RE: [Paddlewise] Laser flares - cell phones, lessons learned

From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 06:40:04 +1000
Bruce wrote
>I have a small ham transceiver that's the size of a paperback
>book, but it needs a wire antenna of at least 22 feet.

G'Day Bruce,

Sounds neat. Is it a home made unit or commercial? Are similar units
available for marine frequencies, with a minimum numer of hand controls?

I'm of the impression that it is inefficient but not disastrous to use short
aerials, if necessary with baluns, in low power transmitters. For example
they are sometimes used in healthcare and for tracking animals.

Peter Rattenbury and I recently demonstrated that transmitter power wasn't
the issue with on water kayak communication using VHF. At least in our
location it was cliffs getting in the way. Whether we used 1W or 5W didn't
seem to matter.

I think one of the reasons hand held HF radios are not available in
recreational boating is because they are too complicated. Particularly with
regard to appropriate frequency selection. But nowadays it should be
possible to make HF radios more user friendly.

All the best, PeterO
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Received on Wed Jun 09 2004 - 13:43:52 PDT

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