Radio Ga-Ga ?

[Applescruffs]

I was looking at the top end of my mast yesterday and realised I had no 'wind indicator' thingy fitted; ok I can feel the wind on my face etc...or even look at that bit of old VHS tape or pajamas fluttering away in the breeze, but I do like the look of those little pointy dart things.

So I looked about and found that some have an integrated VHF aerial....

Now my question is really this:

I have a handheld VHF...If I connected it to a masthead aerial via approx 15 foot of coaxial cable will:

a) My transmission/reception range improve dramatically ?
b) My radio fry due to some sort of capacitance (?) miss-match
or
c) neither of the above.


I 'passed' my VHF test many years ago but in truth I have never, ever, used my VHF radio in anger, not even for a radio check...so should I even bother ??

I feel that I should have a VHF 'just for emergencies'...and I do keep a 'listening watch' on CH16...it's quite entertaining at times and passes a dull hour as a I listen to the travails of a motorboatist who has grounded on the Bradwell Shoals and has asked the Coast Guard for a pull off, it pans out that the motor boat is well aground and the tide has left him dry by about an hour, the CG askes if his boat has wheels.......you can fill in the rest yourself.....

So:

Anybody out there in the same situation....bought a VHF radio, maybe spent a fortune on having it fitted, and then replaced it with the latest digital calling jobbie and then never used it ??

Can't just be me shoooorley ??

 

[NormanS]

Yes, a mast-head aerial will greatly increase your VHF's operating range.

 

[MM5AHO]

a) yes
b) no

 

[vyv_cox]

Many years ago I bought an adaptor to enable a hand-held VHF to connect to the antenna for the main set. I tried it at the time, it worked fine and, as the other posters have said, increased the range of the hand-held considerably. I then put the adaptor in the chart table for emergency use, where it still lies (I think).

 

[Pleiades]

Radio Ga -Ga

Plugging the handheld into a masthead aerial will I think still only give you 5 or 6 watts output so I don't think it will be anywhere like as powerful as a 25w fixed set. The fixed sets operate at 1W on low power which is good for a few miles in good atmospherics so I suppose it would be somewhere in between for transmit power. I have not seen a handheld which has a coax output - would that not defeat the waterproofing/water resistance of the handheld which is a key feature. For me the point of the handheld is that you can move about with it so for example I can talk to the harbour master when I am on the wheel or on deck - last thing I would want is a trailing cable to trip up on. So, different things for different purposes. I don't have the dsc jobby - basic vhfs, fixed and handheld and a seperate GPS for lat and long works for me.

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[Seajet]

As Robin says, I haven't seen a handheld VHF with the ability to take an aerial lead from the masthead.

Especially as you don't use it much, I'd keep things simple and leave as they are, just make sure the handheld still takes and holds a good charge, it would be worth trying it out a few times on chums for this and to check it and yourself are still operating correctly.

Also as you keep it for emergencies, well several of those scenarios involve the mast coming down, so you may as well keep to the built in aerial !

 

[Robert Wilson]

As Robin says, I haven't seen a handheld VHF with the ability to take an aerial lead from the masthead.

Especially as you don't use it much, I'd keep things simple and leave as they are, just make sure the handheld still takes and holds a good charge, it would be worth trying it out a few times on chums for this and to check it and yourself are still operating correctly.

Also as you keep it for emergencies, well several of those scenarios involve the mast coming down, so you may as well keep to the built in aerial ![/QUOTE]

I seem to remember YW or PBO did a test recently on "stubby aerials" for mounting on the pushpit - which outperformed many (poss all) the mast-head aerials. So worth thinking along that route. But agreed, handhelds may not have a co-ax socket.
And I asked at SIBS this year about a connector and was informed they don't exist - but I could by a sparkly brand new fixed set with a wired-up hand held remote for the cockpit. Not an unreasonable price. I seem to remember. I have the bumph somewhere

 

[Seajet]

I have an emergency aerial which one ties to a boathook or similar if poss and tie that to the pushpit, have tried it when my masthead aerial was giving trouble and it worked well.

Just as well as my waterproof handheld Silva S12 is possibly the worst thing I have ever bought; I made the mistake of ordering it untried, the switchology is the most user-unfriendly counter intuitive I have ever come across, and the squelch is in digital steps - at one level roaring static, one step up everything is cut out !

To the OP, as far as wind direction indicators are concerned by far the best are wool telltale tufts on the shrouds; the masthead windex is most use in locks to show the wind outside, or at night when the masthead light illuminates the reflective bits on the vane.

 

[LadyInBed]

As Robin says, I haven't seen a handheld VHF with the ability to take an aerial lead from the masthead.

H/H's often have a BNC connector to the antenna.
You use a BNC Plug to SO239 Socket Adapter
If it's not BNC, it's easy to make your own adapter.

 

[LadyInBed]

Plugging the handheld into a masthead aerial will I think still only give you 5 or 6 watts output so I don't think it will be anywhere like as powerful as a 25w fixed set.

True, but with low wattage vhf transmission the height of the antenna is probably more important than the power to give you range.

Obviously given the same height, 1w will not give you the range that 25w's will give.

 

[Pleiades]

Radio Ga Ga

Thanks for posting the plug adapter thingy Ladyinbed - that is quite a neat idea - I would not use it for hooking up to the masthead aerial but it could be useful for the emergency vhf aerial which I carry. Cheers,
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[Applescruffs]

THanks for that Guys !

A big thanks for everyone who has responded.

looking at the advice I'll probably leave things as they are, tie a bit of wool to one of the shrouds and hope I never have to use my radio in anger, I've taken on board the advice about checking it out though, that seems like a sensible thing to do.

Ok, off to the bottom of the garden to let off my out of date flares !!

Thanks again.