Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics
Looks like from the article(s)...
I believe you are referring to
Assessing VHF Marine Band Antenna Performance Using Distant NOAA Weather Radio Broadcasts
continuousWave: Whaler: Reference: Assesing Antennas Performance
...by seeing how well it receives...I could use an alternate NOAA station where I am on the fringe of its coverage area to see if and how well it comes in.
Yes, that is precisely what is suggested in the article.
Reception of long-range NOAA stations is not a complete test of the radio and antenna, but it will show that the antenna is actually connected to the radio and able to receive weak signals. If the antenna were not connected at all, you might be able to receive local signals, but you certainly would not receive weak signals from long distances. If the antenna were connected but there was a short in the connector (which often happens) then you could still hear local stations, but you would not be able to hear distance stations. To make the test for receiving valid, you need to use a distant station whose signal will be marginal. In this way a bad antenna or a receiver of poor sensitivity will reveal itself.
It is typical that you should receive NOAA weather stations at ranges of over 70-miles on occasion. The exact range is hard to predict.
You can test your transmitter with the methods suggested by others. A good test is to arrange in advance a radio check with another cooperating station whose radio and antenna are known to be working properly. If you check with a random station, there is no certainty that the random station will have a radio installation that is up to par or have any idea what sort of range is normal for his radio. When checking with another boat with a 25-watt VHF Marine Band radio and a decent antenna installation where the antenna base is about seven feet or more above water level, you should find that it is possible to communicate at a range of at least five miles and up to 15 miles (or more), depending on the intervening terrain and conditions. Do not attempt test transmissions with your radio with local stations, that is, stations closer than five miles. In many cases you can communicate with local stations at a range of a mile or two even with an antenna or transmitter that is not operating properly. Testing with stations that are too close gives very misleading results.
