FBR-195 Low Loss Antenna Extension Cable — 5m | SMA Male to SMA Female
Low Loss RF Extension Cable (LMR-195® Equivalent)
The FBR-195 is a high-quality, low loss coaxial extension cable designed for use with cellular, 4G/LTE, and 5G IoT antennas. Terminated with SMA Male to SMA Female connectors, it provides a simple plug-and-play extension between your outdoor antenna and router or gateway.
Why you might need an extension cable
Most external antennas come with a fixed cable tail — typically 3 to 5 metres — which isn’t always long enough to reach your router, especially when the antenna is roof-mounted or positioned high on a mast or pole bracket and the router is located inside a building, cabinet, or plant room. The FBR-195 bridges that gap without the signal degradation you’d get from a cheap RG174 patch lead.
Understanding total cable loss
When you add an extension cable, it’s important to think about the total cable length in your system — that’s the antenna’s built-in cable plus the extension. Every metre of cable introduces some signal loss (attenuation), and this increases at higher frequencies, which is particularly relevant for LTE and 5G bands.
Here’s a rough guide to total signal loss with FBR-195 at common cellular frequencies:
| Total Cable Run | Loss @ 900 MHz | Loss @ 1800 MHz | Loss @ 2400 MHz |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m (antenna cable only) | ~3.1 dB | ~4.5 dB | ~5.3 dB |
| 8m (3m antenna + 5m ext) | ~5.0 dB | ~7.2 dB | ~8.4 dB |
| 10m (5m antenna + 5m ext) | ~6.2 dB | ~9.0 dB | ~10.5 dB |
| 15m (5m antenna + 10m ext) | ~9.3 dB | ~13.5 dB | ~15.8 dB |
As a rule of thumb, you want to keep total system cable loss below around 6 dB where possible. Beyond that you’re losing a significant proportion of the signal gained by the antenna — effectively undoing the benefit of mounting it externally in the first place. At 10 dB of loss you’ve lost 90% of the signal power, which in marginal coverage areas could be the difference between a stable connection and frequent dropouts.
Our recommendations
For total cable runs up to around 8–10 metres, the FBR-195 does a solid job and offers a good balance between cost, flexibility, and performance. The slim 5mm diameter makes it easy to route through cable glands, conduit, and wall penetrations.
For longer runs — particularly where the antenna’s built-in cable plus extension exceeds 10 metres — we strongly recommend stepping up to our FBR-240 series. The larger diameter cable has significantly lower attenuation per metre, which can save you 2–3 dB over a 10–15m run. At LTE and 5G frequencies that can make a meaningful difference to your connection quality and throughput.
Where very long runs are unavoidable, consider positioning the router closer to the antenna rather than extending the cable further. A shorter coax run with a longer Ethernet cable to your network will almost always outperform a very long antenna cable.
Built for industrial and outdoor environments
The dual-shielded construction — aluminium foil plus copper braid — provides excellent protection against electromagnetic interference, making the FBR-195 well suited to electrically noisy environments such as substations, plant rooms, and industrial cabinets. The UV-resistant polyethylene jacket is rated for permanent outdoor installation and can be routed externally along cable trays or through conduit without degradation.
Compatible with most IoT routers and gateways including Teltonika (RUT/RUTX/TRB series), Robustel, Sierra Wireless, Cradlepoint, and any device with SMA-terminated antenna ports.
Technical Specification
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Cable Type | FBR-195 Low Loss (LMR-195® equivalent) |
| Impedance | 50 Ohm |
| Length | 5 metres |
| Connector A | SMA Male |
| Connector B | SMA Female |
| Outer Diameter | 4.95mm |
| Centre Conductor | Copper Clad Steel |
| Dielectric | Foam Polyethylene |
| Shielding | Aluminium Foil + Tinned Copper Braid |
| Outer Jacket | UV-resistant Black PE |
| Velocity of Propagation | 83% |
| Operating Temperature | -40°C to +85°C |
| Frequency Range | DC to 6 GHz |
| Attenuation @ 900 MHz | ~0.62 dB/m |
| Attenuation @ 1800 MHz | ~0.90 dB/m |
| Attenuation @ 2400 MHz | ~1.05 dB/m |
| Indoor / Outdoor Rated | Yes |
LMR® is a registered trademark of Times Microwave Systems. FBR-195 is manufactured to equivalent specifications.
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