Antenna worries

[Pandoramark1]

Hello everyone,

A simply Q for you all – I need to put a new antenna on my new snapdragon for my DSC radio, for ease of conversation (had a cable problem) I am now not able to run the cable down the mast as I had done so before, this will have to wait until I de-mast here at the end of the season. So I am thinking of using a stub antenna – I know they are not as good as the whip ones in terms of range etc. But could you help with any suggestions as to what I could use make model ( any experiences Good bad with models etc) would be very welcome. I am thinking that I will mount it on the railings at the back of the boat. I am a costal sailer never more than 11nm off the coast line

If you need more info please let me know

Thanks as always for your support

PMK1

 

[johnalison]

I can't point you to an aerial, but I have an "emergency" aerial on board which I have tested at deck level and it works fine. If you get one of these, it would be a useful bit of kit to have on board after you've fixed a new masthead one. The range will be less of course, but no worse than a hand-held.

 

[William_H]

Emergency antenna

An emergency antenna can be made up with a piece of coax cable with a suitable plug on one end. Cut the outer sheath and screen wire off 17inches of the end of the cable. This piece of inner conductor becomes the antenna. You need to attach then 4 pieces of ordinary wire to the end of the braid arranged around the cable and run them down parallel to the cable to make a ground plane. The whole thing can be pushed into a piece of plastic conduit pipe which can be clamped to a vertical post of stern rail. Try to make the tube extend a metre or more above the rail. ie use about 1.5 metres of conduit. This gives some height to the antenna and gets the ground plane ends clear of the metal railing. (even though they are inside the tube) I use this for main VHF and it works fine. good luck olewill

 

[lw395]

I would agree with the advice to mount the antenna a few feet up on a pole at the stern, better range, less damage from mooring ropes.
I had a Glomex antenna IIRC which gave good service and still worked well when the boat was sold.
A key thing is making sure the coax is sealed properly, corrosion in the braid increases loss badly sometimes.
Salty John on here sells Metz aerials which have a good reputation.

An aerial 6ft off the waterline will generally be fine for getting coastguard stations most of the way across the channel if everything is good and the channel is clear.
A masthead will work better boat to boat and up the river etc.