What it this? an old Antenna?

[Jonti]

Hi - I think this is some kind of old Ariel antenna? I have a long VHF antenna on top of mast. This one sticks out of roof and I’m not entirely sure what it is for - just wondered if anyone has seen something like this before? Perhaps for old entertainment radio / cassette- ? It’s very difficult to trace cable unfortunately.

 

[Boathook]

Hi - I think this is some kind of old Ariel antenna? I have a long VHF antenna on top of mast. This one sticks out of roof and I’m not entirely sure what it is for - just wondered if anyone has seen something like this before? Perhaps for old entertainment radio / cassette- ? It’s very difficult to trace cable unfortunately.

Looks like a dummy load aerial for testing a radio. Does it unscrew from the deck fitting ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Looks like a dummy load aerial for testing a radio. Does it unscrew from the deck fitting ?

I can’t imagine for one moment that someone would go to the trouble of putting a dummy load mounted on the coach roof. There’s absolutely no point in doing it.

I think the fitting looks remarkably like a car radio aerial fitting.

Perhaps the aerial is broken off or somebody’s put some mangled version of an aerial on it. I’d be interested to see what’s on the other end of the wire attached to the underneath.

 

[William_H]

It looks me like that cable connection at the base is a plane lug with a stout single wire attached. ie not coax. OP can confirm. So the connection cable would be part of the antenna. Makes me think it an antenna for HF (short wave) or LF medium/long wave reception. In that case long antenna is best so long whip or wire up to mast. It also might mean that a radio is still working using the cable as antenna. if it is if fact coax cable connected then a VHF antenna base. Worth having as emergency VHF or AIS. A fun mystery. ol'will

 

[Jonti]

Im baffled by it - old vessel, so perhaps part of an old VHF. Thanks for the ideas. I think tomorrow I’ll try and trace it. There is already a large whip antenna on mast / so it might be a left over or perhaps simply the old entertainment car radio aerial as suggested. R Jon

 

[Jonti]

It’s definitely the old entertainment radio antenna. Amazingly after 30+ yrs it still folds down - which is all I really needed it to do as it would end up fowling on new canvas cover.