifications.
RG8 Coaxial Cable
RG8 coaxial cable is considerably heavier than RG58. The cable has a 21 AWG stranded conductor, a thicker dielectric, and a shield made from soft annealed copper. The overall diameter of the RG8 cable is 0.285 inches (7.2mm). RG8 cable has a rated voltage of 4,000 volts and a lower attenuation characteristic than RG58 cable.
RG223 Coaxial Cable.
RG223 coaxial cable has similar dimensions to RG58 coaxial. It uses a solid 20 AWG silver-coated copper conductor and a slightly thicker dielectric layer. The main difference is that the RG223 coaxial cable has a dual shield. This reduces interference and signal loss but leads to slightly poorer attenuation properties at high frequencies.
RG58 Connectors
Common RG58 connectors include BNC bayonet connectors, low-profile screwed TNC connectors, and robust screwed FME connectors for automotive applications.
RG58 Coaxial Cable Specifications
- Central conductor: Solid 20 AWG annealed copper conductor, alternatively stranded tinned copper conductor
- Dielectric: Low-density polyethylene dielectric insulation with a dielectric constant of 2.3 and a diameter of 0.116 inches (2.9mm)
- Shield: Tinned copper braided shield with approximately 94% coverage
- Jacket: PVC jacket
- Characteristic impedance: 50 ohms
- DC resistance: 10.5 ohms per 1,000 feet
- Capacitance: 29 picofarads per foot
- Maximum temperature: 60 degrees Celsius
- Maximum voltage: 1,900 volts
- Attenuation at 900 MHz: Approximately 13 dB/ft
- Attenuation at 4,000 MHz: Approximately 60 dB/ft
RG58 Approvals
- UL 1581 Vertical Tray Flame Test
- Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) 1354
- National Electrical Code (NEC) Class CL2 power limited