Are you asking, RG6 vs RG11 vs RG58 vs RG59, which one is the best for you? Undoubtedly, RG6 is the best standard coaxial cable in the market. But, this is not it.
If you got dropped on this article, you must be looking for the best coaxial cable for your Television signal transmission. Well, there is much to know about than just getting the RG6.
Often, in many cases, RG6 may not be the best suit for your TV reception. There’re many factors on which choosing the right cable depends on.
If you stick around to the end of this write up you’ll get to know about it all. So, without further ado, let’s explore.
What is RG cable?
RG Cables are mainly Coaxial Cables, where RG means “Radio Guide”. RG coaxial cables are mainly used for telecom system and base band signal transmission.
The coaxial cable structure is mainly a central conductor wrapped with dielectric insulator semi covered with a Copper mesh and finally safeguarded with a brilliant plastic cover.
The construction is strong in RG coaxial cables so you can get uninterrupted signal transmitted to your Television even in adverse weather.
Comparison Chart – RG6 Vs RG11 Vs RG58 Vs RG59
RG cables are always labeled with their tags so anybody can identify what the cable is used for. Similarly, each type of RG cables have their own specifications.
From the quick comparison chart below, let’s get a clear idea about RG6, RG11, RG58 and RG59 cable.
| Cable Type | American Wire Gauge | Thickness | No Signal Loss Coverage | Suitability For Outdoor Establishment | Center Conductor |
| RG6 | 18 AWG | Thick enough to tolerate heavy weather | No signal loss within 100 meters | Best suit for outdoor establishment | Pure Copper |
| RG11 | 14 AWG | Thickest among all in the comparison | No signal loss within 140 meters | Works just fine in outdoor establishment | Pure Copper |
| RG58 | 20 AWG | Thinnest among all in the comparison | No signal loss within 40 meters | Not suitable to work outdoors | Pure Copper |
| RG59 | 22 AWG | Thin and can’t deal with bad weather | No signal loss within 70 meters | Not suitable to work outdoors | Pure Copper |
Comparison Depending On Signal Loss, Flexibility, Distance, Price
As you got the quick idea from the comparison chart above, let’s have an in depth discussion now. Specifications are different in the mentioned RG cables here. Go through the details below to understand it more clearly.
- Signal Loss
Signal loss is the most specific concern every homeowner thinks about for their TV reception. When you do a new Television set up you want pure signals to get delivered with, right?
Everybody wants so. In this case, the wire you select has a lot to do with your signal strength. Let’s see how efficient the following wires are mentioned in case of signal loss.
RG6
Manufacturers design RG6 cables to provide you with an uninterrupted TV program with zero signal loss up to 100 meters. These cables can transmit data without any struggle to 100 meters of area coverage.
You can use RG6 cable for more area coverage but you may need to use an amplifier to get clear picture and sound.
RG11
RG11 cables can transmit data with zero signal loss up to 140 meters. These cables are better for TV reception than RG6 cables.
RG58
RG 58 cables are not usually used now as it is not a standard cable for TV reception nowadays. Still, some people still use it till the date.
But, you can’t expect clear signals for more than 40 meters of area coverage. So, it is not considered a good wire for transporting TV signals.
RG59
RG 59 cables are the cables that usually come with your TV box set. These cables are similar to no use for TV signal transmission at present. It can only cover with no signal loss data transmission for 70 meters.
- Flexibility
Flexibility of an RG Coaxial cable actually depends on the center conductor material. Here let me tell you about the major types of center wires used in Coaxial cables.
They are-
- CCS- Copper Clad Steel
In CCS the center conductor is pure steel and wrapped with a copper sheet. We all know steel is a rigid material which is good enough to use even while bent to a point.
To put a stable cable TV setup you may need to bend the wires a lot of times. So, you need something strong to handle the curved changes without contaminating the signals.
A CCS RG cable can easily handle that, making it an ideal coaxial cable.
- CCA- Copper Clad Aluminum
CCA center conductors are pure aluminum and wrapped with a copper sheet. Aluminum is a very good transmitter to transmit quality signals. However, it is not durable enough to handle curved moves or bending.
Sometimes, when you bend a CCA cable, the center conductor breaks and delivers poorly or no signal.
- CCC- Copper Clad Copper
General people often get confused between Copper Clad Copper wires and PURE Copper wires. It happens because of the naming though.
CCC cable isn’t actually made with pure copper. It is mainly constructed with full alloy. Because of having mixed materials inside it can’t catch good signals. Moreover, it can’t handle bending. So, there is no question on bad flexibility.
- Pure Copper Center Conductor
This kind of coaxial cable’s center conductor is pure copper. This means there is no compromise on the signal quality and flexibility. A pure copper conductor can handle bending and still deliver an excellent job.
The RG cables here I talked about are constructed with pure copper center conductors. So, you can easily rely on their quality for flexibility. However, if you ask the retailer you can get CCA/CCS wires in the same RG models as well.
- Distance
Usually all coaxial cables, no matter what the model is, can cover a minimum of 500 meters. Here RG6, RG11, RG58 and RG59 cable can also do so.
- Price
The price of every model of RG coaxial cable depends on the built material, quality and sustainability. Besides, depending on the location the prices may vary.
Among all the cables mentioned here, RG11 is the most pricy one followed by RG6, RG59 and RG58.
However, if you’re looking for RG11 and RG6 standard cables at a cheaper price you can still go for the CCS/CCA version of the same model.
FAQs-
Which Is Better RG11 Or RG6 Or RG58 Or RG59?
As far as you have come, you can undoubtedly say a controversy can take place between RG6 and RG11 cable. According to the cable market, RG6 is the standard cable.
Although RG11 is constructed in a better way and costlier than RG6, there aren’t many differences in service. So, people tend to stick to RG6 cable for a good signal transmission.
What Is RG11, RG6, RG58 And RG59 Used For?
RG6, RG11, RG58 and RG59 cables are widely used for Television signal transmission. Besides, they are used for broadband internet and telecom systems.
What Is The Best Coaxial Cable To Use For HDTV?
RG11 is the best Coaxial Cable to use for HDTV. Because RG11 cable has top notch quality. The cable serves excellent data transmission with zero signal loss for a wide area coverage.
Besides, the wire is thick and strong which ensures durability. Moreover, this cable can go through the load of adverse weather very well.
Read more:
Conclusion
As you have come this far, I hope you got your answers for the “RG6 vs RG11 vs RG58 vs RG59” controversy. In the end you got two outstanding options for your TV reception.
If you are still confused between RG6 and RG11 coaxial cable, hear this out. Go for RG6 if you live around 100 meters from the main transmitting source. You’ll get zero signal loss and outstanding signal.
There is no need to spend extra for RG11. But, if you’re far away you can surely go for the best (RG11) spending a bit more.
That is it. Don’t forget to share your thoughts about this piece of info in the comment section below.