Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote in message . ..
On 2 Mar 2004 05:47:51 -0800, (Ron Patterson)
wrote:
I have a 34 foot sloop which I bought six years ago on Kentucky Lake
near Paducah. I motored it up river to Guntersville Lake in North
Alabama. I sailed her on Guntersville Lake on the very few days that I
had off and the wind was blowing. That however, was no more than a few
days a year. Now I am retiring in June and am going to take her down
the Tenn-Tom Waterway to her new home in Pensacola, Florida. There we
will sail and fish for the rest of our days.
When I bought the boat it had a pretty good VHF radio with the antenna
mounted at the top of the mast. It worked fine when we were bringing
the boat down to Alabama. But a few months back I tried the radio for
the first time in six years. It would not even power up. Not to worry,
I bought a new Icom VHF radio.
Before installing it I decided to check the antenna resistance from
the center of the coax to the shield. I got about two and one half
ohms. I was thinking it should be an open. What should the resistance
be, measured from the radio end, from the center conductor to the
shield? Someone please help me because I don't want to hook up the
radio and blow the transmitter. Is this a danger? Or perhaps I have
nothing to worry about.
That does not sound right. It should be open to DC. I expect that you
might damage the new xmitter with that cable.
Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a
"Happy is he that taketh thy little ones and dasheth them upon the stones." __Psalm 137
These VHF antennas very often appear as as short circuit, which is
normal. What you should do is disconnect the andtenna from the coax
and then measure the resistance. It should appear as an open circuit
(infinite resistance). If it does not, it is because the sheath of the
coax drinks moisture like a spong... So you should instakll a new
coax; I have had very good results with "MM 8" from "The Wireman" who
sells mostly to radion hams. But even his coax is not eternal and I
have replaced mine after 10 000 miles of offshore sailing. If the
antenna connector is in good condition, your antenna probably is also
so that after renewing the coax, you can operate your VHF in full
confidence and will see a better range
G´luck
john