With the development of technology, the coaxial cable is being used very popularly and is used in many different devices. Coaxial cable can be used as speaker wire and is called Coaxial Speaker Cable. It is popular due to its sound quality and convenience to the public. These coaxial speaker cables always provide accurate transmission of audio signals in digital format.
Before learning about using coaxial cable as the speaker wire for your speaker system, we’ll help you understand Coaxial Cable first. Let’s go with videoaudioaccessories to learn about the Important theories about Coaxial Speaker Cable.
What is a Coaxial Cable?
An English mathematician and engineer named Oliver Heaviside invented the Coaxial Cable and he was awarded the patent in 1880.
Coaxial Cable is a type of electrical cable that uses a conductive core wrapped by a non-conductive dielectric layer, surrounded by a metal braid, and has an insulating sheath. The word “coaxial” comes from the fact that all layers of the cable share the same geometric axis.
Coaxial Cable is manufactured to serve the transmission of high-frequency signals and to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) from the outside environment. Coaxial cables work by keeping data in the center conductors while also protecting any signal loss with additional layers of shielding and reducing EMI.
The world’s first coaxial cable system for information transmission was established in the United States by AT&T Corporation in 1940. Coaxial cable is a type of data transmission cable widely used in cable television technology, camera signal transmission,… Coaxial cable in theory has a loss of 200m but in practice is 50m.
Structure of a Coaxial Cable
They are frequently used to transport data while shielding it from interference and harm thanks to their shielded construction. The structure of Coaxial Cable consists of 4 components:
1. Center Conductor: A conductor in the center is the main conductor layer. It is usually a wire made of solid copper wire, copper plated metal or many small strands twisted together to form a single coaxial cable.
2. Dielectric Insulator: An insulating layer between the outer and inner wires that fixes the core position and isolates the two conductors to prevent current, signals, and magnetic fields from being lost. It is made of solid plastic material, Foam platic, PE, PTFE.
3. Outer Conductor (Conducting shield): consists of many metal wires in the form of braided mesh or in the form of metal foil and is usually made of copper-plated, silver-plated steel. The coverage of the metal braided mesh layer depends on the manufacturer, it can be up to 4 mesh layers for the purpose of minimizing interference signals that can affect the signal transmission inside.
4. Plastic Jacket: made of PVC with high toughness, which mainly protects the conductor layer from external influences such as flame retardant, oxidation resistance, water resistance and even UV protection.
In addition, Coaxial Cable can have an optional layer of metallic ribbon, most of which is made of aluminum foil or aluminum foil with 100% coverage for protection from radio frequency interference (RFI). The protective sheath of each cable is also standardized according to the application range of each cable type.
Pros and Cons of Using a Coaxial Cable
Understanding the pros and cons of each type of Coaxial Cable will help us choose the best coaxial cables and best suited to our needs. Currently, people use coaxial cable popularly because it has more advantages than disadvantages. You can check out some of the pros and cons of this cable right here.
Advantages
The digital signal transmitted on the cable only exists inside the cable core, but the cable core is surrounded by a non-conductive dielectric layer and strong protective layers outside the cable. Thanks to this we can install cables next to metal materials without fear of the energy loss that often occurs with older cables. Fully capable of controlling the loss and leakage of information, with high information security.
When used with power cables, the coaxial cable’s signal is free from interference from outside power sources.
Coaxial cable completely controls information loss and leakage with strong information security because of its extensive mesh coverage.
Because it can survive extreme weather conditions and environmental factors like temperature, coaxial cable is simple to install, extensible, and very robust.
Accessories for connectors are simpler to push and connect. Cost savings, reduce costs for users.
Coaxial cable, also referred to as network cable, is compatible with broadband and has a longer range of transmission than twisted pair cable.
Disadvantages
Coaxial cable has the drawback of having a big impact on your complete system. A network outage results from one cable failing, which affects the entire network.
The network is unstable, and the quality of the signal declines the farther you are from the center. The length of the cable, the condition of the wires, and exposure to sources of electromagnetic interference from other electronic devices are all factors that affect signal loss.
The network uses a lot of electricity. The linked equipment is expensive.
Types of Coaxial Cables
There are many manufacturers and suppliers of coaxial cable on the market today. There are many ways to classify coaxial cable, depending on different needs, we classify coaxial cable with different criteria such as:
According to the size
– Thin coaxial cable: about 0.25 inch in diameter, has the characteristics of flexibility, toughness and is quite cheap. Easy to construct and quite good signal transmission in the distance of 185m.
- Use for LAN
- Belongs to RG58
- Diameter about 6mm
- Maximum height is 185 m/segment
- Transfer rate is 10 Mbps
- BNC connector, T-piece (BNC-T)
– Thick coaxial cable: the diameter is twice as large as the thin coaxial cable, about 0.5 inch in diameter. The characteristics of this cable are much more rigid and difficult to construct, but the transmission distance is up to 500m.
- Use for Backbone, WAN
- Belongs to RG5
- Diameter is 13mm
- Maximum length is 500m
- Communication speed can reach 35 Mbit/s
According to the anti-interference cover
According to impedance
According to RG
In addition to the above classifications, coaxial cables are also identified by RG (Radio Guide). Cable names are identified by: starting with the letter RG, followed by a number (sometimes a combination of numbers and letters) depending on its type. Through this type of classification, you will instantly know which cable connector is using for its connection.
Coaxial cable includes: RG-56 coaxial cable, RG59 coaxial cable, RG-179 coaxial cable; coaxial cable 3C-2V, coaxial cable 5C-2V, coaxial cable RG-6, RG-11; QR-320, QR-540, QR-715, QR-860, QR-1125 coaxial cable (ANSI/SCTE series, IEC 61196 series of standards),…
The most popular are still RG6 and RG59. Basically, those 2 types of coaxial cables are as follows:
– RG6 cable: used for applications with basic band (Base band) with short signal transmission distance, often used to transmit CCTV data, connect television equipment, indoor television. RG6 coaxial cable can transmit as far as 225m to less than 545m.
– RG59 cable: specialized for CCTV systems in elevators, often used for analog cameras or applications that require flexible cables that can be bent frequently. RG59 coaxial cable is usually used with a distance of less than 225m.
The RG-6 coaxial cable, when compared to the two types of cables previously mentioned, has a bigger central signal transmission core and a thinner layer of solvent insulation (can have 2 to 4 layers of protection). The RG-59 coaxial cable, in contrast, only has 1.
Standard coaxial cable characteristics are carried by the RG-59 coaxial wire. The RG-59 is appropriate for low frequency and close range signal transmission, whereas the RG-6 is appropriate for high frequency and long range signal transmission.
Along with the coaxial cables mentioned above, individuals also create coaxial cables to meet their own demands, such as coaxial cables with moisture-proof oil, coaxial cables with dedicated power for analog camera systems,…
Applications of Coaxial Cables
With its outstanding advantages, coaxial cable is now widely used in the market in many different fields. Especially in the application of cable television technology, coaxial cable plays an extremely important role. In addition, it is also widely used in communication networks that require multiple links at the same time, applied in CCTV systems, CCTV systems, commercial broadcasting, broadband internet connection, BTS stations,… Coaxial cable is suitable for both analog and digital transmission technology use.
Video: The most common coaxial cables for video are RG-6 and RG-59. The latter is the industry standard, while the RG-6 is recommended for digital signals.
CCTV camera: For CCTV or security cameras, the RG-59 coaxial cable is best, but you can also use the RG-6 for longer distances. Each type of cable has its pros and cons. While the RG-6 is longer, it is also thicker, heavier and sturdier, which is not as easy to work with as the RG-59.
Internet: Coaxial cable is also used to transmit internet connection signals, but these signals run at higher frequencies than traditional cables. To meet this specific requirement, the RG-6 cable was created. It is made with a large conductor and thicker dielectric insulation which gives better signal quality. RG-6 cables are also manufactured with a different shielding layer, which means they can transmit GHz signal levels more efficiently.
TV: If you ask us, we recommend RG-6 coaxial cable for television use. And not just any cable, make sure you get the best quality. Poor quality coaxial cable can cause poor reception of the TV. Trying to find something in the 75 ohm and RG-6 range.
Apps for HDTV: High definition means stronger signal. This type of cable requires a larger gauge and more space for signal transmission. The best coaxial cable for high definition television is RG-11.
Can You Use Coaxial Cables as a Speaker Cable?
If you are wondering about this, the answer is Yes. You can use coaxial cable as a speaker wire because they work the same way. But this doesn’t guarantee performance as you have to replace the standard F-connectors through an RCA to allow the setup to work perfectly. Although subwoofers are advised, you can still use ordinary in-house speakers.
Coaxial cable added an impedance load to the power amplifier, which is one issue with using it as speaker wire. You can’t run the setup at high power because the whole thing will have higher resistance.
Some information about Coaxial Speaker Cable
Male RCA jacks are typically found on coaxial speaker cables at both ends. They are able to transmit lossless audio output and are immune to interference. Additionally, they come in handy for powering a variety of gadgets, including cable/satellite boxes, DVRs, HDTVs, DVD players, subwoofers, game consoles, and more.
Electrical cables that transport RF signals from devices at the source to devices at the destination include coaxial speaker cables. To provide consistent sound quality, these cables are rapidly being employed in a variety of professional home audio systems. The 20 kHz to 300 GHz radio frequency spectrum is a wide span.
Coaxial speaker cables transfer digital signals, which is the fundamental distinction between the two cables even though they are both identical to RCA audio connections. As a result, they offer more bandwidth to create a connection that is more dependable. Compared to regular audio connections, external cables appear to offer more sturdiness and durability.
These cables work with speakers and subwoofers with lengths ranging from 75 cm to 6 meters. Certain coaxial speaker cables are specifically made for use with subwoofers. As a result, they offer a safe connection and excellent audio. A microphone cable with a 3-pin XLR connector is used by the majority of microphones, particularly professional ones. Because they offer an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio, XLR cables are recommended for usage as microphone cables.
Instructions for Using Coaxial Cable as A Speaker Wire?
1. Remove the Coax Connectors
Most coax cables used in homes typically have two connectors on each end for connecting to output and power sources. The coaxial connections on each side of the cable must first be taken out in order to connect your speakers to coaxial. Cut the connectors off with a utility knife that is sharp. Before cutting the ends of a cable with a wire sheath, you might need to remove this layer.
2. Measure The Length
Coaxial cables are available in a range of lengths. This typically implies that you will need to measure something and cut it to size. The length you want will depend on the kind of system and speaker arrangement you think is appropriate.
Pulling a long piece of wire from the speaker to your receiver or amplifier will allow you to calculate the length of cable required to connect the speaker to the building system. Add up the length after doing this for each connection. To get rid of any measuring inaccuracies, take two or three measurements of the length.
3. Remove The Jacket
You will need to adjust the knife length very carefully to cut just right into the insulation and not into the electrical cable.
If you are using a ring tool such as a fiber optic cable cutter, make sure the ring tool is made for coaxial cable. Test the product first to make sure it’s compatible. If the tool is not intended for coaxial use, you may experience problems removing the coating due to lack of traction.
4. Shield Unbraiding
Now that the insulation layer has been taken off, we must access the shield covering the wiring below. The copper wire must be taken out carefully without causing any damage. The copper wire used to connect to your speakers is this. The shield must now be gently and carefully removed until all that is left is a single copper wire.
5. Insulator Removal
The shield has since been taken down. Now all that has to be done is to take off the fuzzy insulation covering the conductor’s outside. The copper wire is shielded by this insulation, but you must take it off to access the core wire inside the insulator. You’ll require a good set of drawstrings to do the task effectively.
You’re done when both ends have enough insulator removed.
CONCLUSION:
Currently, the development of technology makes many coaxial cable suppliers appear, giving you a variety of choices. So where to buy genuine coaxial cable, quality and best price is always the concern of many people.
Before buying coaxial cable, make sure to consider a few things. What kind of device will you use? What OHM, connection and impedance does your device require? Next, calculate the length your device will travel from its source. The shorter the distance from the source, the better the signal. Shorter, thicker cables will minimize losses than thinner cables.
We have provided some detailed information about coaxial cable and coaxial speaker cable that you can refer to. Hopefully, the above sharing will help you have more useful information for your choice.
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