What is the electrical difference between RG-58 and RG-213 coaxial cable?

RG-58 and RG-213 are both 50-ohm coaxial cables commonly used in amateur radio. The main difference lies in their physical size and resulting electrical characteristics. RG-213 is significantly thicker (about 0.4 inches in diameter) compared to RG-58 (about 0.2 inches). Because RG-213 has a larger center conductor and a greater distance between the center and the shield, it has much less signal loss (attenuation) per foot at a given frequency than the thinner RG-58. This makes RG-213 a better choice for long cable runs, especially at VHF and UHF frequencies where loss is more pronounced. RG-58 does not have higher power handling capability (it handles less power), nor does standard RG-58 have two shields. Therefore, the significant electrical advantage of RG-213 is its lower signal loss.