Mast head antenna installation

timebandit · Apr 20, 2012

You can just see the antena mount, it is just a angle bracket mounted on the front of the mast.

The fitting is a coupler that is mounted with a nut and then the antena is just screwed on, usually before the mast is raised.

Bob McL · Apr 20, 2012

The windex extension should go up and down when the mast is on the boat being trailered and not add length. As for the antenna, just remove it during transportation and remount at launch

Chris & Lenore · Apr 20, 2012

Wish I read this before you ordered parts. I don't have a picture handy but have a solution that I like - simple and robust.

I purchased the windex model that mounts ON the antenna - no supporting structure required - simple and strong. Also, it removes in a couple seconds - leaving nothing fragile exposed to the wind when trailering.

Then, I pulled the mast cap and drilled it so the antenna bolts through it. The loading coil has a nut that can be removed and reinstalled on the other side of the cap.
This places the coax out of water and UV, so it tends to perform better/longer.
A windex light can also be mounted to the cap, if you sail at night.

My anchor light mounts off to one side and sits just below where the windex swings on top of the antenna loading coil. Seems like it might be obstructed but I have rowed around the boat at night and it's visible 360.

Something to think about - many ways to skin the cat.

Chris

Sumner · Apr 21, 2012

Mic Jones said:
Do you trailer with 3 foot of antenna sticking past the mast?

Mic

We did to Florida and back with no problems. We also have....

...the windex on the antenna and so far like it. The picture above is with the mast down and you can see the small bungee, left arrow, used while trailering to keep it from spinning. We had no problems, but the solar panels might or might not give some protection from the wind. We also trailer about 60-65.

More here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-42.html

Sum

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Cruiser1 · Apr 21, 2012

Just as an extra alternative version. 1st photo is my set up until now. I am in the process of installing an anchor light on top of the mast cap and the second photo shows the anchor light fitted to the mast cap but not yet back on top of the mast. My Windex has a 'dog leg' in it, to set it back from the mast a little. You will notice in the first photo that my Metz aerial base is mounted about 280mm down from the mast cap but that that does not seem to impair trasmission or reception. My masthead light (not in the pictures) is mounted about 1.5m down from the top of the mast.

Hollyweirdos · Apr 22, 2012

I wish I had a masthead fitting like those! Anyone know where I can get one? My mast just ends with an aluminum cap.

timebandit · Apr 22, 2012

Hahaha!

My mast did not even have a mast cap.

Whittled a plug out of a board and water proofed it.

The Windex mount is just a flat piece of alum. cut from and old computer case.

Cruiser1 · Apr 22, 2012

Hollyweirdos said:
I wish I had a masthead fitting like those! Anyone know where I can get one? My mast just ends with an aluminum cap.

Not sure which bits you are referring to. Mine boat has a standard aluminium alloy mast top cap (my anchor light in the photo is bolted onto that cap). A little stainless bar about 5/8" wide and 7" long is screwed onto that cap and holds the Windex. The other thing at the top of the mast (same as Sumner's) is what I thought was known as a spinnaker crane but Blue Water Yachts have it listed as a "Chicken Head" http://bwyachts.com/BWYParts/PartsList.htm. The back stay fits to the outer end of it and it is used to mount various other blocks and pulleys.

Not sure what spinnakers and chickens have to do with backstays

, but others may be able to elaborate. I imagine the spinnaker crane would fit around the other direction and keep the spinnaker head block away from a mast head attached forestay and that the thing could be seen to look like a chicken's head sticking out - my best guess.

timebandit · Apr 23, 2012

Chicken head fitting helps move the back stay so that the top of the main sail clears the stay.

shogue1253 · May 4, 2012

I just saw this post and I am most interested in the mast head. We have a 26X and want to install an anchor light and a VHF antenna. Did you install these things or were they already on the mast..

timebandit · May 4, 2012

I installed mine.

Cruiser1 · May 4, 2012

shogue1253 said:
I just saw this post and I am most interested in the mast head. We have a 26X and want to install an anchor light and a VHF antenna. Did you install these things or were they already on the mast..

When I purchcased my boat, about 2 years ago, the WIndex Vane and VHF aerial where already on the mast. I have just recently installed the anchor light on the mast cap - running a single active wire up from the switch board and continuing the negative wire up from the masthead light (located about 4' down from the top of the mast). The anchor light bulb is an LED - it has about 20 LED's and draws about 0.15 amps.

shogue1253 · May 4, 2012

timebandit said:
I installed mine.

Where did you order your cap, anchor light and VHF Antenna

oreana123 · May 5, 2012

Just a contrary view:

The hand held radios made today are excellent (example $89 for a waterproof rechargeable FLOATING hand held with ac and dc charging).

Effective radiated power is reduced by any 90 degree bends from the back of the permanent mount all the way to the antenna. Effective radiated power is much reduced at the disconnect at the base of the mast.

My number one bugaboo- weight aloft. Every pound on the end of the lever arm that is your mast, well.......

One of the best compromises is an antenna that attaches to your stern rail and connects to your hand held (the antennas screw on and off easily).

Now add the corrosion present in the marine environment, give it 6 months, now disassemble your antenna cable components at the mast base. Voila!

Again I ask if the EFFECTIVE radiated power losses are worth the mast head installation. Just saying......

Don S/V ILLusion · May 5, 2012

oreana123 said:
Just a contrary view:

The hand held radios made today are excellent (example $89 for a waterproof rechargeable FLOATING hand held with ac and dc charging).

Effective radiated power is reduced by any 90 degree bends from the back of the permanent mount all the way to the antenna. Effective radiated power is much reduced at the disconnect at the base of the mast.

My number one bugaboo- weight aloft. Every pound on the end of the lever arm that is your mast, well.......

One of the best compromises is an antenna that attaches to your stern rail and connects to your hand held (the antennas screw on and off easily).

Now add the corrosion present in the marine environment, give it 6 months, now disassemble your antenna cable components at the mast base. Voila!

Again I ask if the EFFECTIVE radiated power losses are worth the mast head installation. Just saying......

I think what you mean is loss when you say "effective radiated power" (ERP) which is not the correct term.

Also, this argument completely ignore the line of sight advantage of higher antennas, the inherent loss of all short handheld antennas, greatly exaggerates the effect of bends in coax (which create no loss unless the coax is damaged), the loss in connectors which is negligible if properly weather proofed and soldered and the typically higher output power of a fixed mount radio connected to a masthead antenna compared with a handheld.

Sumner · May 5, 2012

oreana123 said:
Just a contrary view:

The hand held radios made today are excellent (example $89 for a waterproof rechargeable FLOATING hand held with ac and dc charging).

Effective radiated power is reduced by any 90 degree bends from the back of the permanent mount all the way to the antenna. Effective radiated power is much reduced at the disconnect at the base of the mast.

My number one bugaboo- weight aloft. Every pound on the end of the lever arm that is your mast, well.......

One of the best compromises is an antenna that attaches to your stern rail and connects to your hand held (the antennas screw on and off easily).

Now add the corrosion present in the marine environment, give it 6 months, now disassemble your antenna cable components at the mast base. Voila!

Again I ask if the EFFECTIVE radiated power losses are worth the mast head installation. Just saying......

Our Mac came with a VHF with the antenna on the stern and it worked pretty well most places we went. On Lake Powell we couldn't get NOAA weather at times (not on the handheld either). We left that radio as a backup and installed one with DSC and a masthead antenna with hopes of better reception......

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-42.html

... and it did better in Florida when we were down in the remote SW coast. We will find out if it helps at Lake Powell with its deep canyons in the future. I guess it depends on where you are sailing.

I wouldn't consider a radio now without DSC for safety if I was out on a body of water of any size.

We also needed a newer radio for the Endeavour and for $240 found a Standard Horizon that not only has the DSC but also has AIS built into it and doesn't need a second antenna for that feature. That could be a life saver out in shipping lanes. If you buy a radio and later want to add AIS it will probably cost about $300 by itself. The radio is a great deal in my opinion.

John is a racer and we aren't, so the little added weight up there doesn't bother us, but I can see where it counts for some,

Sum

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Mast head antenna installation

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