The Growing Challenge from Counterfeit Cables and Assemblies

By Tony Fedor

Originally published with Microwave Journal

Counterfeit cables and assemblies are a growing issue in the RF market. Inferior RF interconnect products continue to appear, and since they are produced with lower-quality materials, they undercut the value of genuine products. As the original manufacturer of LMR^® coaxial cables, Times Microwave Systems often deals with counterfeit competitors in the market.

Thirty years ago, LMR cables were released as a reliable and efficient coaxial cable alternative to
traditional RG cables and stiffer corrugated copper cables. Since then, as has happened for many popular products, counterfeits and clones have appeared on the market. These counterfeit products appear to offer a better value at a lower price. However, the value of a product goes beyond the product itself, it also encompasses quality, certifications, accessories and technical support.

Many common scenarios that lead to the purchase of counterfeit cables nowadays are a bait and switch. This happens when one product is advertised and once a customer is interested, an inferior product is either substituted or shipped. For example, some companies will list their own cables as LMR cables or an equivalent substitute for LMR cables to draw customers in and then not provide an authentic product.

The Risks of Counterfeit Cables

Fake and clone cables may appear to be a more cost-effective option for systems, but in the long run they pose many disadvantages and can even lead to devastating system failure.

If the system requires long term performance, then a fake or clone cable may not be the best choice. While these cables might test similarly up front, they will not continue meeting those specs because they are not built to last and are likely made of lower quality materials. For example, the jacket of a fake cable is unlikely to have the same level of UV resistance needed to survive outdoors. In a critical application such as a hospital or high-rise building, a low-smoke fire retardant cable that doesn’t meet the UL standards for flame and smoke can potentially lead to the inability to egress a building and the potential loss of human life.

Beyond the safety considerations, the overall cost of fake and clone cables is substantial when considering that once the counterfeit cable becomes faulty due to materials and construction or is damaged, replacement cables must be purchased and labor hired for the reinstallation. Depending on the specific application, being out of service for hours or days to replace the faulty cable can result in a loss of revenue. With labor rates as expensive as they are today, installing a lower quality cable that needs to be replaced is ultimately a waste of time and money. When it comes to UL listings, if a cable is required to be UL listed but doesn’t have that marking on the cable, an inspector can tell an installer to remove it all and replace it.

Common failure points of fake and clone cables:

• Jacket failure
• UV deterioration
• Water penetration into the cable along the braid
• Poor cable to connector transition
• Degradation of performance over time due to breakdown of the dielectric
• Cracking of the outer conductor tape resulting in poor RF performance
• Moisture migration down to the center conductor
• Poor dimensional tolerance of the dielectric causing electrical instability

UV failure is one of the most common system failures due to inferior coaxial cable. Once the jacket cracks and water can breach it, it is only a short matter of time before the interconnect becomes unusable. Other issues can have a significant impact on performance as well: nitrogen injected polyethylene foam versus chemical foam dielectric, not pressuring the jacket, and no adhesive on the center conductor, to name a few.

When building LMR cables, Times Microwave Systems takes many steps that make a huge difference in the life and performance of the cable. Pressuring the jacket during manufacturing helps create a more mechanically stable cable and eliminates a path for water to get through the braid. Adding adhesive to the center conductor also removes a path for moisture to travel which could result in potential RF degradation. Other comparable cables on the market tend to be RG cables, which have higher loss and are poorly shielded, and their PVC jackets mean they are not built to endure outdoor weather conditions. In terms of the corrugated cables of similar size, they’re either very stiff or very fragile and susceptible to kinking. LMR cables are designed with both low loss and flexibility in mind.

Times Microwave Systems takes total ownership of the RF path with the manufacturing of the cable and connectors. A lot of work goes into the connector design and installation tools to create a seamless RF path. Some LMR cables have been out in the field enduring all kinds of demanding applications, from frigid weather to tropical climates, from underground mining to railways to industrial offshore, for over thirty years now.

Identifying Fakes and Cables

The terms fakes and clones tend to be used interchangeably when referring to imitation cables. Both of these terms refer to replica cables, but when comparing fake and clone cables, the differences become clear.

Fakes are counterfeit products typically not produced in the United States. These products market themselves as being a brand name cable when they are not which misleads consumers into believing they’re buying a genuine product. They are often crafted with subpar materials that lack strength, durability, and conductivity. These fake cables tarnish the brand name and mislead end users to believe they’re getting a quality product.

Clones don’t necessarily claim to be the name brand product but are copies of the genuine product without the technical expertise or quality behind it. These products will mimic the general look and feel of a brand but have questionable quality because of lower-grade materials and manufacturing processes. Clones are more frequently seen in the coaxial cable industry than fakes.

LMR is one of, if not the most, faked cable in the RF cable industry. Since LMR cables were the first of their kind, as they gained popularity many other companies attempted to copy it. Many companies advertise fakes or clones as LMR cables, and the difference becomes noticeable when testing the cable or once it’s been exposed to the elements for a period of time. Some of these companies will even cut and paste the performance details from Times Microwave Systems LMR cable without changing any of the data. One of the advantages of the authentic LMR product line is it offers a complete package. The LMR product line not only includes the cable, but connectors designed to fit with the cable. Many of these cables have to be terminated in the field, whether run through a bulkhead or cut to custom lengths, which is why the LMR product line includes tools for termination and installation. An RF interconnect is only as strong as its weakest point, so the tools for creating the cable-connector transition are crucial. In addition to accessories like ground kits and weather seal, technical support and training content for terminating and installing cables help maintain the consistency of LMR cable performance.

To verify you’re getting a genuine LMR cable, there are several things to look for:

• Times Microwave Systems name
• Registered trademark after LMR®
• If the seller is an authorized distributor
• If it is a UL/CSA listed product with a qualification reference number

Trademark Infringement

Trademarks are used by companies to distinguish their products from their competitors. A trademark identifies the brand owner of a particular product or service. This use gives companies legal right to prevent use of similar or identical trademarks without proper authorization. (Image 3)

LMR® is a registered trademark of Times Microwave Systems, not a generic cable term within the industry other companies are free to use. Times Microwave Systems is the only company producing authentic LMR products. These cables, connectors, and tools set a quality standard other suppliers try to emulate, which can result in them falsely marketing inferior products as authentic LMR cables. Any company who appropriates the LMR trademark for products and literature not manufactured by Times Microwave Systems infringes upon the trademark.

Our Recommendation

Fakes and clones of LMR cables are frequently the cause of failure in RF systems. A high-quality product is likely to always have imitators looking to capitalize on such success at the detriment of the customer. To ensure a system reliably works as designed, be sure to buy genuine cables from a reliable supplier. Paying attention to trademarks and the company selling the product can help prevent purchasing a counterfeit cable that can cause damage to an RF system.

Since its release, LMR cables have proven to be consistent and reliable while meeting stringent certifications. Genuine LMR cables are only available from Times Microwave Systems and our authorized distributors. For the last 30 years, we’ve provided all the connectors, tools, and expert engineering support customers might need.