Aerial's at mast head.

[Humber]

When we take our Westerly Merlin out of the water this week, we are also taking down the mast to check it over. The VHF "ships radio" aerial is at the top, but can we also put the "car radio" aerial up there too. Would they interfer with each other? At the moment the small rubber duck car radio aerial is lying horizontal in the rear of the heads locker and predictably, reception is terrible. We like to listen to Test Match Special but highering the aerial will not help us get better LW reception, will it?

 

[Vara]

It's conceivable that pumping a 25w VHF signal down your radio aerial might do some harm.

I would experiment with wire stuck in the aerial socket first, it's always worked for me, those stubby jobs ain't much cop.

 

[yoda]

Why not put the radio aerial at the cross trees? Plenty of height and separation.

Yoda

 

[Beadle]

The easiest way to get a decent signal on LW would be a long length of wire.

Tied to the Xtrees or the masthead and plugged into the aerial socket of the radio.

Use insulated wire so it doesnt touch the mast.

 

[William_H]

Radio aerial

As said a car radio aerial mounted close to and parallel to the VHF antenna is asking for trouble.
Keep your aerial away from the VHF and on a lower level.
As said for LW and medium wave reception a long wire is best. However you might just experiment to see if it is better using the antenna cable supplied with the aerial. Sometimes the capacity of the cable is part of the tuning of the radio input circuits so without the cable capitance the tuning is wrong. On old sets they used to have a tuning capacitor accessed through a hole to tune to different antenae and cables.
good luck olewill

 

[reginaldon]

Aerial's at mast head.

Apostrophitis rules again!

Sorry - not a pedant - but that one gets me.

 

[Seajet]

I have a rubber duck type aerial for the entertainment radio; it's fitted to the front of the ( deck stepped ) mast foot, on top of the coachroof.

I get excellent radio reception with this, in the Solent area.

 

[uxb]

Buy an VHF aerial splitter...

 

[lw395]

VHF aerial splitters won't do much at longwave.
Good for FM though.
The radio may well be using an internal ferrite rod for MW and LW.
See if there is provision for an external LW aerial, try connecting it to the backstay, preferably with the top insulated.

 

[lenseman]

When we take our Westerly Merlin out of the water this week, we are also taking down the mast to check it over. The VHF "ships radio" aerial is at the top, but can we also put the "car radio" aerial up there too. Would they interfer with each other? At the moment the small rubber duck car radio aerial is lying horizontal in the rear of the heads locker and predictably, reception is terrible. We like to listen to Test Match Special but highering the aerial will not help us get better LW reception, will it?

The LW reception of your Broadcast VHF radio only requires a 'length of wire'.

The quickest and cheapest method is to use an antenna splitter as sold by Hamble Marine (ask for Peter Burton). See the e-Bay link here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pacific-A...ecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item3f0e99ab15