where to mount VHF antenna

ziggy

ziggy

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

that's a big boat ya got there. have ya got more than one place that will accept the antenna?
my boat is much smaller and i thought about in the back also. i ended up right at the ft of the bottom of my windshield. further fwd on my boat is higher in the air (i assume that would be the case for your large boat too). from what i get about vhf, the higher the antenna, the better the range. on the ocean, best range would be useful.
 
C

crabby captain john

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

You want it as high as possible if you travel far off shore. A 4' may have longer range if mounted on the roof.
 
A

airshot

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

In my opinion you want the antenna as close to the operator as possible for ease of raising or lowering. I would never attatch a fixed mount or you will be replacing antenna on a regular basis. I have mine attatched to the side of the cabin just within reach of the operator on a swivel mount so I can raise or lower as needed. When lowered it lays on the side deck close to the cabin wall out of the way when entering or exiting the boat. This will also give you the highest mount without putting it on the roof. When mounted upright permanently the operator seems to forget about the antenna especially at a critical time and an 8 ft antenna sticks up there quite a bit.............

Airshot
 
dingbat

dingbat

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

airshot said:
In my opinion you want the antenna as close to the operator as possible for ease of raising or lowering. I would never attatch a fixed mount or you will be replacing antenna on a regular basis. I have mine attatched to the side of the cabin just within reach of the operator on a swivel mount so I can raise or lower as needed. When lowered it lays on the side deck close to the cabin wall out of the way when entering or exiting the boat. This will also give you the highest mount without putting it on the roof. Airshot
Click to expand...
+1.....
 
alldodge

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jayhanig

jayhanig

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

airshot said:
In my opinion you want the antenna as close to the operator as possible for ease of raising or lowering. I would never attatch a fixed mount or you will be replacing antenna on a regular basis. I have mine attatched to the side of the cabin just within reach of the operator on a swivel mount so I can raise or lower as needed. When lowered it lays on the side deck close to the cabin wall out of the way when entering or exiting the boat. This will also give you the highest mount without putting it on the roof. When mounted upright permanently the operator seems to forget about the antenna especially at a critical time and an 8 ft antenna sticks up there quite a bit.............

Airshot
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this. I can't count the number of times I've pulled away from the dock while simultaneously raising the aerial because I'd forgotten to do so until that moment. Having it within reach of the helm on the outside of the side frame of the windshield makes it easy.
 
Capt Sully

Capt Sully

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

Put it on the frame of your canvas top, I have a 4ft HMO type mounted on mine and works just fine. No matter where you mount it, sooner or later you will have a weak signal. It's all line of sight so the higher the better and out of the way. my 2cents
VHF Antenna.jpg
 
wrench 3

wrench 3

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

I never liked the aft location because of electrical interference from the engine. Also it's hard to find a place to lay it down on.
I read somewhere that the antenna should be at least three feet away from people when you are transmitting. It was in an instruction sheet, but I can't remember if it came with a radio or an antenna. So, I always figured the best location was as high as practical on the starboard side, three feet ahead of the operator.
 
ziggy

ziggy

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

I never liked the aft location because of electrical interference from the engine.
Click to expand...
+ on my small boat, folding fwd seemed awkward too.
I read somewhere that the antenna should be at least three feet away from people when you are transmitting. It was in an instruction sheet, but I can't remember if it came with a radio or an antenna.
Click to expand...
agreed, i read the same thing. though i can't remember either. i think it was to keep it away from the transmitter of the radio.
So, I always figured the best location was as high as practical on the starboard side
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agreed, except in my situtation, starboard side was to close. with in 3'. my boat's 19'. port side was only possibility for 3' + antenna location.

i also used the steel mount. probably a good idea to go heavy duty. i'd think lots of stress on it due to antenna height.

edit, whatever ya do. do thru bolt it. and back plate it too. i'm using ss 1/4-20's with ss fender washers as a back plate on 4 thru bolts. i sealed it with silicon sealer. don't know if it was the thing to use, but it don't seem to leak after several years.
 
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alldodge

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

If 3 feet from the operator is a true issue and I'm not saying it is not, just figure if it is true we all need to quit talking on cell phones
 
ziggy

ziggy

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

If 3 feet from the operator is a true issue and I'm not saying it is not, just figure if it is true we all need to quit talking on cell phones
Click to expand...
if my memory serves me right. i think it was to be 3' away from the transmitter for the transmiter to operate properly. imho, w/o going to find and look at the instructions for my radio.....:rolleyes:
edit, i did take this info into consideration prior to my antenna mounting.
 
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H

H20Rat

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

AllDodge said:
If 3 feet from the operator is a true issue and I'm not saying it is not, just figure if it is true we all need to quit talking on cell phones
Click to expand...

Different frequencies, and vastly different power levels!
 
Capt Sully

Capt Sully

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

You would want to place your antenna as far away from you as possible to lessen the rate of RF exposer. But with most marine band radios they only transmit up to 25 watts of RF power which is mostly safe. Different frequencies and power levels do have an effect on RF exposer. A person using a standard analog cellular telephone in the United States will be exposed to between 0.06 and 0.60 watts from about 800 to 900 MHz at a distance of inches the entire time he or she is talking to someone. An amateur radio operator can be exposed to up to 1500 watts of power over a frequency range of 1.6 MHz to several GHz. In the MF and HF frequency ranges (1.6 MHz to 29.7 MHz) which controlled will be safe. Someone with a pacemaker would not want to be close to a antenna transmitting high power and should be at least 8 feet away.
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: where to mount VHF antenna

close to the operator, swivel. Mine's on the frame of the windshield, and it folds down across the windshield so it's not in the way when down. I often keep it down while fishing. By having it on the frame, my 5' mast is 10' off the water.

A folding mast is good for low bridges and trailering.

If you put it on the stern, it will be a grab bar for people climbing in the boat from the platform. Once or twice. Stern lights are frequent victims of docks and grabbers, but a lot cheaper to repair or replace than a fixed mount antenna.
 
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