VHF Radio advise

[Gemini]

I have 2 radios on board Shipmate 8300 and an ICOM M59, up to recently both have worked correctly .
I normally have the s Shipmate on and the ICOM switched off
On Saturday whilst out the Shipmate was on scan and picking up traffic broadcasts local to the marine once about 2 miles out it stopped receiving on the scan or any channel TX was indicating when trying to transmit, but no response, but all looked OK display wise

I turned the Shipmate off and the ICOM on which picked up scan signal and transmitted and received. all OK

Once back in the marine the Shipmate worked OK,

The weather bet me on Sunday to get to the Aerials to investigate, so before I start stripping the panels off etc can any one offer any pointers.

There are 2 - 2.4m Aerials on the arch, would these be 1 of each radio.
Both the aerial are on RG Plug and sockets the outer jacket on the cables are cracked and in poor condition with the Co-ax exposed and broken in some places UV Damage I guess

Looking at the aerials one sounds solid when tapped, the other sounds like its de-laminated inside and vibrates .

Is there any way to test the Aerials ? or the output from the radio's.

Thanks in advance

 

[Barry Jones]

Can you disconnect the aerial from the back of the radio and swop them over.
See if the fault switches to the Icom.

Sounds like you need new aerials/feeder.

 

[Wiggo]

Grotty cabling will usually let a VHF receive fine but not transmit. Almost certainly you are set up with one antenna per radio, so you could try swapping the cables over, but if they're old, it may be worth remaking the RG plug connections in any event.

 

[vandy]

when you are too close to a marina or powerful radio station, your ship radio even without antenna may receive the signals.

Your problems seems to be with a loose connection between your antenna and the cable, probably next to where it is mounted.

If you are in Brighton, the guy in Eurotek Marine is quite helpful, take your radio with him and he does usually test it for free.

 

[AndieMac]

I've found the Shipmate 8300 to be the most unreliable radios ever experienced.
The two that were on a vessel locally, never performed consistantly over the last six years, from shutting down randomly to not responding to key pad touch, even after repair attempts were made.
They have been replaced with new Icom 411.