Antenna relocation cables · Built to order
Relocation cables built to order, by hand, by a former SOF communicator. Flexible LMR-195-UF coax, sealed connector joints under strain relief boots, a full-length abrasion sleeve and an SWR sweep on every cable before it ships.
Every cable is built when you order it
Times LMR-195-UF, made for repeated flexing
Strain relief boots, sealed joints and a full-length abrasion sleeve
SWR sweep on every cable before it ships
About
I'm a former SOF communicator, now an EOD technician. I know the radios these cables connect to, and I know what a cable has to survive on a kit.
That's why every Downrange cable is built to order, by hand, and tested before it ships.
Founder, Downrange Cable Co.
The DR-1 line
All TNC, for radios like the PRC-152, PRC-148 and PRC-163. Check that your radio's antenna port is TNC before you order.
TNC male to TNC female. The everyday relocation cable.
Less protection without the sleeve. The cable's jacket takes all the rubbing from webbing, plates and packs, so it wears faster. We recommend the sleeve unless you're sure you want a bare cable.
$5518 in, sleeved
Checkout opens soonRight-angle TNC at the radio, so the cable lies flat and stays out of the way.
Less protection without the sleeve. The cable's jacket takes all the rubbing from webbing, plates and packs, so it wears faster. We recommend the sleeve unless you're sure you want a bare cable.
$6018 in, sleeved
Checkout opens soonFive or ten cables for a team or section, in any mix of straight, 90° and lengths. The bigger pack saves more.
Note each cable's length at checkout, for example "straight: 18, 18, 24 / 90°: 30, 30".
Need more than 10 cables, a custom mix or a quote? Email us and we'll put it together.
$2555 straight, 0 90°
Checkout opens soonCustom lengths, different connectors or special requests? Get in touch and we'll put it together.
Every cable is built to order and ships within 5 business days. Prices in US dollars; shipping is added at checkout. Not sure which cable fits? See the FAQ.
Every cable, every step
A relocation cable lives a hard life: routed through webbing, bent every time you move, ground against plates and packs. It fails in a few predictable places, so that's where the work goes.
| Where cables fail | What we do |
|---|---|
| Where the cable meets each connector | Crimped with hardened dies, sealed with glue-lined heat shrink, then covered by a strain relief boot |
| The jacket, where it rubs on gear | Braided PET sleeve over the full length (standard, or order without it) |
| Inside the cable, from constant bending | LMR-195-UF, built for repeated flexing |
Times LMR-195-UF: stranded center conductor, foil and braid shield, TPE jacket rated for repeated flexing.
Name-brand crimp TNCs with gold-plated center pins.
A ratcheting crimper with hardened dies, so every crimp gets the same pressure.
Glue-lined heat shrink over both connector joints keeps water out and stops pull-out.
A strain relief boot over each connector joint spreads out sharp bends, so the cable doesn't break where it meets the connector.
Braided PET sleeving over the full length takes the abrasion from MOLLE and plate carriers. It's standard; you can order without it.
An SWR sweep across the radio's band on a vector network analyzer.
A manila tag with the build date and test date, written in pen.
Testing
A bad crimp can look fine and still cost you range. So each cable goes on a vector network analyzer before it leaves the bench.
If a Downrange cable fails because of how we built it, we replace it. There's no time limit. Email a photo of the cable with your order number, and we'll take it from there.
Questions
It fits radios with a TNC antenna port, including the PRC-152, PRC-148 (MBITR) and PRC-163. Check your radio's antenna port before you order. Cables for BNC and SMA radios are on the way.
Follow the path the cable will take through your gear, from the radio's antenna port to where you want the antenna, and measure it. Pick the length that covers that run with a little slack.
It's built for repeated flexing. It stays supple when you route it through MOLLE, where stiffer coax like RG-400 fights you. Over an 18 to 30 inch run, signal loss is about the same.
We recommend it. The braided sleeve takes the wear where the cable rubs on webbing, plates and packs. Without it, the cable is a little lighter and slides through gear more easily, and it's $2 less, but the jacket wears faster. Every cable gets strain relief boots and sealed joints either way.
Every cable is built to order, so it ships within 5 business days of your order, by USPS from California. You'll see the shipping cost at checkout before you pay.
Team Packs come in 5 or 10 cables, in any mix of connectors and lengths. A 5-pack is $51 per straight cable and $56 per 90°; a 10-pack is $49 and $54. For more than 10 cables, or a quote, email us. Because every cable is built to order, custom lengths are possible too. Email us and say what you need.
We replace any cable that fails because of how it was built, with no time limit. See the warranty.