I'd love to hear which radio people are using that are stronger than 5W that is also handheld, *and* contains a VHF radio. It is next to impossible to pick up weather when out in the Apostle Islands. The Radio Shack route just doesn't seem to work. Any tips? -Patrick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Well... as far as "VHF" goes, I have this neat Yeasu HT that puts out about 6.5 watts... -Oh... You mean "Marine VHF"??? <sorry, couldn't resist> I just bought a Standard, it's five watts also though. -Seems to me when I think about it, that the difference between 5 and 7 watts from a *practical* stand point [note the word "practical"] is not that great. The math escapes me right now, but I do remember the old principle that the antenna is the real key. Anyone rigged up a J-pole for marine VHF and used it on a kayak? I really doubt that if one was in severe need of that extra gain, hooking one up would be, practical, but <shrug> who knows? I'm just a no-code technician... [KB8UZD] <g> Take care, Tom Kirkland, Wa. At 03:11 PM 3/1/98 -0500, Patrick Maun wrote: >I'd love to hear which radio people are using that are stronger than 5W >that is also handheld, *and* contains a VHF radio. It is next to impossible >to pick up weather when out in the Apostle Islands. The Radio Shack route >just doesn't seem to work. Any tips? > >-Patrick > Tom Weese Kirkland, Wa. Three left turns often make a right... <http://www.isomedia.com/homes/gadfly/> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
TomTotem... wrote: > > Well... as far as "VHF" goes, I have this neat Yeasu HT that puts out > about 6.5 watts... -Oh... You mean "Marine VHF"??? <sorry, couldn't > resist> I just bought a Standard, it's five watts also though. > > -Seems to me when I think about it, that the difference between 5 and 7 > watts from a *practical* stand point [note the word "practical"] is not > that great. The math escapes me right now, but I do remember the old > principle that the antenna is the real key. > > Anyone rigged up a J-pole for marine VHF and used it on a kayak? I really > doubt that if one was in severe need of that extra gain, hooking one up > would be, practical, but <shrug> who knows? I'm just a no-code > technician... [KB8UZD] <g> > > Take care, > > Tom Twice the power only ='s 1 "s" unit on the radio or 3db. No Tom, I havn't tried a J-pole on a kayak(which would work very nicely as it needs no ground plane), but you can improve any HT's preformance as you said by changing the antenna. I would think that the 5/8th wave 2M antenna's would work for marine VHF by just shortning the thing a tad. Lets face it, about anything will beat the rubber duck! I have two folding kayaks. One an old "super" folbot. That model is 17.5 feet long and I have made a mount on it that allows me to attach a HF mobile antenna to and work all over the world while only using 5W's(QRP). By changing antenna's(ham sticks) I work 15M through 75M while on the water! A simple 1/4 wave antenna with a ground plane will work good on 2M or the marine VHF band as well! BTW: Tom, there is no such thing as "only" a no code tech!! 73 James *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 06:21 PM 3/1/98 -0800, James Lofton wrote: >Twice the power only ='s 1 "s" unit on the radio or 3db. That's what I was thinking, however I really haven't been on the air since moving to the PNW about a year ago and am [ahem] "rusty..." ;-) snip----> >Lets face it, about anything will beat the rubber duck! <nodding my head with a smile> >I have two folding kayaks. One an old "super" folbot. That model is 17.5 >feet long and I have made a mount on it that allows me to attach a HF >mobile antenna to and work all over the world while only using 5W's(QRP). >By changing antenna's(ham sticks) I work 15M through 75M while on the >water! A simple 1/4 wave antenna with a ground plane will work good on 2M >or the marine VHF band as well! I think I was thinking of that old, um, coax connector <?> with five rods, looked like a star... sheesh! I am rusty... Might be worth looking in some of my books... Thanks for the reminder here-you make it more clear that increasing power a watt or two won't help much. When I lived in Michigan [where "rain" usually means "LIGHTNING"] I initially carried a portable AM/FM radio along with my weather radio. Seems I could always get a broadcast station when I couldn't get NOAA... Eventually I bought the Yeasu FT 50, it gets broadcast bands as well as 2meters and 440, and is actually, [at least once-gulp] water proof. ['nother story] >BTW: Tom, there is no such thing as "only" a no code tech!! Hear Hear! <G> >73 Back at ya... Tom... Tom Weese Kirkland, Wa. Three left turns often make a right... <http://www.isomedia.com/homes/gadfly/> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
The best choice for any marine vhf is a 1/2 wave dipole. It doesn't require a ground planbe which is critical to the operation of the 5/8th and many other vhf antennas.. cya W2PN > Date: Sun, 01 Mar 1998 18:21:29 -0800 > From: James Lofton <n5yyx_at_etsc.net> > To: "TomTotem..." <gadfly_at_isomedia.com> > Cc: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] VHF antennas [was: Weather radios] > you said by changing the antenna. I would think that the 5/8th wave 2M > Bob Denton Vice President Undersea Breathing Systems bob_at_dnax.com http://www.dnax.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
The difference between 5 and 8 wats would probably not be noticible under normal conditions but it may just make the difference between beinglost in the noice and being heard. A vertical 1/2 wave dipole would be the obvious choice for a kayak. But the ability to have a strong signal from shore or camp seems important. Chances are, if your boat is capsized and flooded you antenna isn't going to perform all that well undewater. A 160Mhz loop glassed into the fibreglass may be the answer though... cya AB4SD > > Well... as far as "VHF" goes, I have this neat Yeasu HT that puts out > about 6.5 watts... -Oh... You mean "Marine VHF"??? <sorry, couldn't > resist> I just bought a Standard, it's five watts also though. > > -Seems to me when I think about it, that the difference between 5 and 7 > watts from a *practical* stand point [note the word "practical"] is not > that great. The math escapes me right now, but I do remember the old > principle that the antenna is the real key. > > Anyone rigged up a J-pole for marine VHF and used it on a kayak? I really > doubt that if one was in severe need of that extra gain, hooking one up > would be, practical, but <shrug> who knows? I'm just a no-code > technician... [KB8UZD] <g> > > Take care, > > Tom > > Kirkland, Wa. > > At 03:11 PM 3/1/98 -0500, Patrick Maun wrote: > >I'd love to hear which radio people are using that are stronger than 5W > >that is also handheld, *and* contains a VHF radio. It is next to impossible > >to pick up weather when out in the Apostle Islands. The Radio Shack route > >just doesn't seem to work. Any tips? > > > >-Patrick > > > > Tom Weese > > Kirkland, Wa. > > Three left turns often make a right... > > <http://www.isomedia.com/homes/gadfly/> > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** > > Bob Denton Vice President Undersea Breathing Systems bob_at_dnax.com http://www.dnax.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Patrick Maun wrote: > I'd love to hear which radio people are using that are stronger than 5W > that is also handheld, *and* contains a VHF radio. It is next to impossible > to pick up weather when out in the Apostle Islands. The Radio Shack route > just doesn't seem to work. Any tips? The biggest problem with all hand-held radios is that they have crummy antennas. Those little "rubber ducks" are very lossy and have extrememly poor transmit *and* receive performance. The first thing you could do to make them work better would be to stash the duck and replace it with a simple whip antenna approximately 14" long. That's an electrical quarter wave at 170MHz, which should cover WX and Marine bands well. Even better would be a mast with a real marine antenna attached to your boat. You could even put a radar reflector on the tip of the mast if you wanted. A proper half wave vertical would do wonders. I've never experiemented with marine VHF, but using a halfway decent antenna on a friend's sailboat on the amateur 2M band (146MHz, which is pretty close) we were able to cover hundreds of miles in good conditions with 25 watts. -- mike ---------------------------------------- Michael J Edelman mje_at_mich.com http://www.mich.com/~mje http://www.mich.com/~mje/kayak.html http://www.mich.com/~mje/scope.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I use the Standard VHF..5 watts, waterproof and $199. 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 froma tree would make a dramatic difference. I'd suggest a Jpole or dipole (made from TV twin lead ) cut for around 160Mhz. > I'd love to hear which radio people are using that are stronger than 5W > that is also handheld, *and* contains a VHF radio. It is next to impossible > to pick up weather when out in the Apostle Islands. The Radio Shack route > just doesn't seem to work. Any tips? > > -Patrick > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** > > Bob Denton Vice President Undersea Breathing Systems bob_at_dnax.com http://www.dnax.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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