Eisboch wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Eisboch wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..

You're kidding about the difficulty in putting a connector on properly,
aren't you? I've done it at least a dozen times over the years the old
fashioned way (never used one of the quickie "crimp" connectors).
Harry, the connector is not the issue (assuming it's done in a decent
manner).
The proper loading of any RF antenna is a complex relationship of the
designed output impedance of the radio, the characteristic impedance of
the transmission line (cable) and the impedance of the antenna.

Higher powered RF transmitters have tuning boxes between the radio output
and the transmission line/antenna arrangement that effectively changes
the length with capacitors and inductors to optimize power transfer.

I agree that at 25 watts and a on typical boat installation it isn't
going to make much difference.
To an RF engineer, it will all look and operate like trash anyway.

Eisboch
As I said, so long as I can reach the Coast Guard, I don't really care
much about VHF communication. We have really good cell coverage most
everywhere on the Bay.


Until that Yamaha coughs, you drop your cell phone overboard, the wind is
picking up, water splashing over that LT, and your radio's output stage
sizzles because the SWR ratio is 4 to 1 or something. :-)


I am a nerd about this stuff and set the boat's radio systems up with SWR
meters because I can't help it. The result though is that I can
communicate easily with boats 20 miles away.

Eisboch




I've listened to the usual channels on VHF for hours at a time and
hardly ever hear much conversation. I can call the CG on my VHF, and
maybe with all the breaks some other boater within range will come by
for a look see. But unless you are in one of the higher boater density
areas, you're mostly all along out there. Where I fish for flounder, I
can go half the day without seeing another boat.

Frankly, I think we need something a lot better than VHF, some variant
of marine cell (not satellite) for in shore and near shore. The bigger
offshore boats that sink, well, we need more fishing reefs anyway, right?