Does anyone use a mast mounted antenna with repeater for extending the range of their handheld? Is that a reasonable idea?
-Will (Dragonfly)
-Will (Dragonfly)
I'm confused - where would you put the repeater?Does anyone use a mast mounted antenna with repeater for extending the range of their handheld? Is that a reasonable idea?
-Will (Dragonfly)
I have a Simrad RS35 VHF radio with Simrad HS35 handset that connects via bluetooth to the main unit - that's my repeater. Oh, and I do keep a separate handheld at the helm for backup.Does anyone use a mast mounted antenna with repeater for extending the range of their handheld? Is that a reasonable idea?
I think that's a great choice. You have the range of a masthead antenna and cockpit function. I've posted before that the radio at the nav station is useless for the cockpit. A remote speaker and mic is better and less sensitive to battery issues.@DougM it sounds like you would be a great candidate for a cockpit remote mic/speaker. Its one of the first things I add to every boat I own. Sadly sometime it requires a new radio!
I don't know much about these things, but what I had in mind was a repeater with a masthead antenna. The repeater would work with a duplex connection to a vest mounted handheld. This would give the sailor the power, range and listening sensitivity of a fixed system but the mobility of a handheld. I'm thinking about a solo sailors in an MOB situation. A handheld alone from 0 height above the water would have no more than a quarter mile range depending on the antenna height of the other party. With a repeater on board, the MOB's radio signal would remain just as strong as long as his masthead was within sight. After that, the handheld would revert to a simplex connection and he'd still have that 1/4 mile range or so.I'm confused - where would you put the repeater?
Such a system is common but it's hard to imagine how or why on a boat.
No intention for the bluetooth unit to go overboard with me. That's what the other unit(s) are for. As @Stu Jackson says, the edge of the boat is a 1000 ft cliff - you don't fall off!I may be conconflating two unrelated posts, but bluetooth has a very limited range. Would not be suitable in a MOB situation. Unless you are a very fast swimmer.
Two different, but not unrelated posts.I may be conconflating two unrelated posts,
I don't plan to be an MOB, but I dare say, even MOBs don't plan to be MOBs.As @Stu Jackson says, the edge of the boat is a 1000 ft cliff - you don't fall off!
Good idea. Unfortunately, repeaters require separate transmit and receive frequencies and a duplexer to simultaneously do both. The antenna part is easy but allowing it to do both simultaneously is the part which requires the additional equipment.I don't know much about these things, but what I had in mind was a repeater with a masthead antenna. The repeater would work with a duplex connection to a vest mounted handheld. This would give the sailor the power, range and listening sensitivity of a fixed system but the mobility of a handheld. I'm thinking about a solo sailors in an MOB situation. A handheld alone from 0 height above the water would have no more than a quarter mile range depending on the antenna height of the other party. With a repeater on board, the MOB's radio signal would remain just as strong as long as his masthead was within sight. After that, the handheld would revert to a simplex connection and he'd still have that 1/4 mile range or so.
-Will (Dragonfly)
Yep. I have a small handheld I could take in a ditch bag too. But I do like the H50 handheld and the base station below decks.I also have the Simrad RS35 and HS35 handset (very similar to the B&G V50). It is a very convenient way of getting the full masthead range when at the helm. Early versions of the firmware were pretty buggy (things like intermittently disabling the whole NMEA network), but now those bugs are mostly worked out. The volume range is a little limited, and it wouldn't work as a personal handset if you were separated by the boat, but I greatly prefer it over just having a radio down below, or being limited to the range of a handheld at the helm.