28th April 2008

Choosing the right cable for the job is like finding the perfect partner. Make the wrong choice and it won’t take long before a fuzzy picture, interrupted broadcasts and broken conversations make the relationship start to look a little rocky.

Once you’ve decided which range of coaxial cable fits the needs of your company (CT, BT/RA or RG/URM/Composite), it is worth spending the time to investigate the different types of cable available to you. For those looking to install commercial TV and CCTV systems – including digital satellite, terrestrial and Cable TV – the CT range of coaxial cable is the most suitable.

If you are trying to decide between the CT100, CT125, CT167 and CT233, it is worth noting that all these cables have an impedance of 75ohms, a capacitance of around 52pF/m (up to 58pF/m for the CT167) and a velocity rating of between 80 and 82%. This would seem to suggest that there really isn’t that much to separate the cables in question. The difference, however, concerns the central conductor, which carries the signal.

The size of the conductor affects the amount of DC resistance in the cable – the larger the conductor, the lower the resistance. (The CT conductors vary from 1.0mm to 2.33mm in diameter.) Cables such as the CT233 make it easier to transmit data over a longer distance – with better clarity – or carry more data across the same distance. The thicker conductor makes the cable less flexible and harder to work with, but is a cable less susceptible to interference.

To discuss the options available to you, please contact our sales team on sales@eland.co.uk or 020 7241 8787.