RF Attenuation Table
Coaxial cable loss per 100 ft at common frequencies.
Reference
Attenuation in dB per 100 ft (30.5 m) of cable. Higher frequencies always have more loss.
Loss per 100 ft
| Cable | 50 MHz | 150 MHz | 450 MHz | 900 MHz | 2.4 GHz | 5.8 GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RG-174 | 6.5 | 11.5 | 21 | 31 | 55 | 95 |
| RG-58 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 9.5 | 14 | 24 | 42 |
| RG-6 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 11.5 | 18.5 |
| RG-8X | 2.0 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 9.6 | 17 | 28 |
| RG-8/U (typ.) | 1.3 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 6.3 | 10.8 | 17.5 |
| LMR-240 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 10.0 | 16.3 |
| LMR-400 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 9.0 |
| LMR-600 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 5.7 |
| Hardline 1/2" | 0.24 | 0.45 | 0.83 | 1.20 | 2.05 | 3.30 |
Notes
- Always multiply by actual cable length — for a 25 ft run, divide the 100 ft figure by 4.
- Connector losses: typically 0.1–0.3 dB per pair of connectors. Add two for source + load.
- For long outdoor runs at 900 MHz and above, budget for hard-line or LMR-400+.
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