vhf radio question please help

[pinto 21629]

i have a ray jefferson 2600 vhf/fm radio i need a little info about it its old the channel numbers are printed on a plastic disc and i need a little info about getting a ant i dont need a long distance ant i only go on a river mabe a mile or two up or down anchor and do some cat fishing dont want to spend a lot on a ant small budget any help will help

 

[Boatist]

Re: vhf radio question please help

I would get the best antenna you can afford. I like the Shakespeare 5225. It is a 8 ft 6db gain antenna that is known for great performance.<br /><br />You can search here for VHF Marine antenna.<br />I know you said your only going a mile or 2 down the river but how far is it to the nearest Coast Guard station or other site you know monitors channel 16 should you need help. What channels does the radio have. I do not know that model.<br /><br />Ok as far as the antena go most are 50 Ohm 1/2 wave and come with a standard PL259 connector. Since they are 50 ohm Half wave they do not need to be tuned.<br /><br />Chanels you are required to have are 6, 16 but you need at least 22A, 9 and 68. All the new radio's will have all the USA channels and some will also have international channel.<br /><br />With a really good 8 foot 6DB antenna and a 25 watt radio you can expect about 8 to 10 miles boat to boat on the open sea. Calling the Coast Guard out here can be 100 miles or more because their antennas are mounted on top of high moutains. (2000 to 3000 feet) Nice to know you can get help if you spring a leak, have a fire, or the motors just will not start. A good antenna make more difference than a name brand radio but I like ICOM or Standard.<br /><br />Good Luck

 

[pinto 21629]

Re: vhf radio question please help

i looked at a antana where i work at we have a shakespeare 5101 8' 6db gain 49.99 im thinking about getting it what is your opinion on that one

 

[Boatist]

Re: vhf radio question please help

Actually it looks to be a pretty good antenna. It is at least Brass and copper element which is great. Mounting is chrome covered brass and it uses RG-58 coax. I do not know the antenna but the price is good. My only question is how much flex it has. Antenna that flex a lot break down faster than one that does not flex.<br /><br />5225 is also brass and copper element, mounting is stainless steel and coax is RG-8X

 

[markvictor]

Re: vhf radio question please help

Technically it is against FCC rules to operate a shore station without a special permit, not that it makes any difference to me, but make sure it doesn't<br />cause any interference on a neighbor's TV or radio, as that is the most likely cause of a complaint. A tip for your antenna: use a good wax with a U/V blocker on the shaft once or twice a year and you will greatly extend its service life...good luck.

 

[markvictor]

Re: vhf radio question please help

Oh...also you would be better served using one of the antennas that uses RG-8X, the RG-58 has a much higher line loss, especially over longer runs...

 

[Boatist]

Re: vhf radio question please help

I would not worry about having RG-58 Coax. Yes RG-8X does have less loss. If you were running cable 100 feet to the antenna it would make a big difference but if your like most boats will only need 6 to 10 feet of Coax and that is not going to make any noticable difference.

 

[jurgenscraft]

Re: vhf radio question please help

hello, in my experiences, the difference between RG58 and RG8 (RG 213) on vhf antenna systems when the length of coaxial cable has been 3 to 4 meters , has been zero, in my amateur radio home station where the coaxial cables are longer than 20 meters I have noticed a slight difference on tx output power, at the antenna feed point at vhf frequencies, and even more so at uhf frequencies, which of course do no apply to marine band vhf frequencies, but only use enough cable to connect the transmitter to the antenna, long coiled up bits of unused RG58 coaxial cable is a waste of money and may affect transmitter output power.A good rule of thumb is the higher the frequency the higher the losses and the shorter the cable should be, within practical reason,KIND REGARDS AND A VERY MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMASS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL, PEACE AND GOOD WILL TO YOU ALL, GOD BLESS YOU ALL,

 

[jay gravely]

Re: vhf radio question please help

because of loss and possible interference to other boating electronics go with the heavier 213 coax. I run it in my boat for vhf marine.vhf-uhf amateur radios and my APRS system.