Mark_VTfisherman
Lieutenant
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2008
- Messages
- 1,489
Several questions here.
First: I have an older Ranger VHF with scan and watch. I got it used. Running a 3db Shakespeare stainless 3' antenna. The antenna was new- got it from a friend who got it free from Cabela's or Gander when he bought a new VHF from them. I soldered the connector myself so can't imagine that is the issue, but it *is* a possibility. I really don't want to replace it if it isn't the issue as I will likely have the same issue with a new radio if it is not the radio itself.....
I also tried to find my antenna on the internet and was unable to do so.
I will tell you my symptoms. It seems to work ok close ranges (withing a hew hundred yards but nothing over 1/4 mile or so). (My handheld Cobra at 3W has miles more range!) People cannot hear me at a distance when I broadcast with the Ranger on 25W. Additionally, in a recent test with a friend, I could not hear him from about a mile away with the Ranger, but picked him up fine on the handheld. Actually, the Ranger showed high receive signal when he hailed me but only white noise came from the speaker. He did hear me but he said it was staticy and unintelligible. Switched back to the handheld and all was fine.
My boat is fiberglass. The antenna came with pre-attached RG-58, loose solder connector, and a 6" long clear jacketed 16ga. wire exiting the antenna mast. I did not connect this wire to anything. I used it because on my 14' closed-bow boat and with the mounting point of the antenna on the front deck there was no good way to lay down my 8' antenna.
Q1: Should I connect this wire to my negative terminal block under the console? Or, run a length of bare copper wire round the perimeter of the bottom side of the bow deck and connect to that?
[note: If part B is a "yes" then why can't I just connect to the aluminum rub-rail base that covers the whole perimeter of my boat?]
Q2: I am blaming the antenna and suspect that un-connected wire (which I think is for a ground-plane connection). I am thinking of this as a solution to the 8' antenna being too long. I am considering installing a PL259 bulkhead fitting on the front deck so that I can mount the 8' 6db antenna while on the water, and then disconnect the antenna coax and remove the antenna completely while trailering. Some pooh-pooh adding a connector saying that will finish off the radio reception completely. How much loss are we talking? Best thing I could come up with in the last two hours was 2-to-5%. But if the 3' 3dB antenna or cable is junk, then the huge improvement by simply taking the 3' antenna out of the mix will make a 5% loss irrelevant. FYI: I plan to buy and solder PL-259s on a length of new/fresh RG-8X between the underside of the fitting and the transceiver. Anyone have solid info and not conjecture or opinion on this proposal?
Lastly, in my tedious last two hours doing a search on iBoats I read the following:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=477054
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=547843
While these and about 12 or 16 other threads have some good info, I feel compelled to mention the idea of "bonding" even on both aluminum and fiberglass trailer boats in fresh water. Not only will bonding insure no static buildup and protect against galvanic corrosion, but if you are a fisherman bonding is critical. Bonding is not creating a ground: it is assuring that nothing besides your negative wire to the battery carries current in your boat! All your electronic's negatives should connect at an isolated terminal block that is actually connected to the battery negative via a heavy ground wire from the battery negative. The bond wire also connects to the battery negative but it doesn't provide an electrical path to any devices. A "hot" boat trolling for salmon or trout can effectively repel fish especially if you are using downriggers. Stray voltage can zap electronics and dissolve zincs in freshwater, too.
Anyway, thank you for the input in advance. There is a lot I know about electricity in boats but I am not an expert in anything antenna-specific.
Mark
First: I have an older Ranger VHF with scan and watch. I got it used. Running a 3db Shakespeare stainless 3' antenna. The antenna was new- got it from a friend who got it free from Cabela's or Gander when he bought a new VHF from them. I soldered the connector myself so can't imagine that is the issue, but it *is* a possibility. I really don't want to replace it if it isn't the issue as I will likely have the same issue with a new radio if it is not the radio itself.....
I also tried to find my antenna on the internet and was unable to do so.
I will tell you my symptoms. It seems to work ok close ranges (withing a hew hundred yards but nothing over 1/4 mile or so). (My handheld Cobra at 3W has miles more range!) People cannot hear me at a distance when I broadcast with the Ranger on 25W. Additionally, in a recent test with a friend, I could not hear him from about a mile away with the Ranger, but picked him up fine on the handheld. Actually, the Ranger showed high receive signal when he hailed me but only white noise came from the speaker. He did hear me but he said it was staticy and unintelligible. Switched back to the handheld and all was fine.
My boat is fiberglass. The antenna came with pre-attached RG-58, loose solder connector, and a 6" long clear jacketed 16ga. wire exiting the antenna mast. I did not connect this wire to anything. I used it because on my 14' closed-bow boat and with the mounting point of the antenna on the front deck there was no good way to lay down my 8' antenna.
Q1: Should I connect this wire to my negative terminal block under the console? Or, run a length of bare copper wire round the perimeter of the bottom side of the bow deck and connect to that?
[note: If part B is a "yes" then why can't I just connect to the aluminum rub-rail base that covers the whole perimeter of my boat?]
Q2: I am blaming the antenna and suspect that un-connected wire (which I think is for a ground-plane connection). I am thinking of this as a solution to the 8' antenna being too long. I am considering installing a PL259 bulkhead fitting on the front deck so that I can mount the 8' 6db antenna while on the water, and then disconnect the antenna coax and remove the antenna completely while trailering. Some pooh-pooh adding a connector saying that will finish off the radio reception completely. How much loss are we talking? Best thing I could come up with in the last two hours was 2-to-5%. But if the 3' 3dB antenna or cable is junk, then the huge improvement by simply taking the 3' antenna out of the mix will make a 5% loss irrelevant. FYI: I plan to buy and solder PL-259s on a length of new/fresh RG-8X between the underside of the fitting and the transceiver. Anyone have solid info and not conjecture or opinion on this proposal?
Lastly, in my tedious last two hours doing a search on iBoats I read the following:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=477054
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=547843
While these and about 12 or 16 other threads have some good info, I feel compelled to mention the idea of "bonding" even on both aluminum and fiberglass trailer boats in fresh water. Not only will bonding insure no static buildup and protect against galvanic corrosion, but if you are a fisherman bonding is critical. Bonding is not creating a ground: it is assuring that nothing besides your negative wire to the battery carries current in your boat! All your electronic's negatives should connect at an isolated terminal block that is actually connected to the battery negative via a heavy ground wire from the battery negative. The bond wire also connects to the battery negative but it doesn't provide an electrical path to any devices. A "hot" boat trolling for salmon or trout can effectively repel fish especially if you are using downriggers. Stray voltage can zap electronics and dissolve zincs in freshwater, too.
Anyway, thank you for the input in advance. There is a lot I know about electricity in boats but I am not an expert in anything antenna-specific.
Mark
