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SB9SBJ-174-5 is a RG174 5 foot 50 ohm (1.52 meter) coax cable assembly with
a SMB 90 degree (right angle) plug (female contact) connector
on one end and
a SMB jack (male contact) connector
on the other
end.
"The MINI Cooper Cable"
This cable and its variants have become popular with BMW MINI Cooper
satellite radio installers -- it's about the right length for an
antenna extension cable running from the OEM connector under the seat
to a dash-mounted tuner. We understand this cable works with the
Sirius Inv and XM Roady and Sportscaster tuners, and should work with
any tuner that has an SMB jack (male contact) connector. Other
lengths may be needed for other vehicles. See
North American Motoring for more discussion. (Or hit the
"Reviews" button below and start a thread here.)
The MINI's built-in antenna generally provides better reception than
the magnet-mount antenna that comes with most satellite radios. We
suspect this is at least in part because the built-in provides a much
better ground
plane. Other considerations are aesthetics, as well as
security: Magnet mount antennas attract unwelcome attention to the
contents of a parked vehicle.
You most likely want SB9SBJ-174-5 (the cable pictured on this
page). We make this cable using standard RG174, from high-quality
stock. It has a right-angle SMB plug on the radio end, and a straight
SMB jack on the under-seat end. The straight SMB jack works well for
plugging into the FAKRA
connector under the seat. The FAKRA is a standard SMB connector, with
a keyed shell added to aid assemblers in mating the right cables at
the factory or dealership. You can safely disregard the fact that the
shell is there; just plug the SMB jack into the SMB plug that's inside
the shell.
Other variations of this cable include the standard RG174 version
with a right-angle SMB jack (SB9SBJ9-174-5), the
low-noise version with the straight SMB jack (SB9SBJ-174LN-5), and
low-noise with a right-angle SMB jack (SB9SBJ9-174LN-5). So
far, we've found that XM Radio tends to work better with standard
RG174 rather than low-noise, and we suspect the same is true of
Sirius, though we haven't heard enough feedback yet to be able to say
for sure.
Sirius and XM both operate in the 2.3 GHz band. Sirius uses
2320.0-2332.5 MHz, while XM is 2332.5-2345 MHz. A
hypothetical 1/8 wavelength antenna for Sirius would be about 16.11 mm
long, and XM would be about 16.02 mm. While using an XM receiver with
a Sirius antenna is not an exact wavelength match, using an XM
receiver with a MINI's built-in Sirius antenna may actually work
better than using a magnet-mount XM antenna with a poor ground plane
-- much depends on the exact antenna design, as well as other
variables which we wouldn't want to guess at. See this
article for one in-depth treatment. The upshot is that your
mileage will vary.
About 50 ohm cable assemblies
This cable assembly has a
characteristic
impedance of 50 ohms.
50 ohm coax cable, connectors, and adapters are commonly used in GPS
and wifi (802.11 wireless LAN) antennas, ham transceivers, and other
radio frequency (RF) analog and digital signaling, microwave, radar,
hi-fidelity professional audio, non-destructive testing (NDT), oil and
petroleum production, ultrasonic transducers, accelerometers, strain
gauges, and some professional video applications.
RG174 Specifications
The following are nominal values; if you have exact requirements that
need to be met for a given application, please contact us.
| Impedance | 50 ohms |
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| Inner Conductor Diameter | 0.48 mm |
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| Dielectric Diameter | 1.52 mm |
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| Shield Diameter | 2.23 mm |
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| Capacitance | 100.0 pF/meter (30.5 pF/foot) |
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| Minimum Operating Temperature | -40 C (-40.0 F) |
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| Maximum Operating Temperature | 75 C (167.0 F) |
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| Jacket Diameter | 2.79 mm |
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| Jacket Material | PVC |
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| Velocity Ratio | 66% |
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| Core | stranded |
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| Related | RG-174 RG174A/U RG-174A/U |
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We hi-pot test our cable assemblies for high-voltage breakdown
between core and braid. See About Hi-Pot
Testing for why this might matter to you, particularly for
physics or NDT applications. Caution: We make no claims as to the
safety of this product for high-voltage use. These voltages can
kill. Do not handle or approach any cable or conductor carrying
high voltage; this includes insulated cables, nearby metal parts,
water, and other conductive materials. Engineering and design for
safety in your application are your responsibility.
Customization and Ordering
- We make our own cable assemblies. If you need a connector
type that you don't see here, or if you have custom requirements,
feel free to contact us.
- RoHS compliance available upon request.
- low noise RG174 cable available -- see
Cables/RG174 low noise.
- If you need a quantity discount quote,
please contact us. We're
always happy to work with distributors.
All prices are subject to change without notice.
Actual product color, plating, and other details may differ from photo images depending on upstream component availability.
All images and text on this web site are copyright CD International
Technology; all rights reserved.
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. LEMO is a registered trademark of LEMO USA.
Microdot is a trademark of Tyco Electronics.
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