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Larry

Rob wrote in news:a999739f-3fe0-4e5a-b019-
:

I have been getting conflicting advice about relative position in
regard to my radar dome. Both will be mounted on my mast about 12 to
24 inches apart. I have a choice of having the GPS right below the
bottom of the dome or I could put an extension and have it extend a
few inches above the dome. Any advice?
Thanks
Bob

Wrong attitude. The GPS antenna has no need for ALTITUDE. Aboard
Lionheart, I got tired of them bumping into both the Raystar little dome
and the Garmin active antenna, so I mounted them INSIDE the overhead
cabinet in the galley, behind the helm (just forward of the bulkhead-
mounted wheel on an Amel 41 Sharki ketch). Fiberglass and plastic is
transparent to RF energy (especially RF tearing up the damned HF/SSB). The
signals work perfectly.

On a big center console fishing boat, they were looking for a good place to
mount the GPS so the fishing could tear it off and were looking way up
high, which is crazy. I said, "Let's just lay it INSIDE the overhead
cabinet behind the GPS and radios under the plastic bimini top and see how
it does across the harbor." During my free boat ride..(c;...we noted the
GPS worked perfectly with strong signals in all directions. So, when we
got back to the dock, having run completely out of beer, we mounted the GPS
antenna in the back corner of the INSIDE of that electronics cabinet, out
of the way of the other gear and wires. It's worked perfect there ever
since. If he had had a sheet metal top, of course, that wouldn't have been
possible. Noone fishing can get to the GPS antenna to rip it off, now.
They'll have to pull the overhead electronics console apart to even find
it!