Re: [Paddlewise] Roger, Wilco. . .

Geo. Bergeron wrote:

(In response to the following:)

> >One expression in amateur radio is a dime on the antenna is worth a
> >dollar on the radio. The rubber duckies used on VHF radios are
> >usually terrible, and evena simple wire antenna hung from a tree would
> >make a dramatic difference.  I'd suggest a Jpole or dipole (made from
> >TV twin lead ) cut for around 160Mhz.

>         There's a lot of discussion flying about in this group about rubber
> ducks, ham sticks, J-pole/Di-pole, ground plane, Mhz. . . and radios. [snip]
> But this radio stuff has got me all Verschimmeinlich. How about some of you
> radio types broadcasting on a band-width I can receive???

I'm with George on this one.  All this sexy stuff the HAM's on this list
describe needs translation into the practical realm of a salt
water-inundated, mobile VHF unit environment.  Here is what would help
me:

1. Reports from people who have been able to substantiate the range of
the universally available 5W hand-held rubber ducky-antenna-equipped VHF
marine radio.  (This is the type of unit 90% of VHF-equipped sea
kayakers own and use.  Antenna modifications (even a telescoping whip)
are a liability on the water, owing to the strong likelihood salt water
will enter the radio and ruin it, unless the unit is completely enclosed
in a *durable* plastic shroud.)  So who has tested these things *in the
field* under the conditions sea kayakers would use a VHF?

A. In the yak, on the water, from yak-to-yak?

B. In the yak, from a yak to a power boat using the standard 8-foot
mast?

C. On the beach, standing up, to either a yak on the water or a power
boat with the 8-foot mast?

D. On the beach, standing up, to another similarly located and equipped
VHF'er?

2. Reports from people who have broadcast FROM THE BEACH using
*simple-to-buy* (or simple-to-make), durable, *radio-safe* antenna
variations which can extend the radio's range *significantly* -- the
kind of use a "pinned down" group might make to let the USCG or the
person holding their float plan know they are safe (or, have an injured
party member needing medical evacuation).

As my contribution:

1. A:  best I can document is about 3 miles, with some landform
interference in my line-of-sight to the other yak. (I've had other times
when I could not raise someone who was about 4 miles away.)

1. B. No experience.

1. C. I've gotten my 3W unit to make a usable, slightly broken
transmission about 8 miles across mostly open water to a *land-based*
8-ft mast.  

1. D. I've gotten my 3W unit to make a usable transmission 4.5 miles
across mostly open water (with only one 150 ft-tall intervening
ridgelet).  The other guy had a 5W unit, and we agreed later the
receptions were basically equivalent.  Another time, we tested 5W and 3W
units, standing up, across a bay, and found good, usable transmissions
at 3 and 5 miles, but NOTHING at 7 miles.  That surprised us. (We tried
a whip on the 3W unit.  It did not change this -- we could not document
any improvement in transmission with the whip.)

2. I got no detectable improvement *in transmissions* using a whip
adjusted to a length apropos for the marine VHF band.  I was warned, by
the highly-regarded marine radio shop from which I bought my ICOM, that
an incorrect antena configuration could *damage the radio.*  I own a
commercially-made dipole on a 6-foot piece of coax which can be tuned to
the marine VHF band, and hung vertically from a tree (or paddle, etc.). 
I think this should improve performance, but have not been able to test
it yet.  A ham sent me some terrific plans for a "narrow beam" antenna
I'd like to try out, but that will have to wait.

Others?
-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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