Hand Held VHF as backup

[andf]

My fixed VHF is on the blink, so have been using my hand held VHF until the main set is fixed. It occurred to me that it might be more effective as a backup if I could hook it up to the masthead aerial.

So, does the panel think that this would work, ie, would the set drive a proper aerial or are they set up only for their own small bendy jobs.

And, if it would work, does anybody know of a source of an adaptor to go from the threaded female bush on the top of the set that the standard aerial screws into, to a standard coax connector.

Crianza

 

[ZEBEDEE]

yes it would work if your hand held a/e is removable, and they usually are. You will get the necessary adaptors from somewhere like Maplins.

 

[davidpbo]

or CPC, you may need some aerial cable and to be a dab hand with a soldering iron.

 

[CORBIEREV]

I have used this setup as standard since my fixed failed some years ago. Less powerful than fixed, but radio checks suggest adequate. As the others say go to Maplin, RS, CPC or similar for adaptor (I couldn't find one) but soldered a female BNF? plug to the co-ax as a temporary measure which became permanent.
Whether your handheld is now a fixed with regard to licence (if still applicable) could be in question?

 

[andf]

OK the answer to the first part seems to be a Yes.

However the adaptor issue is not so simple. I have looked at most of the obvious suppliers ( included those suggested by the team ) and whilst they have pages of general purpose stuff such as PL259, BNC etc I can find nothing that will match those to the threaded aerial mount on the top of the hand held. Has anybody else found anything, or does it have to be cannibalisation of an old aerial?.


Crianza

 

[john_morris_uk]

That's a trickier question. What does the connection look like on the top of your handheld when you remove the bendy antenna? On many hand-helds the antenna is attached to eithera TNC or BNC socket. TNC sockets look like this:

and BNC sockets look like this:

If your handheld vhf has just a threaded hole that the bendy antenna screws into, then it is not easily possible to connect your main vhf antenna to it.

 

[andf]

Thats what I was afraid of - the aerial connection is a female threaded bush into which the aerial screws.


Crianza

 

[john_morris_uk]

Sorry - looks like a new fixed VHF then?

 

[Roberto]

I have the same kind of connector in my standard horizon handheld (female threaded), all the usual suspects (radiospares, various electronics suppliers, etc) could not provide a suitable connector to BNC or PL259 plugs of the main mast antenna: instead, the HH manufacturer (standard horizon-yaesu) produces and distributes a suitable connector..

problem is it costs like half the radio so I gave up -.<)