VHF aerial

[david_e]

The radio reception on the car stereo fitted to my boat is pretty yucky. Haven't had chance to look behind the panel yet but I suspect that the aerial is non existant.

Looking for suggestions or ideas to resolve this, preferably without having to go up the mast to fit a new antenna and miles of cable. Would a decent length of co-ax lead aft suffice, or an aerial fitted at a lower level to say the pushpit near the GPS aerial. I know the likes of BMW don't have car aerials these days so there must be something.

 

[Bodach na mara]

On my last boat I just connected the aerial to one of the stauntion bolts below the deck. It worked fine in the clyde and west coast area which is not that good for radio reception.

Ken Johnson

 

[JerryHawkins]

Get a \'splitter\'

I have a 'splitter' so that my VHF antenna doubles up as the AM/FM radio antenna. The unit is a small box that you fit 'in-line' with the VHF coax and it has a plug on a flying lead to connect your AM/FM radio aerial connector.

My local chandler got one for me (about £25 from memory). Glomex make them (look at http://www.glomex.it/cgi-bin/free/online) part number RA201.

Seems to work OK and does not appear to affect VHF performance at all.

Cheers,

Jerry

 

[vyv_cox]

Easiest is to buy a cheap aerial from your local car parts shop and keep it in a locker. You may well find that a single unscreened wire will work perfectly well, it depends on the location of your instruments relative to the radio. If you have an on-board computer - forget it. The computer emits very powerful interference. Fluorescent lights and solar panels are also a powerful source of interference. These latter don't affect FM very much but LW and MW can be inaudible.

 

[Twister_Ken]

BMW aerial

BMW provides a non-aerial solution by using the elements of the heated rear screen as an signal receptor.

 

[dickh]

Just buy a 'bendy' stub type aerial from yous local car accessory shop and mount it at the rear on the middle pushpit rail - if knocked will bend back and will be semi-protected by the pushpit. works fine on my boat

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[steve_cronin]

Or....

...if you have a "Touring" (estate Fred) then it is bonded onto the nearside rear quarterlight.

Steve Cronin

 

[Chilvers]

Re: Or....

Do you think that having a BMW estate parked in the cockpit might affect the boats handling a bit?

David

 

[brianrunyard]

Re: Get a \'splitter\'

I don't like the idea of introducing extra connections in the VHF antenna, every connector reduces the signal, also more chances of a fault occuring.
For the car radio a length of wire hidden behind the trim will probably work as good as anything.

Brian
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brunyard

 

[Twister_Ken]

Nah

Not the whole thing silly, - you'd only need the middle bit of the dashboard, the rear quarter window, and the front doors and rear trim panels (coz they've got the speakers in).

 

[david_e]

Thanks to all, lots of suggestions to work on before going up the mast. Hopefully will be able to get it done in time for the omnibus edtion of the Archers on Sunday!

 

[Viking]

Got the aerial mount on the top of the GRP combing on the back of the boat and to one side The aerial, plastic coated type, is protected by the pushpit. Good reception even mounted low down even in these deep fjords I sail in.

 

[byron]

Buy a bog standard cheapo stubby car aerial. Plug it in and just leave it dangling out of sight behind the set.
It works for me.

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