webcraft
Well-Known Member
Can't afford a Metz now Salty John has packed up, what is the next best option?
- W
- W
Best masthead VHF antenna for the money
- Thread starter webcraft
- Start date
ianfr
Well-Known Member
I got a Metz over winter from a chandlery in Ibiza. About £70 including delivery.
Bru
Well-Known Member
£90 and a bit quids for a Metz Manta from Seas the Day
Slightly more than Salty John was charging IIRC but still worth every penny and only about £20 more than a crappy Vitronix antenna
Really can't afford £20? Time to give up boat ownership!
Slightly more than Salty John was charging IIRC but still worth every penny and only about £20 more than a crappy Vitronix antenna
Really can't afford £20? Time to give up boat ownership!
webcraft
Well-Known Member
Maybe if I hadn't already spent £170 on a tin of antifoul , £200 on a new mooring riser and £200 on new locker lids I might agree with you.
If £20 means nothing to you I can send you my bank details . . . .
- W
webcraft
Well-Known Member
.
In the meantime, my question was what is the next best option after the Metz.
- W
In the meantime, my question was what is the next best option after the Metz.
- W
Gary Fox
N/A
Don't believe the hype! A coathanger is all you need, and the half wave dipole will work better than the Metz.
pvb
Well-Known Member
What would it look like up the mast though?
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
or save even more by just folding 49cm of stripped shield back and tape it to the outside of the coax insulation. Hoist it on a spare halyard and bob's your uncle!
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
I've been using a home-made AIS antenna of this kind for ages. Works fine, and is precisely the right length for the AIS wavelength! It will be replaced next week, though.
Plum
Well-Known Member
Interesting. You quote 49mm and three other online sources say 45.5, 46.3 and 47.7mm for Marine VHF
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
I think (I'd have to look it up again) that 49 is correct for AIS.
Bru
Well-Known Member
Seriously? Can't find £20?
Honestly, in my not inconsiderable experience of installing VHF antennas and being called out to investigate VHF faults I've concluded that there is no second best. The Metz is the only design currently on the market below £100 that I've never seen fail and it consistently out performs all it's rivals
Eat beans on toast for a week and buy a Metz!
Gary Fox
N/A
Waste of £70
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AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Just did the sums and it's 46 for AIS, for a half-wave dipole
Gary Fox
N/A
It's just a picture, I assume that people will look up the exact figure. Normally the Channel 16 one is used. Any of those would beat the Metz though!
Gary Fox
N/A
How does it 'consistently outperform all its rivals' ? You cant beat the laws of physics by throwing money at a bit of wire...
Rappey
Well-Known Member
Why are they crappy ? they appear to be made by shakespear who make good antennas.. Been on two seperate boats with Vitronix and both could pick up vhf transmissions from hell of a distance.. quite impressive considering the Vitronix like most other antennas are package with crappy rg58.. Pointless buying a high quality antenna if your going to use rg58 coax as you could lose up to 2/3 of your transmitted power in the coax
162mhz is right between the two ais channels , 1.85057 Wavelength In Metres , giving 0.92/0.93m for half wave..
You would get far better results buying a cheap vhf antenna and using a high quality coax than a very high end antenna and rg58.
how have you tested this?
Gary Fox
N/A
It depends how you mount it, whether you have spreaders, and who's looking.
(You could paint 'Metz' on it for nosey neighbours to admire, while you're wondering what you could do with your £70 )
Bru
Well-Known Member
Take one apart
The connection between the antenna cable and the antenna itself is rubbish and the base isn't particularly well sealed so it corrodes like nobodies business. I've honestly lost count of how many I've seen fail.
Performance isn't just about range, it's about reliability and durability too. But when it comes to transmission and reception performance i can only say that both myself and a significant number of customers have noted better performance after replacing other makes of antenna with a Metz
I've no skin in the game, fit what you like but i will never fit anything other than a Metz (my boat actually has two!)
Gary Fox
N/A
I think taping the folded-back inner to the outside is frowned-upon, and it ought to stand off and inch or two. But basically it does work.
