Decca aerial

[Gordonmc]

Is there life for Decca aerials once the units have been binned?
The aerial, a whip type, was quite happy sitting on the rudder stem-post. As someone said it could be used as a VHF emergency aerial I left it there and by-passed all the internal resisters.
Not a bleep from the VHF.
Does anyone out there know what impedence the Deccas worked on?
Is there any point persisting?

 

[byron]

I'm no expert but I would suggest to you that using a Decca Aerial on a VHF could cause the radio irrepairable damage if you transmitted.

ô¿ô

 

[ZEBEDEE]

Decca A/E are usually active (they have a small amplifier in them) so even if they were of the correct frequency they would be of no use for a transmitter.
only use that I know of for them is to pick up Radio 4 Long wave and I think there was an artical in PBO a few months ago on how to build a supply for the amp.
Personally I would remove it and put it in the nearest bin

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: artical in PBO

Yes, it was to strip out all the internal gubins of the short fat type of Decca arial as used by Nasa, and replace it with a meter (or was it a yard?) of wire to act as an arial for your FM radio (for Radio 1,2,3,4 etc). Obviously not suitable for the whip type arial.

 

[ccscott49]

No good, dump it. It's cheaper and better to buy another cheap whip for your VHF.

 

[rich]

Re:whip!

whip! don't let swmbo here this/sorry see this.

rich )

 

[JeremyF]

Chuck it.

If life is too short to stuff mushrooms, boat maintenance time is too precious to fiddle around with an ariel for a long-dead system.

Remember, antennae have to be tuned to match the frequency of the transmission. The only thing close is FM radio, and a £5 unit from Halfords is good enough for me.

Jeremy Flynn

www.yacht-goldeneye.co.uk
New pics 11.02.02

 

[Gordonmc]

Thanks all.

I'll make it into a fishing rod.

 

[LadyInBed]

Re:whip! - getting carried away! nm