Re: Antennas, FM and VHF
I belive in a good antenna. If your going to save money save it on the radio but buy a good antenna. I have helped lots of people solve their radio problems when we go to the ocean. About 90 percent of the time it turn out to be a bad antenna.<br /><br />I should note that most of the gear I have worked on is at a launch site for ocean fishing. Saltwater boaters need a stiff antenna with stainless steel base and a brass or copper core.<br /><br />The cheaper antennas may have a nylon base and a very felexable antenna. Shakespea 497 was my first. Worked good for almost one year then started having strange problems. Always seamed to work when I had a swr meter out. I was beginning to think it was the radio then the nylon mount broke as sea. Glued it and put a hose clamp on the mount for the rest of the trip. When got home bought a Shakespeare 5225 and it more then doubled what I could here and who could here me, no more problems. You get what you pay for.<br /><br />Cheap antennas will have RG58 coax, some actually use the coax as the radiator up in the antenna. It just a peice of tuned COAX.<br /><br />Better antennas will have Low loss RX8 Coax, have a brass or copper rod for a radiator. Last longer and perform better.<br /><br />Yes a 8 foot 6DB gain antenna is right for a 19 foot boat. Range will be about 5 miles. Talking to another like boat will work up to about 10 miles. Talking to a shore station like the Coast Guard with high mounted antennas (3000 feet) will work 80 miles or more.<br /><br />Galaxy is a great choice. If you do any salt water or you leave your boat in the water I would get a stainless steel Base. Avoid Nylon Bases, they work and if you cover the mount to keep the sun off when not in use can last a long time but sooner or later that nylon is going to become brittle and crack in the sun.<br /><br />Spliters do work but they also add some loss. For me I would rather listen to a MP3 or AM than a weak FM station. Lots of way to make a FM antenna.
