What grade VHF Antenna Coaxial Cable was used in 2000 Hunter 340

[dlochner]

Once again, quality matters. Going cheap on coax and its connectors yields a false economy, especially when you consider the very low cost of an Amphenol PL 259 connector.

Soldering is the way to go. If you have never soldered a coax connector find a Ham and they'll be glad to do it and teach you. Soldering is tricky because if you overheat the center wire it can melt the insulation and short. Getting the braided shield soldered is also a challenge. And when its all done and connected wrap the connection with self-amalgamating tape.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

up. Having a switch or coupler (coaxial connector) below the mast should only introduce 0.2 db (plus the 2 extra PL-259).

curious - from where did you get that figure?

 

[marcham]

curious - from where did you get that figure?

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dwa-cs-201a

 

[LloydB]

It doesn't make sense to me why you would put a antenna switch in the middle of a perfectly good transmission cable any place between the radio and the antenna. Just a thought

 

[jssailem]

antenna switch in the middle of a perfectly good transmission cable

I installed an AIS Class B transponder. The VHF and AIS frequencies are next to each other on the spectrum. Using a powered switch and an antenna tuned to serve both frequencies, I can use one antenna for both radios. The switch is prioritized to the VHF radio. The AIS signal goes to a dummy circuit in the switch and is transmitted when the VHF radio is not transmitting. I understand that AIS signals are short burst signals on specific time units. If one is missed, it is ignored by the AIS satellite system under the Class B Protocol.

 

[Mark Maulden]

I would not put a switch or connectors at the base of the mast as it’s most likely under the cabin sole (bilge) which is a nasty environment prone to corrosion. Let the next owner solve his/her problem. John mentioned LMR 400 coax. It does have excellent loss figures but it is pretty stiff and should not be bent very hard. I use it for VHF/UHF in my ham shack and had to route accordingly. RG-8 will work just fine for a mast antenna. I put a two meter radio (146 MHZ)on the boat and used the marine antenna through a coax switch between both radios. Done it several times and works well..Just for clarity, it’s best to call antenna wire as coax which is what it really is. Relieves confusion..

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dwa-cs-201a

View attachment 228442

”less than 0.2dB” is correct. “Introduces 0.2dB” is not. In actual practice, a good quality switch such as th Daiwa I have introduces no loss. Coax switches are ubiquitous including ham radio stations where every minor loss is important.