Radio-frequency coaxial cables similar to military
specifications.
　

SPECIFICATIONS
1. Center Conductors
Center cable conductor may be solid or stranded
wire or, in some cases, a tube. Selection is made
on the mechanical and electrical properties desired.
Solid wires result in lowest cable attenuation.
Stranding permits increased cable flexibility but
also increases attenuation. Bare, tinned, or silverplated
copper wire is usually used for center conductors.
Other materials are Copperweld, cadmium
bronze, aluminum, nichrome and Karma.
　

2. Dielectrics (Cable)
Extruded Polyethylene. Low cost, flexibility, ease
of application, high dielectric strength and low
dielectric constant make it well suited for RF applications.
It is the most commonly used lowtemperature
cable dielectric.
Foam Core (Cellular Polyethylene). An excellent
low-temperature dielectric formed by expanding
polyethylene with millions of bubbles of an inert gas.
Its low dielectric constant of 1.5, compared with 2.26
for solid polyethylene, permits the design of lower
attenuation and low capacity cables.
Teflon. Teflon will withstand high temperature
applications. It has high dielectric strength and
a very low dielectric constant. Its ability to withstand
exposure to gases and liquids makes it
the dielectric selected where other materials would
be inadequate.
　

3. Outer Conductors
Shield (Armor) or Braid. The outer conductor is
usually made of a metal braid but it can be a solid
tube. The braid is used where flexibility is a vital
factor. Tubular construction is used where a high
degree of shielding is required. Tubular construction
also provides lower cable attenuation. Two adjacent
braids offer better shielding action than one braid.
Braids are generally made of copper, tinned copper
or silver-plated copper.
　

4. Operating Temperature Limits
Type I (black PVC jacket): –40°C to 80°C
Type II (grey PVC jacket): –25°C to 80°C
Type IIa (black or grey PVC jacket):
Under 1/4˝ O.D. –55°C to 90°C.
Over 1/4˝ O.D. –40°C to 90°C.
Type IIIa (black polyethylene jacket): –55°C to 85°C
Type IV (black synthetic rubber jacket):
Under 1/2˝ O.D. –55°C to 80°C.
Over 1/2˝ O.D. –40°C to 80°C.
Type V (fiberglass braid jacket): –55°C to 250°C
Type VI (Silicon-rubber dacron braid jacket):
–55°C to 175°C
Type VII (PTFE Teflon jacket): –55°C to 250°C
Type VIII (synthetic rubber jacket): –55°C to 75°C
Type IX (FEP Teflon jacket): –55°C to 200°C
　

5. Jacket Types
Type 1, black polyvinyl chloride. Excellent weathering
and abrasion properties, but is of contaminating
type and will cause cable attenuation to increase with
age. Can be used for direct burial.
Type II, grey polyvinyl chloride. A seminoncontaminating
jacket.
Type IIA, black or grey polyvinyl chloride. Noncontaminating.
Good weathering and abrasion-resistant
properties. Can be used for direct burial.
Type IIIA, black polyethylene. Moisture-resistant,
abrasion-resistant, defies ultraviolet damage. Noncontaminating.
Recommended for direct burial.
Type IV, black synthetic rubber. Used only on highvoltage
pulse cables. The basic material is polymerized
chloroprene.
Type V, fiberglass braid. Impregnated with silicone varnish
to provide abrasion resistance and a moisture seal.
Type VI, silicone rubber dacron braid. Two wraps of
silicone rubber-impregnated fiberglass tape, fused into
a homogeneous layer. A dacron braid is applied,
followed by a high-temperature fluorocarbon lacquer.
Type VII, polytetrafluoroethylene Teflon. Either extruded
to tape wrapped. Withstands high temperatures,
chemically inert, insoluble in liquids and gases.
Type VIII, synthetic rubber. A polychloroprene compound,
used with only a few pulse cables, primarily as
a jacket material for multiconductor cables.
Type IX, fluorinated ethylene propylene Teflon.
Excellent weathering properties, chemically inert.

RG TYPE
PREMIUM GRADE COAX
ABBREVIATIONS
DIELECTRIC
CEL PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cellular Polyethylene
FEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (Solid)
PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Polyethylene (Solid)
PIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Polyisobutylene, Type B, per MIL-C-17D
PS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Polystyrene
PTFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Polytetrafluoroethylene (Solid)
Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .per MIL-C-17
　

CONDUCTORS & BRAID MATERIALS
AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aluminum
BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bare copper
BCCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bare copper covered steel
BerC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beryllium-Copper Alloy
CCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Copper covered aluminum
CCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Copper covered steel
GS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Galvanized steel
HR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .High resistance wire
MY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mylar
NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nickel coated copper
SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Silver covered copper
SCBerC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Silver covered Beryllium-Copper Alloy
SCCadBr . . . . . . . . . . . . .Silver covered cadmium bronze
SCCAl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Silver coated copper covered aluminum
SCCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Silver covered copper covered steel
SSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Silver covered strip
TC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tinned copper
TCCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tinned copper covered steel
　

JACKET MATERIAL
CLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cross-linked polyethylene
E-CTFE-XI . . . . . . . . . . . .Ethylene/Chlorotrifluoroethylene Copolymer
ETFE-X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ethylene/Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer
FEP-IX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, Type IX, per MIL-C-17
FG Braid-V . . . . . . . . . . . .Fiberglass, impregnated, Type V, per MIL-C-17
HDPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .High density polyethylene
KEL-F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Old fluorocarbon material prior to Teflon™
PE-III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clear polyethylene
PE-IIIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .High molecular weight, black polyethylene, Type IIIA, per MIL-C-17
PFA-XIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Perfluoroalkoxy, per MIL-C-17
PTFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Polytetrafluoroethylene, per MIL-C-17
PUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Polyurethane, Black specific compounds
PVC-I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Black polyvinyl chloride, contaminating, Type I, per MIL-C-17D
PVC-II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grey polyvinyl chloride, noncontaminating, Type II, per MIL-C-17D
PVC-IIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Black polyvinyl chloride, noncontaminating, Type IIA, per MIL-C-17
Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Per MIL-C-17
Sil/DAC-VI . . . . . . . . . . . .Dacron braid over silicon rubber, Type VI, per MIL-C-17
TPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thermo-plastic Elastomer