Coax signal loss (per 10 feet)

Signal loss per 10 feet

Signal loss occurs with all types of coaxial cables. When a signal travels through a cable, it loses energy. This is inevitable. As the cable length increases, more signal loss occurs.

Signal gain and loss are measured exponentially in decibels (dB). A 3 dB loss means the signal is 2 times weaker!

According to the image, the Wilson400 (and the equally powerful RG-11) suffered the least loss per 10 feet. Compared to the home-installed RG-6, it is almost twice as effective. The only more powerful cables are the expensive LG600, or even more expensive half-inch cables.

The RG-174 must not be installed in any equipment requiring more than 6 feet of cable. It does a poor job of transmitting a signal from 10 feet away.

The signal loss doesn't stop there. Mixing and matching 50 ohm and 75 ohm cables and systems (more on this later) can cause further signal loss. While you can customize your installation with connectors and adapters, it's best to be consistent.

To calculate the amount of loss you should expect, use an online calculator. For example, the QSL loss calculator. We do not specifically endorse this. Just fill in the blank and the loss will be calculated in seconds.

You can use many online calculators as well as formulas for manual calculations.