10 Best CB Coax Cable in 2022 – Tested, Compared & Reviewed

Do you have a CB radio and you want to set it up?

You need the best CB coax cable with which nothing compares.

Coaxial cable is an indispensable thing in high-quality radio tuning. It is useful for many things, anyway. Because of this, when choosing a cable, you will find a lot of different types.

One thing is clear: you need complete information about coaxial cables. And I will gladly give you all the necessary information.

What are the Best CB Coax Cables?

A coax cable is a must-have for a radio enthusiast. It ensures good connection and high-quality tuning. A poor quality cable can leave you regretting your decision, and that is why below we have summarized the ten best CB coax cables available in the market.

Best Overall: CablesOnline 20ft RG8x Coax Cable
This cable has a good length at 20ft, and combined with its quality, you are assured of durability.

Best Car Coax Cable: TRUCKSPEC 18′ RG-58A/U Coaxial Cable
It is very flexible with a classic look that blends well with most car interiors.

Best Portability: RoadPro RP-8x18CL CB Antenna Cable
You can easily roll the cable into a bag and because if its ability to transmit powerful signals makes it a good traveling companion.

Best Value for Money: Redman Cab Made RG8X COAX Gray Cable
It is 25 ft. in length and is made of quality material, making it a good buy for its price.

Best durability: Wilson 305-830 Coax Cable
This cable can withstand any weather conditions as it has copper protection and a stranded center.

Editor’s Choice: Astatic 302-10267 Mini 8 Coaxial Cable
It is a fairly new brand in the market but still offers great performance for a long time.

Best Waterproof: RoadPro RP-12CC  CB Antenna Coax Cable
The connectors on this cable are protected from water which is not common for such cables.

Easiest to install: 100ft RG8X COAX Cable for CB
It doesn’t require additional equipment to install or any soldering.

Most Versatile: TruckSpec TS-3CC CB Antenna Coax Cable
It has a connector at both ends, which makes it universal.

Best Outdoor Cable: TruckSpec TS-12CC CB Antenna Coax Cable
This cable has a stranded centre that allows it to transmit even when there is a strong wind and prevents water from passing, making it great for use outdoors.

Best CB Coax Cable Reviews

1. CablesOnline 20ft RG8x Coax UHF (PL259) Male/Male 50 ohm Antenna Cable

If you need a coaxial cable for CB radio, this cable is one of those you should pay attention to.

CablesOnline cable is of type RG-8X. It means that this cable and CB radio are literally made for each other.

For me, the length of this cable – 20 feet – was optimal. I liked the PL-259 style casting connectors on each end (that is, both ends of this cable have the same connectors). The connectors was quite durable and easy to install.

Inside the cable has copper conductors. And by the way, all the connections inside the cable are sealed.

The cable shows itself as flexible in operation. So, that will be a good power line for the antenna.

Highlighted Features:

2. TRUCKSPEC 18′ RG-58A/U Coaxial Cable With Pl-259 Connectors

18′ RG-58A/U Coaxial Cable is one of those cables that says “my grandfather used it, and then my father, and now I use it.” Why?

The reason is the stranded center, which makes the cable not only flexible but also prolongs its life.

The length of the cable was insufficient for me, but the length is a very subjective thing. It can be really good for your project.

If you disassemble the cable, you can see that the dielectrics are closed completely with high-quality shielding. It becomes clear that the manufacturer did not save on copper and connectors (this is by the way combined with each other).

So, this is a classic cable that is suitable for use in the car.

Highlighted Features:

3. RoadPro RP-8X18CL 18′ Clear CB Antenna Mini-8 Coax Cable with PL-259 Connector

RoadPro RP-8X18CL is a high-quality cable for CB radio that can transmit a powerful signal. I think that this cable will be perfect when traveling and therefore every CB radio lover should have it in the car.

This best coax cable for CB radio has a sturdy construction and can be used outside. I also noticed a good bendability. It is not difficult to roll the cable and put it in the bag until the next time it can come in handy.

I did not notice any defects due to the fact I rolled the cable. It preserves the original appearance.

The same style of connectors makes it versatile. And yes, it has many wires inside that provide long cable service.

I have been testing this cable for durability for quite a long time and I have no idea if some wire has broken or not, but the cable continues to function without interference for a year.

Highlighted Features:

4. Redman Cb Made 25 ft RG8X COAX Gray CABLE CB / Ham Radio

Redman CB RG8X coax cable is a classic brand product that has been on the market for many years. We can trust it.

If you want to get something quality but economical, this is exactly what you need.

The connectors of this cable are PL259 style and are the same at both ends. The cable is type RG8X, so you can safely use it for CB radio.

I would highlight this cable from the rest because the Redman CB RG8X COAX is longer (25 feet). This is quite a lot and therefore this cable may be suitable for special occasions.

By the way, besides CB radio you can use this cable with portable devices also (if the connector fits).

Highlighted Features:

5. Wilson 305-830 18′ Belden Coax Cable with PL-259/FME Connectors

Wilson is also a proven brand. 305-830 Belden Coax Cable shows itself well in use for more than 1 year.

Snow, dirty rain and the hot sun make no difference to this cable. So it is durable outside!

Inside, this cable is also durable because it has a stranded center and is equipped with copper protection.

In general, 18 feet is medium length and this can be for most cars (even for a jeep).

The main feature of this cable relative to those listed above is that this cable has two different connectors at the ends: one connector is Amphenol PL-259, and the other connector is FME.

Highlighted Features:

6. Astatic 302-10267 Gray 18′ Mini 8 Coaxial Cable

A little-known brand can do very high-quality things such as 302-10267 coaxial cable. Astatic 302-10267 is the sample of that. This coaxial cable is simply installed without any additional tools and a long time.

If you are a fan of cutting and soldering, then you will not need such a cable, because this is already the case (or you need to use additional ends, because these are not removed).

The cable looks good and shows good performance over time. You can use it anywhere – in the car and in the room.

Highlighted Features:

7. RoadPro RP-12CC 12′ CB Antenna Coax Cable with PL-259 Connector

RoadPro RP-12CC is the excellent coaxial cable for CB. First, a brand with a story inspires confidence. Secondly, the quality of this cable is excellent.

It has molded connectors of the most common PL-259 type. In addition, the connectors are protected from water – this is not often seen.

I saw the work of this cable is good. The cable works fine in the car. Installation of the cable took a little time because initially nothing was configured.

The cable is manufactured with high-quality shielding, protected from interference and RF power loss, and the multicore center also confirms the long-term operation.

I liked this cable despite the length of it. As we know, size is not the main thing.

Highlighted Features:

8. 100 ft RG8X COAX CABLE for CB/Ham Radio w/ PL259 Connectors

The design and connectors of this cable are made with high quality, and the connectors are well soldered.The cable is durable and reliable and very convenient to install. I did not solder or install anything extra.

When installed on a CB radio, this cable gives high power up to 500 watts (some try up to 750 watts). There are no problems in such an operation.

100 ft RG8X COAX CABLE is exactly what you need for a regular CB radio: stranded center make it flexible and durable operationally, copper braid and excellent length.

Highlighted Features:

9. TruckSpec TS-3CC Black 3′ CB Antenna Coax Cable

TruckSpec TS-3CC CB coaxial cable is difficult to use as the main cable due to the small length of this (although you can if you need a cable of that length). That is why I used this cable as an addition to extend the antenna cable.

And as an additional cable, the TruckSpec TS-3CC worked perfectly.This is a good quality cable with characteristics that are identical to the base cable.

And yes, the cable has the same connector at both ends, so it is quite universal. You can use it in the car and connect it to the antenna outside without worrying that rain can make the cable useless. Everything will be OK because the connectors are protected from water.

Highlighted Features:

10. TruckSpec TS-12CC Black 12′ CB Antenna Coax Cable

TruckSpec brand is not limited to a cable of 3 feet and created a basic coaxial cable with a length of 12 feet.This cable is not much different from the above, except for the length.

TS-12CCcableisoftheRG-58A/UtypeandhasPL-259 connectors (molded). The cable is great for use in the car because the connectors are protected from water.

Installing a CB radio using this cable will not react to external interference and RF leakage, because the cable has a shield to protect it from.

And yes, the TS-12CC is able to work for a long time and not fail for several years, because it has a stranded center.

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Overview of Best CB Radio Coax Cable

I know all these coax cables are very cool. But it is irrational to buy it all at once. And so I suggest you familiarize with the theory to choose the best coaxial cable ever.

Why Coax Cable for CB Radio?

If you want to save money I have bad news for you. It is impossible to tune up (or something like that) with CB radio without a coaxial cable. So you need to buy it anyway.

The matter is that the coaxial cable serves as a kind of transmission line for radio frequency signals (and receivers with antennas, PC network connections, digital audio, and cable television signal distribution).

There are a huge number of radio transmission lines in the world. And why do you need to buy exactly coaxial cable?

A coaxial cable creates an electromagnetic field that carries a signal between the inner and outer conductors.

For those who are far from physics, I explain: you can lay a coaxial cable next to something metallic (gutters, for example) and it will not reduce the power.

No external interference creates problems for coaxial cable, because it protects the signal from any interference.

So, a coaxial cable has 2 functions (according to which the presence of this thing in your home or car is very important): 1) the cable receives the signal from the antenna and transmits this radio, 2) the cable transmits the signal received from the radio to the antenna.

CB Coax Cable Buying Guide

When choosing a coaxial cable, you do not need to blindly rely on the brand or price. It is important to consider many factors because it depends on them how well the whole system will work.

Coax Cable Type

Let’s start with the types so that coaxial cables can be a lot.

Hardline

This type of coaxial cable is commonly used in radio communications and broadcasting.

The hardline differs from other cable types in that it is built using round tubes (made of copper, gold or silver or all metals at the same time).

If you bought hard line it does not mean that you did not buy poor quality aluminum cable (and it will oxidize and lose efficiency). Therefore, always be sure of the purchase.

These cables are PVC sheathed. And these cables are used for the external chassis. The feature of that is in a thick line (0.5 inches).

And there is also a radiating type (it works without an antenna on ships, in subways and elevators), a three-axis type, a two-axis type (with a twisted pair), a semi-rigid type (with a copper outer sheath) and a conformable type (flexible cable with a copper outer sheath).

But these types of coax cable are rare. Here is what you need:

RG-6

This type of coaxial cable can be called classic and the most common. RG-6 cable has a sheath of copper steel (and sometimes even of pure copper).

Why is this type of cable the most common? The fact is that the RG-6 coaxial cable is ideal for home (inside and out).

Some models of this cable have a water blocking gel, and therefore people take it in the ground or underground.

RG-58

This coaxial cable is standard. And so this type of cable is found in all kits. This type of cable has an average shield, an average thickness and a diameter of 0.2 inches.

RG-8X

The RG-8X type is similar to a standard cable, but it is premium. Many people joke that this cable is the same standard, but takes steroids.

This type of coaxial cable has rigid insulation, large diameter and has a stranded center.

RG-59

This is also a standard, but double coaxial cable. Why would you need such a cable? For example, in the case of a double antenna, because only this type of cable is suitable for such an antenna for truckers for their off-roading cb radio.

Cable Length

Cable length can be from 169 to 220 meters. It all depends on the standards.

For example, an average cable in the United States will have a length of 720 feet or about 220 meters. Be ready it will be 3 feet, 12 feet, and 18 or 20 feet most of the time.

As for international values, the cable length is approximately 186 meters.

RF Power Loss

What does RF power loss depend on? It depends on the loss in the dielectric material that fills the cable. It may also depend on resistive losses that occur in the center conductor and in the external screen.

In both cases, the power loss depends on the frequency – that is, the higher the frequency, the higher the PF power loss.

But PF power loss may be less than the cable diameter is large. In this case, you’d better choose a large cable with a double diameter, it will give half the resistance to the skin effect.

Usually, in the manufacture of cable engineers consider everything. And all you need to pay attention to is the large diameter of the cable.

Material

As a rule, most coaxial cables have the same structure.It has an insulator that is located around the inner conductor and is made of solid plastic or foam.

The inner conductor (needed to transmit an electrical signal) is made of steel copper or stranded copper.The inner conductor is insulated under different amounts of the woven metal braid (as a rule, the number of layers is 4) and the metal tape.

Quality

The quality depends on the manufacturer and the materials used. All cables have a comparable quality because they are made from similar materials.

However, you need to avoid aluminum cables inside because aluminum oxidizes and the cable stops working because of this.

If you doubt the quality of the coaxial cable being purchased, read my CB coax cable reviews above.

Compatibility

Coaxial cables can be compatible with home video equipment, radio control systems, metering electronics, computer networks.If you have a twisted pair cable(or cable modem) it is suitable for Internet access.

And coaxial cables are suitable for transmitting cable television signals, radio signals, and signals from a satellite dish.Some coaxial cables are compatible with amplifiers.

Connectors

Connectors are located at the ends of coaxial cables. What is it for? It is necessary to maintain coaxial form in the connection.

Connectors have a metal shell (made of silver or gold), having a high conductivity and resistant to tarnish. I would opt for connectors with a gold shell because silver can dim and have poor conductivity. It makes cable not efficient.

There are different styles of connectors: barrel style, ring style, and Terminal style.

Barrel style is the most popular connectors, which is usually used for CB radios (since all coaxial cables for CB have a PL-259 connection).

If one end of the cable has a barrel style, then the other end can be any other style – for example, a ring style.

And if this is so in your case, I congratulate you, because ring connectors are useful: 1) a hard cable may not be straight, but go at an angle of 90 degrees, 2) any weather conditions will not affect it, because it is done plastic (no corrosion).

Terminal style connectors (sometimes LUG style) are not as common as the first two styles, because they are less popular. Such connectors can be useful as a sealing connection for side mounting.

But that is not all. There is one more unpopular style – FME unscrewed connectors. You should pay attention to this if you are going to work with small holes (the style of the barrel will be too big in this case).

So, if you work with a small hole, why do you need to do dirty work and solder something? You can use FME style.

Stranded Center

Not every coaxial cable has a stranded center. Take any cheap cable and make sure it has a solid central wire carrier. What does it mean?

The tiny part of this cable will break (it will be enough to pinch the door) and the entire cable will be a useless combination of plastic and copper.

But if the coaxial cable has a stranded center (that is, it has many small wires inside), it will not lose the signal from every blow of the wind. And even if some small wire breaks, all the rest will continue to work.

Usually, the RG8X type is equipped with a stranded center. But if you want another type, look in the description of the product whether it has a stranded center or not.

Weather Protection

Most coaxial cables pass water (not waterproof) and therefore quickly become useless.

The same goes for protection from heat. Most coaxial cables have a polyethylene sheath that becomes soft (melted) if it is exposed to heat for a long time.

Everything is not so bad. There are types of coaxial cable that are protected from both water and the sun. I spoke about them above – this is an RG-6 cable, which is treated with a water-repellent gel.

Construction

The construction affects the physical size of the cable, the frequency characteristics, flexibility and strength, and attenuation. In the end, it affects the price of the cable. The cable construction differs from type to type.

For example, you can meet a cable with a solid internal conductor or with a stranded internal conductor. The second inner conductor will be more flexible.

The inner conductor can be silver plated or made of copper (such as used for cable television).

Any internal conductor has an insulator (as a rule, it is a dielectric material). You can find an insulator made of hard plastic, foam or even solid Teflon (or PTFE). Most often, people opt for a cable with a polyethylene insulator, because it incurs fewer losses in operation.

Maybe you won’t find any isolator in the cable. It means that the manufacturer used air or some gas to isolate the internal conductor.

The insulator is surrounded by copper braid. It makes the cable flexible. You can find a cable with a silver braid or a double-layer screen (that is, it consists of two braids, one of which will be a thin foil and the other braid).

And the last layer of the design is a metal tube. This tube does not allow to sharply cable the cable and make gaps and defects.

The tube is the densest part of the construction because it should not be influenced by the ground, heat, ultraviolet radiation, oxidation and sharp teeth of numerous rodents.

Brand

When buying a coaxial cable, you will meet a lot of different brands, each of which will say that it is the best.

Pay attention to such brands as:

• Wilson
• RoadPro
• MediaBridge
• TruckSpec
• Redman
• CablesOnline
• KabelDirect

All these brands have been on the market for a long time and therefore showed the result of the work.

In addition, these brands are large and produce several types of coaxial cables for different needs, have an affordable price and high-quality products.

Price

I am convinced that the price depends on the quality. However, some brands think too much about their products and inflate the price of low-grade goods.

What to do in this case? Pay attention to the characteristics, and then to the price. And that is only right way to get the best CB radio coax cable.

Installation Coax Cable with Radio and Antenna

Installation of a coaxial cable with radio and antenna is very simple. And you can do it in a few very simple steps.

Preparation

• If moisture gets into the cable (via connectors), you can forget about the good performance of the cable once and for all.
• Choose the right cable that fits your radio and antenna (and yes, be sure to check the antenna and how much it costs). For CB radio, it is worth making a choice in favor of thick insulated coaxial cable, which has protection from rain and snow, ultraviolet radiation, heat, and sharp teeth of rodents.
• Use connectors made of stainless steel or metal.

Is The Cable Connected To The Antenna Already?

• If the cable has long been connected to the antenna, it will be wise to disconnect the cable for a while and then reconnect it (no need to cut and modify the cable, because CB will not accept such a cable; if the cable does not fit, replace it with a suitable one).

Run the Cable from the Antenna to the CB Radio

• Find a way to lay the cable so that it does not interfere: through the roof of the trunk, the back seat, under the door frame and the window to the dashboard or in some other way that is convenient for you.
• You can do this by adding connectors to connectors of the appropriate size and style.
• Then provide a power source for the radio to start working: either connect to a battery or to aux.

Safety and Maintenance

• Before buying a cable, make sure that the cable connectors are compatible with the connectors on the antenna and the CB (or something else you want to connect the cable to).
• Look for a cable made of copper, polyethylene, and aluminum in certain parts of the structure (what should be copper should not be aluminum).
• Look for high standard coax cables, i.e., those that have successfully passed the high voltage test and have heat shrink connectors.
• Choose the appropriate cable length. If the cable is too long, it will not be powerful enough.
• Choose a cable without twists and turns, then you will find out really high-quality work.

 

FAQ’s

How long the cable will serve to me?

It depends on the original quality of the cable and how carefully you exploit it.

If you bought a poor-quality cable, it will be damaged quickly (or if you bought a cable without a multi-core center, breaking one of the small wires will break the entire cable). However, over time you will have to replace even a high-quality cable too.

I saw “special coaxial cables.” How is this different from standard ones?

Special cables are used for lasers, various measuring devices, rent, camera and video, and so on. As a rule, special cables have fewer losses and flexible braids. In an ordinary radio tuning, you cannot use it. Maybe coaxial cable not working for stubby antenna.

I placed the coax cable, but this is too noticeable. How to fix it?

One of the disadvantages of the coaxial cable is that it is too big and takes up space. If the cable bothers you in the house, you can hide it behind the TV or in the plinth.

I’ll tell you a little secret – you can hide the cable inside the wall. The cable case is strong enough to be hammered into the wall.

Does CB coax length matter?
Yes, the coax length in CB radio matters as it will affect the performance of the antenna. For instance, the longer the cable, face more loss in signal. The other factor is the thickness of the cable. If it’s too thin, the loss will be more. So, yes, coax length matters a lot.

Can I use 75-ohm coax for CB?
Yes, you can use it. But there will be an impedance mismatch that might not offer the great performance that you wish to get.

Is rg59 better than rg6?
It solely depends on the application. For example, while dealing with a higher frequency like Television and the internet, rg6 is the obvious choice as there is less loss of signal. But using for a low-level frequency, you might want to go with rg59.

How can I improve my coaxial cable signal?
There are a couple of ways you can improve the coax cable signal. But the usual ones are changing the long cable with a short one or just introduce a house amp that will boost the signal through it.

Are coaxial cables all the same?
No, they aren’t all the same as there are different sizes and materials used to make them. And each of the different kinds of cables has its pros and cons depending on their size and materials used to make them.

How to determine the length of coax cable needed for CB?
Many tests show that an 18-foot cable is the best as it provides the optimal performance.

Can you use a TV coax for CB?
Yes, you can use it as modern devices can handle impedance quite easily today. Though the rig requires a 50ohm cable, the cable 75-ohm coax won’t cause any problem for the CB.

Can you splice a CB coax cable?
The answer is no, you can’t splice it. The reason behind this is because it is a single-center conductor with a continuous shield surrounding it.

What affects your CB COAX cable?
Many things can affect the coax cable, from its length to its thickness to the band frequency, all have an impact on the performance. Not only that, even rolling up the cable in a coil can create a radio frequency choke that hurts the performance big time.

How do I know if my coax cable is bad?
You can use it with a multimeter to check whether there is too much noise in the cable to know whether it’s good or bad.

How should I store coax cables?
Don’t roll it. Make sure to have the coax cable lined up in a manner without a bend to assure that the performance doesn’t deteriorate in the cable.

Wrapping Up

So now you know all about coaxial cables.

I hope you will take my advice when buying. It will allow you to make the right choice, buy the best CB coax cable and forget about this problem for a long time. Good luck!

Recommended Resources:

1. Best CB External Speaker Reviews – Our Top 10 List For You
2. Best CB Mic Reviews – In Depth Buying Guide For You

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