Coax cables are available in a wide range of configurations. But RG6 and RG59 are the two most commonly used ones. If you are confused about the difference between these two cables, keep reading. We will unravel this mystery, once and for all.
RG6 and RG59 are the two types of coaxial cable. There are many factors responsible for the difference between these two cables. RG6 has a heavier wire gauge, and its shielding can support the higher bandwidth.
RG59 on the other hand, is thinner as compared to the RG6 cable. If your applications can run at a lower frequency, then you should go for an RG59 coax cable.
What is a Coaxial Cable?
It is a type of copper cable that is designed with a metal shield or other this sort of components. The purpose of this cable is to keep the interference out of the cable.
The primary use of this cable is to connect satellite antenna to the television set. There are many types of this cable, but in this article, we’ll talk about the RG6 and RG59 coaxial cables.
What does RG mean?
Coaxial cables use RG ratings to decide the different types of cables. RG stands for “radio guide”. It is an old, forgotten military term. The number with RG is randomly assigned. There are many types of cables developed over the years but our primary focus will be on RG6 and RG59 coaxial cables.
RG6
RG6 cable has a design to fulfill higher data frequency applications. This cable gives you better signal quality because of its larger conductor. It has an 18 AWG copper center conductor. This cable is suitable for satellite and internet signals. RG6 coaxial also has a ticker dielectric insulation. It has a different kind of shielding that can handle Gigahertz-level signals. RG6 has both foil and braided shielding.
RG59
RG59 is around for quite some time now. This cable was used for TV connections. Most of the older houses and commercial buildings still have this cable. RG59 coax cable has a 20 AWG copper wire conductor.
This cable comes with a smaller conductor which means it cannot achieve the same signal quality as RG6. Its shielding is also not capable to keep the Gigahertz level signals inside the cables. All these factors made this cable almost obsolete.
RG59 cable has braided shielding. It is designed for long waveforms of megahertz interference. This factor makes it good for low-frequency signals. It is good for anything that has a frequency under 50MHz.
Also Read: 5 Things You Need to Know About Siamese Cable
Shielding
Shielding prevents the noise from interfering with your signals. This can preserve your signal quality. There are two types of shielding in coaxial cables: braided and foil. Most of these cables have both types of shielding. But RG59 includes the single shielding. RG6 has both types of shielding to prevent noise from other passing signals.
Foil shielding includes an aluminum foil underneath the metal braid. This foil is very effective against high-frequency electromagnetic interferences. There are also “quad-shielded” cables available these days. These cables offer better protection against any interference.
Signal Damage
Shielding techniques keep the signals inside the cable, but there is always some data loss in the transmission. The longer you run the cable, the more data loss you’ll face. To keep the data loss to a minimum, always keep the installation lengths as short as possible.
Data loss for RG59 at 1000 MHz is 12.0 dB. RG6 lose 7.0dB at 1000 MHz
Jacketing
Plenum-Rated Jacket – there are spaces in any building that are used for air ventilation. These spaces are very necessary to keep the airflow inside the building. But some problems come with these spaces. In the event of a fire, plenum spaces become very dangerous. Coaxial cables come in plenum jackets. You can install them inside the plenum spaces of your building.
In the event of a fire, these cables burn slowly with very low smoke. Outdoor Cables – if you are running the cables in outdoor spaces, have the cables that have an extra layer of protection. Outdoor cables are specifically designed to resist the weather and extreme temperatures. These cables have PV jacketing which makes them a perfect choice against weather, chemicals, and temperatures.
