time to make connections. Generally speaking, the antenna you purchase
includes several feet of coaxial cable -- and, on occasion, a pigtail. These
ready-made cables come complete with the appropriate connectors.
If you need a longer or shorter cable, several online outlets offer custom-
made cables, or you can purchase the cable and connectors separately and
fabricate your own (or you might have an electronics-geek shop in town
make a cable for you). In any case, make sure your connectors are compati-
ble. Table 4-1 lists the most common types of connectors. You can have a
look at these connectors (both male and female versions) in Figure 4-9.
Figure 4-9: Common antenna connectors.
Table 4-1
Antenna Coax Cable Connectors
Connector
Description
Common Uses
Type N connectors
5/8" in diameter with 24
These connectors are com-
threads per inch (tpi)
monly used to join antenna
Unified Extra Fine (UNEF).
cable to an outdoor-mount
antenna. Appropriate for use
on several types of coaxial
cable, including LMR-400 and
LMR-100.
Part I: The Wonderful World of Wireless Fidelity
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