Which VHF antenna without cable

[slawosz]

Hi,
as I will drop the mast, I would like to buy new antenna. I will buy better cable myself (RG8X or RG213), and wondering if there is some particullar antenna that YBW recommends.
I see that glomex has good choice of them, but I ma wondering how much loss I would get with all of their adapters. The goal is to replace current old cable with in deck connectors with one lenght of cable from top of the mast to the radio. I might just get a new cable, but I am not sure if current antenna has any socket or the cable is attached without plug (current antenna is common antenna with windex.).

 

[Boathook]

If you do renew the cable allow some slack inside so you can cut and re-join the cable if the mast needs to come down again.

 

[oldgit]

"I would like to buy new antenna. "
You really will get exactly what you pay for.
The actual difference in TX Rx performance will be virtually undetectable by the user, for a while at least.
All you are ever buying is bit of very ordinary wire kept vertical by a bit of white tube.
The more expensive stuff will have a glassfibre tube with decent quality connections and probably a stainless or at the least a metal very heavily chromed base.
Any cable attached will use decent RG58 (length possibly tuned) with lots of braiding along with multi stranded centre core.

The cheap antenna will be a bit of plastic tube with a plastic base and hopefully cable with a few strands of braid in there somewhere.
The tube will eventually leach out all the plasticizer and then become brittle then wind movement will ensure that water will get into the antenna via longitudinal cracks.
On Mobo, not that onerous to replace but on top of yacht mast ?

 

[slawosz]

I am currently inclined to buy this set:
Glomex Glomeasy VHF Antenna 90cm Stainless Steel
Glomex Glomeasy RG8X Low Loss Coaxial Cable FME 12m
Seems to be good quality and bit better cable.
I am also thinking about this: Shakespeare MD20N Extra Heavy Duty 0.93m Stainless Steel VHF Whip Antenna (818-MD20N)
But then it will get expensive.

 

[wonkywinch]

I'm doing the same job next week. The cable has a connector join in the cabin at the base of the mast but I plan to run a new cable from the mast head to the antenna distributor behind the radio, leaving slack for future mast removal.

I've chosen this cable, half the price of Glomex and will fit my own connectors (heat shrink covered at antenna end).

ULTRAFLEX 7 - Messi & Paoloni Coax Cable

 

[jdc]

I bought the Glomex antenna and Glomeasy RG8X cable and am very pleased with it: SWR very low (<1.1) and the Glomeasy connection system seems excellent. Although you are paying for pre-made connectors which you could in principle do yourself, it's jolly convenient to have a well made connector done for you at the top of the mast (18m up in my case). In Falmouth I receive CG broadcasts from Falmouth (of course), but also from CROSS Corsen, Milford and Solent, and sometimes even Rosslare.

 

[slawosz]

I ended up buying this antenna: Shakespeare MD20N Extra Heavy Duty 0.93m Stainless Steel VHF Whip Antenna (818-MD20N) and this cable: High quality RG8X 50 ohm Aerial/Antenna cable
Cable connected directly from antenna to radio. Very good reception.

 

[pmagowan]

I used a Metz antenna of SaltyJohn fame but he no longer supplies. Works well.

 

[Sandy]

Like @pmagowan I use a Metz purchased from SaltyJohn. He has retired, but Metz antenna are available from Seasthedaymarine.

Metz is a bit more expensive, but I have been impressed with its range and a windex is available.

 

[Aja]

I used a Metz antenna of SaltyJohn fame but he no longer supplies. Works well.

I also have a Metz antenna from @SaltyJohn. Can't remember what co-ax I eventually went with but it was the one recommended on here. Five years later I have no complaints and what seems to be excellent reception. Don't use the VHF to transmit much these days....