VHF antenna for lowrance
- Thread starter Magspec
- Start date
Hookin'up
Well-Known Member
8' shakespear heavy duty will work fine,
dont forget a swivel base if your trailering you'll want to lay it down,
and if you have to cut and install the ends yourself make sure they are soldered on and not the solderless type
or you'll have issues down the road
dont forget a swivel base if your trailering you'll want to lay it down,
and if you have to cut and install the ends yourself make sure they are soldered on and not the solderless type
or you'll have issues down the road
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casper5280
Crew Member
Taller the antenna the better the signal. Never know one day it my save your life
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
ya you can get short flexible ones that work perfect on your radar arch. If you put a 8' glass antenna on your radar arch you're just going to crack it in half in rough weather.
http://www.boating.com/boat-store/s...profile-ais-stainless-steel-whip-antenna.html
Secretpursuit
Member
Have a look at the Shakespeare Phase III antenna's. They are used by the Coast Guard on the inflatables. Have a pair of four foot 4db on my 25 CC and there range is good. there is as it has been said no substitute for a long antenna. They come in both 4, 8 & 16 footers with varying db ratings. On your length of boat 8 would be the max ( 6db rating). Due to design make sure what ever antenna you choose is pointed straight up in the air to be most effective. The week link with any radio installation is the antenna. A good antenna will make a low end VHF work well.
Peahead
Well-Known Member
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...iew?langId=-1&storeId=11151&page=VHF-Antennas
The sailboat mast antennas are great for smaller boats too however because the shorter lenght/lower gain they transmit a wider beam. They are best for a boat that is rolling as the signal is wide and won't fade in and out as much as the boat rolls in the waves - the drawback is less distance transmitting:.
Here is a quote from the site above:
Selection criteria:
dB Rating
An antenna’s dB rating (or antenna gain) indicates the apparent increase in transmitting power due to its ability to focus energy. Antennas with a high dB rating concentrate energy perpendicular to the antenna shaft in a field that is shaped like a disk. This makes your radio signal appear stronger to receiving stations around you.
It also reduces the amount of energy transmitted above or below the antenna, which can be a problem if your boat is pitching or rolling in seas. A concentrated signal can actually fade in and fade out as the boat rolls and pitches. As the dB rating of the antenna increases, so does the height of the antenna, but the horizontal angle diminishes. The broad radiation pattern from a low dB antenna allows a sailboat to heel over and still send signals toward the horizon. Sailboats should use a 3dB antenna mounted at the top of the mast whenever possible.
The sailboat mast antennas are great for smaller boats too however because the shorter lenght/lower gain they transmit a wider beam. They are best for a boat that is rolling as the signal is wide and won't fade in and out as much as the boat rolls in the waves - the drawback is less distance transmitting:.
Here is a quote from the site above:
Selection criteria:
dB Rating
An antenna’s dB rating (or antenna gain) indicates the apparent increase in transmitting power due to its ability to focus energy. Antennas with a high dB rating concentrate energy perpendicular to the antenna shaft in a field that is shaped like a disk. This makes your radio signal appear stronger to receiving stations around you.
It also reduces the amount of energy transmitted above or below the antenna, which can be a problem if your boat is pitching or rolling in seas. A concentrated signal can actually fade in and fade out as the boat rolls and pitches. As the dB rating of the antenna increases, so does the height of the antenna, but the horizontal angle diminishes. The broad radiation pattern from a low dB antenna allows a sailboat to heel over and still send signals toward the horizon. Sailboats should use a 3dB antenna mounted at the top of the mast whenever possible.
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