Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) films have been deposited on unheated substrates by low frequency (50Hz) plasma using $SiH_4+CH_4+H_2$ gas mixtures. Deposition rate, refractive index, optical band gap, Vickers hardness and IR spectrum of the deposited a -SiC:H films have been measured for various rations of gas flow rates k(=$CH_4/SiH_4$, 0.5k4) with a constant $H_2$ flow rate (100sccm). As k increases, the deposition rate of the a-SiC:H films increases up to the maximum value of about 220nm/h at k=2.5, and then it decreases. The refractive index of the films was 2.6 for k=2.5, while the optical band gap of the films was 3.3eV for k=2.2. The maximum value of Vickers hardness of the films was 1500Hv at k=1. The infrared transmission measurement shows that the films contain both Si-C and Si-$CH_3$ bonds.