Why is feedline quality important?

We recommend a very low loss cable such as LMR400 flexible

cable or a Belden 9913 type derivative at the very least. This cable

should have a loss of 6 Db or less at 1420 MHz. Depending on the

length of cable run it may be necessary to add an additional low

noise preamp in the line. Extremely low loss hard line such as

Heliax will allow runs of over 100 feet with no additional preamp

needed. It can not be expressed hard enough that this feed line

is most important to the successful operation of the telescope.

Please do not "skimp" on the purchase of this material. Price certainly

reflects quality and durability. Expect to pay at least $1.00 per foot for

good material. It would also be a wise investment to purchase this

cable with type "N" connectors already installed. If you are not familiar

with installing these then you run the risk of water damage to the cable

due to infiltration. A small fee will be charged by the cable supplier to

install these correctly.