Coax and Ladder Line, by
the foot or pre-assembled
with commercial grade connectors. |
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You spent a lot of hard-earned cash on your radio.
And another good sized chunk of time and money building or buying your
antenna. Bargain-bin coax is just a plain waste of money. You
can easily lose half or more of your signal in the feedline. Upgrade
to our low-loss cable or ladder-line today and see what a difference it makes.
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What Coax Should I Order?
As always, it depends on your needs. Here's a
chart listing some popular types of coax, with their loss in dB per 100'.
Keep several things in mind as you look at it. First, we assume that
the cable is terminated in its characteristic impedance (50 ohms, for all of
these, or a 1:1 SWR) and second, that the cable is in like-new condition.
Remember that the loss is a linear function. A 50' section will have
1/2 the loss, a 200' piece will have twice the loss. Higher SWR and
loss due to aging will increase these figures, sometimes dramatically.
Finally -- if you think that the fact that your auto-tuner in the shack
finds a match means that you have a 1:1 SWR on your coax, you need to learn
or re-learn some basics. Subscribe to my newsletter (sign in form at
the top of every page on this Web Site) where we've been discussing SWR and
related topics.
For reference, I've included LMR-1700 cable.
This is appx 1-3/4 inch diameter cable. It will run you about $15.00
per foot. Type N connectors for it are about $200.00 a pop. Plus
$5.00 for an N to PL-259 adapter if you need one. Not something many
of us are going to spring for, but it's interesting to compare it with
cables that we might really use.
Looking at the chart, it becomes apparent that the
lower loss cables really make a big difference at VHF and above frequencies.
To take an extreme example, using 100' of RG-174 at 2400 MHz (2.4 GHz) means
that virtually no signal make it to the antenna. All of your power is
lost in the feedline. On the other hand, 50 feet of RG-316 might be a
reasonable choice for a backpacking antenna where size and weight are at a
premium, and operation will be on the HF bands.
As with most things in life, there are trade-offs.
You need to balance size, weight, loss, power handling capability,
durability and cost to arrive at the correct choice.
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Loss in dB per 100' for some popular coax cables |
MHz |
RG-174 |
RG-316 |
RG-58 |
RG-8X |
RG-213 |
LMR-400 |
Bury-Flex |
LMR-1700 |
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Size --> |
.1" |
.1" |
.195" |
.240" |
.405" |
.405" |
.405" |
1.75" |
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1 |
.83 |
.79 |
.45 |
.35 |
.18 |
.12 |
.31 |
.05 |
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3.5 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
.84 |
.66 |
.35 |
.22 |
.62 |
.05 |
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14 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
1.7 |
1.3 |
.7 |
.46 |
.74 |
.10 |
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28 |
4.4 |
4.2 |
2.4 |
1.9 |
1.0 |
.6 |
.9 |
.14 |
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50 |
5.9 |
5.6 |
3.2 |
2.6 |
1.4 |
.88 |
1.1 |
.20 |
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150 |
10.3 |
9.8 |
5.6 |
4.5 |
2.4 |
1.5 |
1.8 |
.34 |
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450 |
18.1 |
17.2 |
10.0 |
8.2 |
4.5 |
2.7 |
3.1 |
.60 |
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900 |
25.9 |
24.6 |
14.5 |
12.1 |
6.6 |
3.9 |
4.9 |
.93 |
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1200 |
30.12 |
28.7 |
16.9 |
14.3 |
7.8 |
4.5 |
5.5 |
1.2 |
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2400 |
43.5 |
41.4 |
24.8 |
21.6 |
12.0 |
6.6 |
7.4 |
1.8 |
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BF-1 |
Bury-Flex Very Low Loss 50 Ohm cable.
Direct Burial, even in water! |
1 foot |
100% foil plus 95% braid shield. Stranded
center conductor. Excellent low-loss characteristics at a great price.
Super-tough PE (not PVC) jacket means you can bury it, even under water;
plus greatly extended life outdoors. |
$1.50 |
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BF-50 |
50 feet |
$65 |
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BF-100 |
100 feet |
$120 |
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BF-150 |
150 feet |
$170 |
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BF-200 |
200 feet |
$220 |
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CJ-BF-50 |
Bury-Flex Very Low Loss 50 Ohm cable.
Direct Burial, even in water! With
professionally installed premium grade silver-teflon PL-259 connectors |
50 feet |
100% foil plus 95% braid shield. Stranded
center conductor. Excellent low-loss characteristics at a great price.
Super-tough PE (not PVC) jacket means you can bury it, even under water;
plus greatly extended life outdoors. |
$80 |
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CJ-BF-100 |
100 feet |
$135 |
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CJ-BF-150 |
150 feet |
$185 |
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CJ-BF-200 |
200 feet |
$235 |
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CJ-400-50 |
Very Low Loss LMR-400 type 50 Ohm cable with
professionally installed premium grade silver-teflon PL-259 connectors |
50 feet |
100% foil plus 95% braid shield. Solid
center conductor. Excellent low-loss characteristics at a great price.
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$70 |
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CJ-400-100 |
100 feet |
$110 |
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CJ-400-150 |
150 feet |
$150 |
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CJ-400-200 |
200 feet |
$190 |
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LMR-400-1 |
Very Low Loss LMR-400 type 50 Ohm cable |
1 foot |
100% foil plus 95% braid shield. Solid
center conductor. Excellent low-loss characteristics at a great price.
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$1.50 |
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LMR-400-50 |
50 feet |
$60 |
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LMR-400-100 |
100 feet |
$110 |
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LMR-400-150 |
150 feet |
$150 |
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LMR-400-200 |
200 feet |
$190 |
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We carry a wide range of connectors and installation tools.
Quality you can count on at prices that you can afford. |
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See the Coax Crimp set here |
New Coax Cutters here |
Stripper for LMR-400, RG-8, RG-213, etc |
Soldering Station is here |
High Quality Crimp-On Connectors here |
Premium Grade PL-259s here |
Type N and BNC connectors here |
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CJ-3-213 |
Coax jumper. 3'
High Quality RG-213 with PL-259 on both ends |
3 feet |
Suitable for indoor or outdoor
use. Coax used outdoors should be replaced every three years to
minimize loss. |
$12 |
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CJ-9-213 |
Coax jumper. 9'
High Quality RG-213 with PL-259 on both ends |
9 feet |
$18 |
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CJ-18-213 |
Coax jumper. 18'
High Quality RG-213 with PL-259 on both ends |
18 feet |
$25 |
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CJ-50-213 |
Coax jumper. 50' High
Quality RG-213 with PL-259 on both ends |
50 feet |
$50 |
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CJ-100-213 |
Coax jumper.
100' High Quality RG-213 with PL-259 on both ends |
100 feet |
$90 |
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RG-213-1 |
Low Loss RG-213 50 Ohm coax cable.
Similar, but superior to, RG-8 |
1 foot |
96% braid outer shield. Stranded center
conductor for flexibility. Excellent cable at a great price.
High quality connectors are here |
$1.00 |
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RG-213-50 |
50 feet |
$40 |
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RG-213-100 |
100 feet |
$75 |
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RG-213-150 |
150 feet |
$120 |
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RG-213-200 |
200 feet |
$160 |
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RG-8X-1 |
Low Loss RG-8X 50 Ohm coax cable.
Lighter, smaller, and more flexible than RG-213 |
1 foot |
96% braid outer shield. Stranded center
conductor for flexibility. Excellent cable at a great price.
High quality connectors are here |
$.75 |
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RG-8X-50 |
50 feet |
$25 |
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RG-8X-100 |
100 feet |
$40 |
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RG-8X-150 |
150 feet |
$60 |
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RG-8X-200 |
200 feet |
$75 |
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CJ-3-8X |
Coax jumper. 3'
Quality RG-8X with PL-259 on both ends |
3 feet |
Suitable for indoor or outdoor
use. Coax used outdoors should be replaced every three years to
minimize loss. |
$7 |
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CJ-9-8X |
Coax jumper. 9'
Quality RG-8X with PL-259 on both ends |
9 feet |
$9 |
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CJ-18-8X |
Coax jumper. 18'
Quality RG-8X with PL-259 on both ends |
18 feet |
$12 |
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CJ-50-8X |
Coax jumper. 50' Extra-Flexible RG-8X with PL-259 on both ends |
50 feet |
$30 |
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CJ-100-8X |
Coax jumper.
100' Extra-Flexible RG-8X with PL-259 on both ends |
100 feet |
$50 |
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RG-58-1 |
Low Loss RG-58 50 Ohm coax cable. Lighter,
smaller, less expensive, and more flexible than RG-8X |
1 foot |
96% tinned copper braid outer shield. Stranded
tinned copper center
conductor for flexibility. Excellent cable at a great price.
High quality connectors are here |
$.50 |
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RG-58-50 |
50 feet |
$18 |
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RG-58-100 |
100 feet |
$32 |
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RG-58-150 |
150 feet |
$45 |
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RG-58-200 |
200 feet |
$59 |
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RG-62 is 93 Ohm Coax. It's useful in building matching sections and is
also very popular for directly feeding higher impedance antennas like full
wave loops. If you think you can only use 50 Ohm cable as a feedline,
please sign up for our monthly newsletter and read the "Tech-Talk" series on
SWR and feedlines. |
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RG-62-1 |
RG-62 93 Ohm coax cable. |
1 foot |
96% braid outer shield. Solid copper
center conductor. Use for matching sections, or to directly feed a
full-wave loop antenna. Same outer diameter as, and uses the same
connectors as, RG-8X.
High quality connectors are here |
$.75 |
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RG-62-50 |
50 feet |
$25 |
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RG-62-100 |
100 feet |
$40 |
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RG-62-150 |
150 feet |
$60 |
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RG-62-200 |
200 feet |
$75 |
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| RG-316 is very small
coax. It can be a reasonable choice for feedline, particularly on the
lower HF bands. It can also be a good way to sneak your coax through a
window or under a door. Due to its small size, losses can get quite
high. Check the coax loss chart at the top of the page. When my eyes
and hands were 20 years younger, installing connectors on small cable was not
too difficult. But 20 years later...
If you REALLY want me to install the connectors for you, I
will. But I will charge you enough to make you realize that you're
better off doing it yourself or finding a local friend to do it for you. |
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RG-316-10 |
50 Ohm Mini-Coax. Teflon dielectric, 95%
tinned copper braid, tinned stranded CCS center conductor. Clear
jacket, .110"
diameter. |
10 feet |
Great stuff when small size and light weight are
important. Be sure to check out the loss specs in the table above.
High quality connectors are here |
$10 |
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RG-316-25 |
25 feet |
$20 |
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RG-316-50 |
50 feet |
$38 |
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RG-316-100 |
100 feet |
$70 |
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Please Note: All sizes of ladder line are
finally back in stock!
While the manufacturer says that they will have plenty from now on, the
difficulty in getting supply over the past 18 months suggests that buying
now, while it is available, is a good idea. In addition, we expect
that there will be significant price increases in the near future. |
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ANT-LL-16450-100 |
450 Ohm
Ladder Line
Back in Stock |
100 feet |
#16 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the solid-wire does. |
$45 |
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ANT-LL-16450-200 |
450 Ohm
Ladder Line
Back in Stock |
200 feet |
#16 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the solid-wire does. |
$80 |
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ANT-LL-18450-100 |
450 Ohm
Ladder Line
Back in Stock |
100 feet |
#18 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the solid-wire does. |
$40 |
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ANT-LL-18450-200 |
450 Ohm
Ladder Line
Back in Stock |
200 feet |
#18 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the solid-wire does. |
$75 |
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ANT-LL-14450-100 |
450 Ohm
Ladder Line
Back in Stock |
100 feet |
#14 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the solid-wire does. |
$65 |
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ANT-LL-14450-200 |
450 Ohm
Ladder Line
Back in Stock |
200 feet |
#14 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the solid-wire does. |
$120 |
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ANT-LL300-100 |
300 Ohm Ladder
Line
Back in Stock |
100 feet |
#18 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the cheap stuff does. |
$30 |
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ANT-LL300-200 |
300 Ohm Ladder
Line
Back in Stock |
200 feet |
#18 Stranded Copper-clad
steel. Won't easily break like the cheap stuff does. |
$55 |
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Please Note: All sizes of ladder line are
finally back in stock!
While the manufacturer says that they will have plenty from now on, the
difficulty in getting supply over the past 18 months suggests that buying
now, while it is available, is a good idea. In addition, we expect
that there will be significant price increases in the near future. |
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Ladder-lock |
Strain relief for
450 Ohm ladder line |
Greatly
reduces stress on ladder line. Includes holes for antenna wire and
support rope. |
$18 |
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Ctr-Ins |
Center Insulator for Dipole Antennas |
Use as a center insulator or to transition from
ladder line to coax. Includes holes for antenna wire and support rope, brass
hardware, and ring terminals for the wire. |
$20 |
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CX-SW |
Coax Switch |
2 Position Coax Switch.
SO-239 Connectors. > 50 dB isolation. SWR < 1.2:1. Rated 1
KW CW. Includes mounting hardware. |
$25 |
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Coax-Seal |
The original, and still a favorite of many. |
1/2" x 60". |
You need to seal those coax connectors.
Non-hardening, easily formable. |
$6 |
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Stuf |
Dielectric Filler |
Fills the inside of the connector. Occupies all of the
voids, preventing water infiltration. Non-hardening, non-conductive. |
$6 |
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Water-Shed™ |
Silicone Tape |
Coax Connector sealing tape. No adhesive, bonds to itself.
Stretches 300%. UV,
oil, salt and chemical resistant silicon tape. Insulates up to 8,000
Volts per layer. Many other uses -- seal leaky pipes, bundle wire
and rope, insulate electrical connections, and much more. Removes
easily and leaves no residue. Each roll is 1inch wide by 10 feet (unstretched)
long. Available in 5 colors. |
Black -- $6 |
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Red -- $6 |
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Green -- $6 |
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Yellow -- $6 |
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Blue -- $6 |
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Coax Protection Kit |
(1) Coax-Seal, (1) Stuf, and (1) Water-Shed™ |
Get all three for maximum protection and savings |
$15 |
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Balun 11SE |
1:1 Isolation balun. Coax input with side lugs for
wire connection, plus heavy duty eye-bolts. Waterproof gasketed cover
included (not shown in picture) |
Outstanding quality at a great price. Will
not overheat or saturate like the "bargain brands".
Conservatively rated at 5KW
continuous. |
$75 |
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Balun 11C |
1:1 Isolation balun. Coax feed and coax output.
Waterproof gasketed cover included (not shown in picture) |
Outstanding quality at a great price. Will
not overheat or saturate like the "bargain brands".
Conservatively rated at 5KW
continuous. |
$75 |
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Balun 41SE |
4:1 Isolation balun. Coax input with side lugs for
wire connection, plus heavy duty eye-bolts. Waterproof gasketed cover
included (not shown in picture) |
Outstanding quality at a great price. Will
not overheat or saturate like the "bargain brands". Rated 3KW
continuous. |
$75 |
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Deputy |
Meet "The Deputy" -- a high
quality gas discharge lightning arrestor. Has standard PL-259/SO-239
male/female fittings, plus an extra nut for optional panel mounting.
Rated for legal limit. Let the Deputy arrest your lightning! |
$25 |
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Dep-Cart |
Replacement gas discharge
cartridge for Deputy Lightning Arrestor |
$5 |
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