I'd like to have TV reception at the slip, but am not interested in adding an antenna and associated cable to the mast. Last season I used inexpensive rabbit ears from radio shack. I was wondering if anyone has tried this antenna and if it is worth the price.
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Absolutely!
That's the "Boatenna". Much, much better than rabbit ears! It works both VHF and UHF channels. I've hooked up the rabbit ears, then hooked up the Boatenna from same location, same time. For the $80-90 it's definitely worth it! It improves rabbit ears about 300%. Not a permanent mount; you have to haul it up the mast on a halyard.
That's the "Boatenna". Much, much better than rabbit ears! It works both VHF and UHF channels. I've hooked up the rabbit ears, then hooked up the Boatenna from same location, same time. For the $80-90 it's definitely worth it! It improves rabbit ears about 300%. Not a permanent mount; you have to haul it up the mast on a halyard.
Make your own ....
66" length of small copper tube bent 'almost' into a circle. Leave a 6" gap in the circle to hold the gap open with rubber tube. Connect one side of a 300 ohm lead to each end of the copper; then. terminate into a matching transformer and then to small diameter coax (Radio Shack Stuff). Cost about $18.00. You just have to figure a way to 'rope-up' a cradle so that it stays horizontal when you raise it. Its called a "6-66" antenna .... I'm sure you can 'google' it if the above is not clear.
66" length of small copper tube bent 'almost' into a circle. Leave a 6" gap in the circle to hold the gap open with rubber tube. Connect one side of a 300 ohm lead to each end of the copper; then. terminate into a matching transformer and then to small diameter coax (Radio Shack Stuff). Cost about $18.00. You just have to figure a way to 'rope-up' a cradle so that it stays horizontal when you raise it. Its called a "6-66" antenna .... I'm sure you can 'google' it if the above is not clear.
NO, of course NOT
it you are close to a major city they might work. Anywhere else they are useles. Antennas work using line of site. They higher up they are the better they work. Stick an antenna at the top of your mast and see how good it works...
it you are close to a major city they might work. Anywhere else they are useles. Antennas work using line of site. They higher up they are the better they work. Stick an antenna at the top of your mast and see how good it works...
I can't seem to find instructions on the site
or on Google. Do either of you by chance have a link?
or on Google. Do either of you by chance have a link?
Boatenna looks like it work work
Seems like a good idea. I don't think you need instructions. You just pull it up the mast...
Seems like a good idea. I don't think you need instructions. You just pull it up the mast...
Info
For a non TV tech type,what is the significance of the 6" gap and the 66" length of copper? How does it work? Also what tube diameter is needed? Thanks.
For a non TV tech type,what is the significance of the 6" gap and the 66" length of copper? How does it work? Also what tube diameter is needed? Thanks.
Bowtrash
The gap allow the antenna to be balanced electrically with the twin lead 2 conductor feedline. The overall length relates to the wavelength of the signal(s), i.e., it corresponds approximately to a multiple of the frequency of the TV signals. The tube diameter is irrelevant. The problems with this type antenna is in the feedline - must be 300 ohm twinlead which is inherently subject to interaction with nearby metallic objects, especially ones like a mast. Also, the 300 ohm line must be terminated with 50 ohm coax connected via a matching transformer before connection to the TV. The lengths of each (coax and twinlead) also are fairly critical to ensure a proper match and can't be precisely calculated unless you know the electical velocity factor of both. Sorry you asked?
The gap allow the antenna to be balanced electrically with the twin lead 2 conductor feedline. The overall length relates to the wavelength of the signal(s), i.e., it corresponds approximately to a multiple of the frequency of the TV signals. The tube diameter is irrelevant. The problems with this type antenna is in the feedline - must be 300 ohm twinlead which is inherently subject to interaction with nearby metallic objects, especially ones like a mast. Also, the 300 ohm line must be terminated with 50 ohm coax connected via a matching transformer before connection to the TV. The lengths of each (coax and twinlead) also are fairly critical to ensure a proper match and can't be precisely calculated unless you know the electical velocity factor of both. Sorry you asked?
Don...
75Ω, not 50Ω. Minor, but for impedance matching, it should be 75Ω cable. I might recommend placing the transformer at the feed of the antenna and running the coax cable down the mast. This would help eliminate the interaction between cable and mast. It might help.
75Ω, not 50Ω. Minor, but for impedance matching, it should be 75Ω cable. I might recommend placing the transformer at the feed of the antenna and running the coax cable down the mast. This would help eliminate the interaction between cable and mast. It might help.
Well Paul...
Besides boating, I am an (in)active musician and guitar tube amp repair guy, sort of. Well, I did write a book on how to adjust the idle current in power tubes (known as biasing). I had to use that and other symbols. I got tired of looking them up in the symbol table and just memorized to ones I needed.
Besides boating, I am an (in)active musician and guitar tube amp repair guy, sort of. Well, I did write a book on how to adjust the idle current in power tubes (known as biasing). I had to use that and other symbols. I got tired of looking them up in the symbol table and just memorized to ones I needed.
Rabbit Ears
I attach my rabbit ears to a spare halyard and haul them to the top of the mast...works fine.
I attach my rabbit ears to a spare halyard and haul them to the top of the mast...works fine.
David...
As someone else pointed out, that's a Boatenna. One came with my boat when we bought it. I replaced the 300 ohm cable with 75 ohm coax, using a converter at the ring. I also tie-wrapped the cable and down haul line together to make it less messy to coil up and stow. I have a loop on the bottom end that is snapped around the dorade protector on my cabin top. That allows me to raise it consistantly to the same spot above the first spreaders and tension it so it doesn't strike anything in the wind. At the top of the Bay I can pull in the DC and Baltimore stations as well as public broadcasting from Maryland and 8 & 43 from Pennsylvania. Rabbit ears barely work inside the cabin so I'd say it's a good deal and a lot cheaper than the amplified pods like Shakespeare has. On a stormy day I hang it under the bimini, but the lack of height results in fuzzy pictures on the weaker stations.
As someone else pointed out, that's a Boatenna. One came with my boat when we bought it. I replaced the 300 ohm cable with 75 ohm coax, using a converter at the ring. I also tie-wrapped the cable and down haul line together to make it less messy to coil up and stow. I have a loop on the bottom end that is snapped around the dorade protector on my cabin top. That allows me to raise it consistantly to the same spot above the first spreaders and tension it so it doesn't strike anything in the wind. At the top of the Bay I can pull in the DC and Baltimore stations as well as public broadcasting from Maryland and 8 & 43 from Pennsylvania. Rabbit ears barely work inside the cabin so I'd say it's a good deal and a lot cheaper than the amplified pods like Shakespeare has. On a stormy day I hang it under the bimini, but the lack of height results in fuzzy pictures on the weaker stations.
Disappointing experience
I ordered one of these on Ebay. When it arrived, absolutely nothing had been assembled. It was a "kit," and was not advertised that way. Secondly, it is very expensive for what it is - an aluminum ring with insulators and 300 ohm cable. You could go to the hardware store and built 20 of them for the same cost. Performance is no better than rabbit ears and at least you can adjust the rabbit ears without lowering a halyard. Maybe in remote places the height gives you a performance advantage, but not in my metro area. Also, mine arrived with a manufacturing defect (undrilled holes) and the manufacturer did nothing to remedy the problem. I had to resort to my own fix. I'd pass on this one if I had it to do over again.
I ordered one of these on Ebay. When it arrived, absolutely nothing had been assembled. It was a "kit," and was not advertised that way. Secondly, it is very expensive for what it is - an aluminum ring with insulators and 300 ohm cable. You could go to the hardware store and built 20 of them for the same cost. Performance is no better than rabbit ears and at least you can adjust the rabbit ears without lowering a halyard. Maybe in remote places the height gives you a performance advantage, but not in my metro area. Also, mine arrived with a manufacturing defect (undrilled holes) and the manufacturer did nothing to remedy the problem. I had to resort to my own fix. I'd pass on this one if I had it to do over again.
Just threw one in the Bay.
We had made arrangements to take our h320 this past Friday to be hauled out and have its bottom painted. For the previous two weeks the weather had been perfect but the day that we had to move the boat across the bay (11nm) there was a cold front coming through. We hit the Bay with a westerly wind in our nose of 25 knots. At the motoring speed of 1.5 knots it was going to be a long trip so we fully deployed the working jib and altered our course to the NW. We were now motor sailing at 5.5 knots. We started geeting rain bands and I turned our TV receiver on the inverter to check out the local weather radar. It showed a band over us and another one to come and then it would start clearing. About an hour into the tack we started approaching shallow waters and the need to tack to the SW. As we slowly tacked the boat the jib came violently across and knocked off the TV antenna from its mount in the mast. It hit the deck and went into the water. Although it was floating it was determined it has suffered enough damage not to be useful so we continued on. We were now on this tack facing a headsea which slowed our progress to 3.5 knots. Every 6 waves we were burying our bow on the water. The 2nd band passed and the winds went down to 15 knots and the seas settled down so we rolled the jib and motored straight to our mark. We are now considering getting satellite TV with XM weather.
We had made arrangements to take our h320 this past Friday to be hauled out and have its bottom painted. For the previous two weeks the weather had been perfect but the day that we had to move the boat across the bay (11nm) there was a cold front coming through. We hit the Bay with a westerly wind in our nose of 25 knots. At the motoring speed of 1.5 knots it was going to be a long trip so we fully deployed the working jib and altered our course to the NW. We were now motor sailing at 5.5 knots. We started geeting rain bands and I turned our TV receiver on the inverter to check out the local weather radar. It showed a band over us and another one to come and then it would start clearing. About an hour into the tack we started approaching shallow waters and the need to tack to the SW. As we slowly tacked the boat the jib came violently across and knocked off the TV antenna from its mount in the mast. It hit the deck and went into the water. Although it was floating it was determined it has suffered enough damage not to be useful so we continued on. We were now on this tack facing a headsea which slowed our progress to 3.5 knots. Every 6 waves we were burying our bow on the water. The 2nd band passed and the winds went down to 15 knots and the seas settled down so we rolled the jib and motored straight to our mark. We are now considering getting satellite TV with XM weather.
Antenae..
Buy a DVD Player or break out the LapTop and watch a DVD instead of normal TV...you'll suffer less brain melt. Seriously,I've used this in my urban (South Of Houston Texas About 15 Miles)area and had mixed results..works good at times..not so good at other times.Does work great on myFM Stereo reception though.But,I got mine free..came with the boat when I bought it.>>>Good Luck David
Buy a DVD Player or break out the LapTop and watch a DVD instead of normal TV...you'll suffer less brain melt. Seriously,I've used this in my urban (South Of Houston Texas About 15 Miles)area and had mixed results..works good at times..not so good at other times.Does work great on myFM Stereo reception though.But,I got mine free..came with the boat when I bought it.>>>Good Luck David
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