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Coaxial cables

RG 59 B/U

Construction and cross-section

RG 59 B/U is a coaxial cable with a characteristic impedance of 75 ohms: a solid center conductor of copper-clad steel, a solid polyethylene dielectric, a braided shield of bare copper and a black PVC jacket.

Key data

Characteristic impedance
75 Ω
Outer diameter
6.2 mm
Layers
4
Cross-section of a RG 59 B/U cable
Cross-section of RG 59 B/U, computed to scale from the construction data.Picture: Cable Creations. Free to use with a link to this page as the credit.

Every cable is the answer to a task.

01Jacket
The construction

Layer by layer, to scale.

Carrying video signals at 75 ohms, for example in video surveillance and in studio equipment.

4 layers

inside

  1. Copper-clad steel

    Ø 0.58 mm

  2. Solid polyethylene (PE)

    Ø over this layer 3.71 mm

  3. Bare copper

    Single wire Ø 0.15 mmassumed

  4. PVC

outsideØ 6.2 mm

“Assumed” means: the value does not come from a datasheet but is a usual value or one chosen from a reference.

Cross-section

To scale
Cross-section of a RG 59 B/U cable: all layers from the conductor to the jacket, to scaleØ 6.2 mm
Cross-section of RG 59 B/U, computed to scale from the construction data.Picture: Cable Creations. Free to use with a link to this page as the credit.
  1. Outer diameter

    6.2 mm

  2. Dielectric

    3.71 mm

  3. Center conductor, solid

    0.58 mm

In the picture, the copper-clad steel center conductor is shown as copper.

Side view of a RG 59 B/U cable, stripped on the right down to the conductor
RG 59 B/U in side view.Picture: Cable Creations. Free to use with a link to this page as the credit.

To look for yourself, take it in your hand.

02Dielectric
The model

Turn, zoom, hide layers.

RG 59 B/U as a 3D model, from the same data as every picture on this page.

RG 59 B/U as a 3D model

Loads the model (0.1 MB)

3D model3D model · 60 kB

That leaves the question of what the jacket says.

03Center conductor
The name

What the name says.

“RG” stands for “Radio Guide” and comes from a US military designation system for radio-frequency cables. The number is a serial number: it says nothing about diameter or characteristic impedance. A letter after the number marks a version of the type, and the suffix “/U” marks general use.

The printSchematic view of the jacket with the type designation.

Sources and assumptions

Center conductor, dielectric and the materials of shield and jacket follow the Belden 8263 datasheet. The outer diameter comes from a distributor's catalog. The wire diameter of the braid, its number of wires and its lay length are assumed.

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