Yeah, as you can see in the photo, that sucker is sticking up like a knight's lance at a jousting contest. I was looking at the footage from my dash cam rear view and caught the instant the tree branch snapped it off. I was within 1/4 mile of home after pulling it about 30 miles from the dealer. :facepalm:
It turns out that just about any VHF antenna will work. Some are higher quality than others. The 5206-C is an 8' long 6db fiberglass antenna. It works well for communicating with the lock masters on the river here. We do have a lot of coal barges that transit the rivers as well, though the actual need to talk to them is minimal.
Anyway, the 5206-N is very similar and will certainly work as a replacement. It is widely available for around $45.00 on average. However, the threaded base is made of nylon, rather than the aluminum of the 5206-C. I'm not a big fan of the nylon, so I'll be getting a different antenna. Nobody around here carries antennas in stock, so I'm having to order through my local marina. It'll be here on Thursday, so I can change it out then and be ready to hit the river on Saturday.
