VHF Antenna - Deck or Mast Mount

[jamieFL]

I have a future project I'm trying to plan. My VHF is about 20 years old and not in the best condition. The antenna falling apart, is on the transom and in the way, so I'm starting there.

I wanted to move it to the top of the mast, but after a little reading of pros and cons, I'm not sure the work is worth it. First, I cannot find a thru-hull deck connector to place by the mast. I have a deck stepped mast and my boat is currently a trailer sailer.

The other option, would be a temporary antenna that could be set on top of the deck, cable through the companionway, when the radio was needed.

Lastly, I could replace the antenna on the transom. I'm not really interested in that since it was in the way already to begin with.

Are there any other options? What antenna, cable, and mount are recommended that will help make my decision?

 

[Davidasailor26]

Obviously your range will be much greater from the masthead than on the transom. There are calculators to help figure out the difference would be, and it depends on the height of the other station, but the masthead will probably at least double the distance. If you sail on an inland lake with a fixed radius then maybe that doesn't matter, but anywhere along a coast or further I'd want the extra range.

As for the idea of temporarily moving the antenna when you need to use the VHF - that's not really something I'd want to mess with in a mayday situation like a man overboard where seconds count.

 

[rgranger]

... First, I cannot find a thru-hull deck connector to place by the mast. ...

Here is a through-hull connector available right here at this sites shop.

https://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?12741

Here is another one

https://www.wholesalemarine.com/sea...L3Cup_tgr7FNLWRpF6SYaH66hUotJzeRoCVngQAvD_BwE

 

[jamieFL]

Neither of those are shielded and will not work with antenna coaxial cable. Unfortunately, I cannot fine anything like these for VHF.

I use the boat in the Gulf around the Hernando Beach area, down to Tampa Bay. I won't ever be too far from shore.

 

[Brian D]

There are thru-hull glands that you will use, not connectors. If you are using standard RG8X or LMR240, then the 1/4" gland will be the correct size. You will run your cable from the radio, thru the deck gland, then you will terminate the cable with the appropriate connector. You can use either a PL-259 or an SO-239. If you use the 259 you will need a barrel connector. I would recommend a 239 connector this way you can connect and disconnect as you see fit. Always wrap the connection with self-amalgamating tape, not junky electrical tape. Now you will be able to remove the mast without having to pull the cable out of the boat or mast.

Get the antenna up on that mast. It is there for your safety. However, it is not just for you. You may be called upon to assist a vessel in distress and you may be the only vessel that can hear the distress call. You will be require to assist by relaying the distress call.

Good luck!

 

[chuckwayne]

there are proper vhf bulkhead connectors that take a pl-259 on each side; look online at WM in the antenna section

 

[Will Gilmore]

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

https://www.defender.com/category.jsp?id=2289996&path=-1|328|2289986

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

As a former trialerable sailboat dealer for many brands, this is up my alley.
Rgranger referred to quick disconnects for 12 volt mast lighting but will not work for VHF.
Will gave you an option but that bangs around when trailering if not secured damaging the deck.
This is a two inch ferrel designed to go thru the deck for a quick disconnect VHF and the adjoin cap to cover up when not used so rain cannot get into it nor leak into the cabin. You will be required to drill a hole in the deck but keep it as close to the size and use pure silicon archeticual grade silicon, not Satan's glue called 5200.

Both by Ancor and stainless steel. Used this for many years successfully. Ancor 2 inch thru deck #200250 and Ancor cap #200252
Not Crazy on this one. Now to plow my mountain road of snow and fearful of ice.

 

[jamieFL]

Crazy Dave,

That is pretty much what I was looking at, but with that type of mount, I'm going to have to fabricate some kind of aluminum or stainless mount for the top of the deck. Then, have to drill a larger hole on the bottom of the deck to remove the coring to get to the top deck fiberglass to secure it. I found this mount,



https://www.alliedelec.com/product/...RpArlc1aMhN8yX6VPURH_gT4Plv1RljBoCmVwQAvD_BwE

which I have never seen. I like it because it is very low profile and looks waterproof without a cover. I'm going to have to look into it too.

I like that blog post and will do something similar with the antenna and mast.

 

[Tedd]

In the end I decided to go with an installation similar to Will Gilmore's. But, for what it's worth, I initially considered using a bulkhead connector of the kind Crazy Dave described, under the foot of the mast, as shown below. The bottom bracket is the mast desk mount and the bracket shown at an angle is the mast foot bracket. (Mast not shown.) For various reasons I determined this wasn't going to work well for my boat, but it might work on yours.

To support the cable inside the mast I'm planning to cut out a bunch of pieces like the following, from plastic sheet, and run the cable through a grommet in each one.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

The two inch has locking collars at each end which I used to secure caulking well if I did not have enough length left for a washer on each end followed by the locking collar. If there was enough room left, I did use washers. Either way, it worked. However, I was careful to drill thru the deck for the size of the item taking into account I had enough room only to use the locking collars on both ends. The key is a tight fit. It worked well for me either way.

The above was used for trailerable sailboats. I routed the VHF cable out of the mast by drilling a hole and inserting a rubber grommet to protect the cable. Another way is to drill a small pilot hole in the side of the mast and then switch to a larger drill bit angling it upward toward the top of the mast so the cable could run out at an angle without issues. I did take a round file to file off any burrs or sharp edges. That to worked either way.

as for Tedd's suggestion, you will for mast feet and base too will requiring drilling thru that and then another hole thru the deck unless mast lighting wires went in that way from the mfg... In most cases that is not the case and if you do it that way may be cumbersome. It depends on the boat. On the Hunter 260, there is a compression post and that is not ideal for tedd's suggestion.

 

[jamieFL]

I think I found the one I'm going to use.



https://m.go2marine.com/product/93233F/glomex-coaxial-fitting-gold-plated.html

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Funny, it uses the ancor two inch thru deck fitting. Not sure how it would look like on top of the deck but I still prefere a low deck fitting so one will not trip over close to the mast with VHF wire exiting mast at an angle.

 

[FastOlson]

Looks like you may have finalized your plans... but if not, completely... do consider the advantages of a stern mount. I understand about range and do like having an antenna on our mast head, 54 feet above the water on our present boat. However, I have had to replace that coax run once and the antenna twice over the decades, and it cost some $$$.

Prior 26 footer, for ten years, had an antenna mounted on a stern rail. I used a bottom coil-loaded 'shorty' antenna, and it did indeed lower the total range some. Worth remembering is that in an emergency your communication with the USCG will still be pretty good because they deliberately site their antenna on tall structures or hills.

And then there is the security of having the antenna not involved with the mast. (I was crew on a sailboat that lost the whole rig over the side, and still remember the security of that boat having a stern-mounted VHF antenna so we could talk to the USCG and generally have continuous communication.
Also, with the rail mount, it's easy to run new cable.

No wrong answers, but there are advantages either way.

 

[jamieFL]

The antenna I'm replacing is currently mounted to the transom. On my 25 foot boat, it interferes with the Bimini, is very much in the way, and even though it had an articulatable mount had to be unbolted to trailer.
In the stern rail, I could move it further to starboard and get it a little more out of the way.

I thought about demasings, and loosing the antenna when needed most. I've not made my decision yet, but I am leaning towards getting it up on the mast and completely out of the way.

 

[Will Gilmore]

You should, if you are sailing in open ocean waters, have a backup handheld clippedto for pfd, anyhow. Since you are concerned about signal distance, I assume that is the kind of sailing you've been talking about.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[jamieFL]

No open ocean sailing. I sail in the gulf around Hernando Beach...from Cesar Key to Tampa Bay.

 

[Will Gilmore]

One of my dad's old fishing boats got sold to a guy who ran her out of Newport Richey for a while. My wife and I loved to stay in Homossasa and fish from the dock at MacRae's
You live in a beautiful place to sail.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[jssailem]

Carrying a portable VHF radio should give you access to USCG help out to about 20 miles. Here is a graphic of the coverage.

 

[rgranger]

You could split the difference ... I mounted mine on the mast crutch pole on my stern.....here is what I did with my VHF antenna... this is a dual VHF and GPS model. You can also see a solar panel on the same pole.