Best CB Coax Cable to Reduce Signal Loss and Improve Transmission

Last Updated on October 6, 2019 by Wayne

You don’t have to be a radio communication expert to know how badly signal loss can affect your transmission and reception. Out of many factors responsible for signal loss, you can control only one thing; that is the CB antenna cable.

This is perfectly why you need the best CB coax cable for connecting a CB radio and antenna.

A good quality coax cable can take your CB set up to a whole new level in the following manner:

However, finding the right coaxial cable for CB radio is not a simple task.

But, we are glad to help you, again!

Below are our top picks to kickstart your journey to a better CB communication.

Top CB Radio Coax Cable

Best CB Coax Cable Reviews

Although a CB coax is way cheaper compared to a CB antenna, finding the right coax is far difficult than finding the best CB radio.

There are two key issues newbies face in picking a CB antenna cable.

1. Limited Quality Products: Unlike CB antennas, you don’t find a lot of manufacturers producing quality CB coax cables.
2. Low Quality and Cheap Cables: Yeah, it’s very easy to get cheap CB antenna cables. But if you buy one of them and set up your CB, I can ensure you that you will be cursing yourselves within three months’ time.

Now, let’s see which are the detailed reviews of top-rated CB antenna cables in the market.

#1. Workman RG8X- Best and Long Cable

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Workman RG8X with PL259 connectors is the best on our list. This is one of the best and longest coax cables in the market.

You can ideally use this antenna cable when you need to keep a sufficient distance between your CB radio and antenna.

One such scenario is when you use the CB system in a noisy environment. You don’t have any other option than keeping your radio far away. This is when you need this fantastic coax cable.

The only issue people who used this coax faced is with the connectors. If you are a frequent user, you can cut the PL259 connectors and use other good quality connectors for better performance.

The key advantages of the product worth mentioning are:

This is a great coax for the price. For those who are new to the CB world, this is an amazing product and I am sure that you will love using it.

#2. RoadPro RP-18CC: Best CB Antenna Cable for Vehicles

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RoadPro RP-18CC is a massive 18 foot CB & Amateur radio Antenna Coax Cable. Just like our top pick, this one is also coming with PL259 connectors. This CB antenna cable is designed for a single CB antenna with SO-239 stud mounts.

We would say that RoadPro RG58A/U is best suitable for connecting your CB Radio through your truck, RV, or tractor-trailer.

However, you have to be careful when you’re tightening the connectors. They can be broken while attaching it to the antenna side if not handled carefully.  On the safe side, keep a backup with you.

With this coax cable, you are getting rugged connectors, giving you some of the best features:

1. 1. The connectors are designed to help against moisture.
   2. This product has good strain relief at ends
   3. You will get a superb reception.

When it comes to dual antenna lookup, the SWR can be adjusted or tuned to a much lower value.

If you are a travel freak or a trucker, this is the right coax cable for your CB adventures.

#3. Truckspec’s RG-58A/U: Top Selling Coax in the Market

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TruckSpec has a high reputation when it comes to CB accessories and assets exclusively designed for truck drivers. RP-18CC underlines its reputation and quality.

In fact, TruckSpec RP-18CC is the most selling CB antenna coax cable in the market.

The 18 feet RG-58A/U coaxial cable comes with molded PL-259 connectors for protection against moisture. You can use it for a single CB antenna with SO-239 stud mounts.

Some may find the diameter of the coaxial smaller. The cable has quality connectors and works great even in a tough environment.

The 95 percent shielding coverage for the protection of RF leaks and interference is the key highlight of the TruckSpec coax. The flexibility of the cable will never be an issue with this as it offers a stranded center conductor.

This cable is perfect in its length, works absolutely great and well enjoyed by the majority of the customers.

#4. CablesOnline R-U020: For High Power Uses

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R-U020 from CablesOnline is another top-selling CB radio coax cable in the market. But, that’s not the main highlight of this product.

This is the best CB antenna coax cable you can use for high power applications. This male to male cable comes with molded-on PL-259 plugs on each end.

You will get different options for the length starting from 2 feet to 50 feet. You can use the lower options(2′) as jumper cables and the higher ones for connecting CB radio and antenna.

The manufacturers have made it sure that you are getting a premium quality product with this coax. All the connections inside are soldered. Moreover, the cable is made of copper conductors.

#5. RoadPro RP-9CC

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RoadPro RP-9CC is another rugged coax from the esteemed brand. This 9 feet CB radio coax cable is of RG58 A/U type and comes with PL259 connectors.

The key highlights of the product include:

• 95 percent shielding coverage
• High flexibility.

With this top-quality coax, you can say goodbye to RF leaks and interference. You will get sufficient length from the cable and the quality of the product is top-notch.

If you are looking for a reasonably short piece of Coax antenna cable, consider buying RoadPro RP-9CC.

CB Radio Cable Buying Guide

As I said before, finding the best coax for CB should be done with at most care. You should never take a drastic decision while picking the right CB antenna cable.

After all, what is the purpose of having a CB radio if the signal transmission is very poor?

If you involuntarily make a poor choice, not only your cable will suffer, your CB radio might not even operate. It is also worth to mention that some poor-quality cables can fry up your radio as well.

Some of the most important stuff to focus while buying a CB radio cable are given below:

I. Go for Quality, Not Quantity

This quality vs quantity debate may be centuries old, but, for CB coax cable, it’s worthy enough to make us ponder over it.

Of course, the length is very important(in fact, our second point itself is length), but more than the length quality of the cable matters.

You can easily get low-quality cables of higher length with a far lower price. But tell you what it’s not going to last long. You need a long-lasting CB antenna cable for connecting your CB and antenna.

What are the features that affect the quality of a CB cable?

1. Material
2. Connectors
3. Stranded center
4. Higher shielding rating
5. Weather resistance

We will have a closer look at all these features later in this article.

II. Get the Length Right

The fact is that you don’t need a longer coax cable all the time. In fact, longer cables might make more troubles.

Why?

This is why you need to get the cable length right. These means you don’t need to keep that heavy twisted thick wire under your coffee-stained seat. Cut this thing according to your needs!

You can easily get coax cables of various lengths starting from 1 foot to 100 feet. But, what is the ideal length of the Coax cable you should use?

Here is the standard practice: Don’t use a longer cable just because you bought it. Try to minimize the distance between the CB antenna and the radio.

III. Material

You need to ensure that your CB radio antenna coax cable is manufactured from the highest quality materials under the highest standards.

It’s not very easy to cross-check this.

In fact, most Coax cables have the same construction and the same materials inside them. Normally the materials used for Coax cable include copper or aluminum, and polyethylene.

Cheap CB antenna wires are made with low-quality materials or are not manufactured under high standards like high voltage test. This is when the materials are more susceptible to rust and corrosion in case of exposure to water.

IV. Get the Right Coax Type

You need to get the right cable for usage. Basically all the coaxes have the same construction, but this type determines when and where you can use the cable.

Below is an overview of the CB coax cable types:

V. Find the Right Connectors

Remember you will connect your CB antenna and radio to the coax through connectors. Most of the time, these connectors are the real culprit for signal loss in a CB set up.

You need to focus on two different things while choosing a Coax connector.

1. 1. Buy the right connector type
   2. Get quality connectors

For the second point, you need to ensure that the connectors are properly attached to the coax cable. If you happen to purchase coax cable with low-quality connectors, there are chances for the water to enter through those cheap cables.

This is responsible for corrosion and rusting of cable material. Corroded and rusted cable interferes with a quality signal transmission.

Types of Coax Connectors

Prior to coax cable purchase, make sure these can perfectly connect with antenna and CB radio.

Here is an overview of different types of coax cable connectors:

VI. Stranded Center

One other feature to look for in your CB antenna wire is stranded center. Many coax cables provide solid center wire which, if damaged, loses its ability for transmission. The cable becomes useless and cannot carry any signal.

How does a stranded center be different?

The stranded core has many wires smaller in size which are used as backups. If any of these damages or breaks, you won’t be throwing the cable in your garage. Those undamaged smaller carrier wires will be sufficient for the signal to pass through.

VII. RF Power Loss and High Shield Cables

As we have seen above, CB coax cable loses signal in every meter. You need to look for CB cable wires that provide a lesser and acceptable amount of loss per meter.

This feature can help you a lot in distinguishing between cables. You can easily detect which cables can stand tough when exposed to damage and which cables can lose their worth.

It is an intelligent move to get high shielding coax cables. You can easily find a 95%+ shielding rating which can prevent signal leak and outside interference.

FAQs

Does CB coax length matter?

Yes, CB coax length is one factor responsible for the signal loss. In fact, it affects SWR.

As a standard rule of thumb, don’t use longer cables for short distance or requirement.

How do I know if my coax cable is bad?

You need to check the continuity of your CB coax cable to find out whether it’s working or not. If it is a new cable, pay attention to the connectors. Most of the time, it’s the connectors that go bad, not the cable.

This video explains it nicely:

How long can Coax cable to be run?

Coaxial cables of varying lengths are available in the market. For a CB radio, you can easily run coax for 100-200 feet. However, twisted coaxial cables can be laid for more than 1500 feet.

How long should a CB antenna cable be?

A CB antenna cable can be of any length. It depends upon your requirements. We recommend using shorter cables, whenever possible.

How long can I use a CB antenna cable?

The longevity of your CB radio cable depends a lot on its quality and the environment it is subjected to.

High-quality cables will easily last for more than 5 years. On the other hand, cheap ones will make you cry in one or two days too.

This is why it is always recommended to buy quality Copper cables(as we have listed above) with the stranded center.

How do I connect a CB coaxial cable to radio and antenna?

1. Use good quality connectors made of stainless steel
2. Put the connectors on the Coax cable and leave it for few minutes.
3. Lay the cable from the antenna to Radio
4. Connect it to both CB radio and antenna. At the antenna end, there will be only one port and at the CB radio end, you will see a port for coaxial cable.
5. Power the radio and you have your CB system set up

Concluding Remarks

There are many people who think a powerful CB radio and a good CB antenna are more than enough to set up a CB system.

I believe you might have understood how wrong this is.

A CB coax cable is equally important as that of the radio and antenna.

Choosing the right CB radio antenna cable is critical for proper signal transmission. You need to consider factors like thick cables, shielded center, RG 8X(or the best suited one), quality connectors, etc. while buying a CB radio cable.

This way, you can enjoy great reception quality driving in your car, communicating over your beloved CB radio.

We hope you loved our reviews of the top CB antenna cables in the market.

Let us know if you have any doubts about picking the right coaxial cable for your CB radio.