Emergency VHF Ariel

[jonlaw]

Our club is having a rally this weekend.
The commodore carries out an inspection, a bit of fun !!
He asks to see the emergency VHF ariel.
How would I make one ??
Thanks

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[Beagle]

On board we have a special kit, or rather... a true emergency arial. Bought at a chandler for not too much money and in case of an emergency can be connected to either a stay, or (when de-masted and it's time to put your head between your knees to kiss you a** goodbye) connected to a boathook which was tighted to the boat. It was a pleasant surprise once we found out we had quite a range trough this setting (over 5 miles). A cheap way to do this and save s weight on the boat (weight is everything in a race) and you don't need an oversized pole.

Rene

<hr width=100% size=1>Never under estimate the strength of human stupidity

 

[alahol2]

I was told...
From a piece of aerial wire, strip the plastic coat for the length of your elbow to finger tip. Where the plastic coat now ends, pull the centre core out of the braided sheath. Pull the centre core vertically up and the braided sheath vertically down and hold it as high as possible. Obviously attach it with a coax plug to the back of the set!
I've only tried it at short range, but it worked. Somebody can probably tell us why.

<hr width=100% size=1>I really would rather be sailing...

 

[Sunnyseeker]

sounds good to me...(communications engineer) stupidly I bought one in a nice orange plastice tube, all it was was a length of coax and a cheap aerial, a complete rip off but I was in a hurry to get an MCA bit of paper.

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[cliff]

Simple ¼ wave dipole antenna.

Actual length of center core removed from braid should be around 18 ¾" and the braid once pulled down should be cut to same length (18¾") (based on 150Mhz frequency)

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[brianhumber]

Show him he the inexpensive emergency one you have already purchased and is kept on board.

Although I managed to keep the mast up when forestay ripped out and pulled out the mast wall the other year believe me you will not want to be pissing about stripping cables to get an bodge job made up if your mast has come down.

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[Twister_Ken]

Whip out your handheld (VHF that is).

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Beagle]

The emergency one we keep onboard is a so called MAT 125-CT. It's got a thick redish base (as descriped somewhere else I think) and a small length of actual 'arial' . Full description: 156-162 mHz. Gain 0 dB/iso-25 Watt. Including 6 meter coax cabel RG 58 (with UHF plug). Length: 30 cm. Also including a piece of nylon mounting material. Total price: 63 euro/approx. 42 GBP.

We used if last winter, bringing a boat from the south of Holland to the North without the mast. As said, we were (pleasant) surprised with the range.

Come to think of it, a handheld seems to be a better option (though more expensive) but than again, the regulations for hand-helds in Holland are more insane.....

Rene.

<hr width=100% size=1>Never under estimate the strength of human stupidity

 

[bruce]

after stripping etc, take wire and put it in a piece of 1/2 " plastic pipe long enough to cover both ends, seal up the ends, make it 12" inches longer at the base. tape to stantion during emergency. whole antenna will be about 4' long with coax out the end.

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[ongolo]

To Make a perfectly good VHF aerial, serch PBO for VHF, then in the relevant issue (dont remember) on page 114 (I think) you wil find the instructions. Easy simple and works like a bought aerial. I made three already.

You need: Pratley Epoxy Patty, a piece of 500 odd mm copper tubing (dont like calculating the exact length now) of about 6mm to 8mm diam. 19mm electrical plastic conduit, some foam or silicone, coax cable to suit and the connector. Less than an hour to make, cost negligible.

It pays to read PBO. )))

regards ongolo


<hr width=100% size=1>So what......... it floats

 

[peterb]

We have several aerials (GPS, Navtex, etc) mounted on a pole (which also carries our ensign) at the back of the cockpit. Our main VHF aerial is mounted at the masthead, but we had an old VHF aerial on which the masthead mount had broken. We've mounted the old aerial on the pole, and run the two aerial coaxes (main and emergency) into a coax switch. Putting up the emergency aerial now takes less than two seconds; just turn the switch alongside the VHF set. The aerial is mounted nearly four metres up, so its horizon distance is about five miles.

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[Benbow]

I thought about doing this, but decided that in the mayhem associated with a dismasting you may loose anything else sticking up. So I keep my emergency aerial safely below. I suppose the ultimate would be to do both.

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[MainlySteam]

A little similar - I carry a spare for the masthead antenna (the spare is exactly the same model as fitted to the masthead) for in case of a replacement being needed. It serves as the emergency antenna also but is stored below in order to prevent damage in an accident.

There is a bracket on the pushpit ready to take it and coax run from the radio position to the cockpit locker below it. In our case at the radio end a manual unplug of the old antenna and plugging in of the new is required.

John

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