[Paddlewise] VHF Antenna

	G'day Mike...  thanks for the math!   I forgot to measure my stripback at
the weekend,  but if I have 17 inches plus, I must have biased the antenna
towards the higher frequencies in the marine band...

	I forgot to mention in my earlier post that this set up is VERY prone to
corrosion problems unless you take care to seal the BNC connexion and of
course the exposed conductor elements.  Heatshield would be OK I guess.
Depends how much fiddling you want to do.  All that exposed conductor very
quickly 'goes off' unless it is absolutely protected against the elements...
and of course the efficiency of the antenna is immediately compromised with
corrosion.  And the corrosion 'climbs' along the conductor inside the
outside sheath.

	As a windup emergency antenna kept in a drybag though it is a viable
alternative, especially if you want to get your transmit signal higher than
your typical half metre above sea level which you get sitting in a kayak,
with a handheld.  I have experimented with an army surplus whip antenna [
off a tank!] which breaks down into about two foot lengths.  You can
temporarily tape your coax to that and mount it  to get a 20foot  antenna.
I have successfully transmitted around forty miles along a coastline between
my kayak and a shore station with such a rig.  Not bad for a five watt
handheld VHF.  All good fun, but for most occasions,  the little rubber
ducky is fine.
	At the weekend PeterO and I did a little experimenting with handhelds and I
was suprised how well we were able to talk to each other even with a
headland in the way.

Regards, Peter Rattenbury, Wollongong.
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