Re: OK to use TV coax for microphone?

In article <Xns9A936FA2EF13F451E7A@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 Chris Siz <default@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> I am in the UK and have a 10m length of some cheap TV aerial coax.  It 
> came from a discount store as a TV coax extension cable.  I measure the 
> cable diameter as 4.8mm.
> 
> (1) Is it ok to use this sort of coax for a microphone?  I don't want 
> an impaired audio signal.  The length I need to use is 3 to 4 metres.
> 
> (2) Is it ok for UHF TV or is it actually quite low grade coax and 
> prone to interference or mess up the aerial signal?

There are a few differences.  TV coax will work in some conditions but 
not generally.

TV coax is very brittle.  The inner wire is copper-plated steel and the 
outer ****eld is aluminum wire and aluminum foil.  It will quickly crack 
where it meets the connectors.

TV coax may not pass small audio signals well because of its aluminum 
****eld.  Aluminum is extremely reactive so it is always coated with a 
thin oxide layer.  Higher voltages can spark through it and TV RF can 
capacitively couple through it.  Microphone signals might become 
distorted.  Cable for lower frequencies uses copper ****elding.

Good microphone and instrument cable has an insulation that drains away 
static electrical charges.  RF coax can contain electrical charges in 
the insulation that causes it to act like condenser microphone.

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