Hi, y'all,

We have a very curious (well, curious to me; there may well be better
informed folks out there than I on this) situation with our mast-top mounted
antenna, connected to our Uniden ES series UM525 unit at the nav station.
On channel 68 in particular, but in some others as well, it doesn't "hear"
well at all. Only stations very close by come through.

Yet, we're heard very clearly at the expected distances on 68. To me, that
sounds backward, as, if there's a problem, it's usually that you can't be
heard, due to some cable issue not allowing full power to get out.

Unfortunately, I have no ready means to remove this unit/plug up another to
the cable to see if that's really the issue, or, possibly (doesn't seem
likely, as some channels are fine) that it's the radio at fault.

Any experience with this sort of problem? Our helm radio gave up the ghost
a couple of days ago (something in the electronics makes it think it's
always getting a signal ["busy" icon], but there's no noise regardless of
volume or squelch levels), so we're a bit nervous, until we can get a
replacement, given our deafness in the hailing channel here in Abaco.

Any help appreciated...

L8R

Skip and Lydia, in Marsh Harbour where it's only 80 during the day, a nice
break

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
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"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
Hi, y'all,

We have a very curious (well, curious to me; there may well be better
informed folks out there than I on this) situation with our mast-top
mounted antenna, connected to our Uniden ES series UM525 unit at the nav
station. On channel 68 in particular, but in some others as well, it
doesn't "hear" well at all. Only stations very close by come through.

Yet, we're heard very clearly at the expected distances on 68. To me,
that sounds backward, as, if there's a problem, it's usually that you
can't be heard, due to some cable issue not allowing full power to get
out.

Unfortunately, I have no ready means to remove this unit/plug up another
to the cable to see if that's really the issue, or, possibly (doesn't seem
likely, as some channels are fine) that it's the radio at fault.

Any experience with this sort of problem? Our helm radio gave up the
ghost a couple of days ago (something in the electronics makes it think
it's always getting a signal ["busy" icon], but there's no noise
regardless of volume or squelch levels), so we're a bit nervous, until we
can get a replacement, given our deafness in the hailing channel here in
Abaco.

Any help appreciated...

L8R

Skip and Lydia, in Marsh Harbour where it's only 80 during the day, a nice
break

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)




Yes, Skippy, I have one of those units. It kept getting worse. The receiver
kept getting weaker and weaker until even the weather channels weren't
there.

I thought maybe it was an antenna problem but it wasn't. I tried a different
antenna. It broadcast just fine but no sign of reception. It was the
receiver. Those things have a three-year warranty so if yours is under
warranty then send it in post haste. I sent mine in and had to pay for the
repair since it was out of warranty. Another cruiser had the same problem
with his um525. Therefore, I think it is valid to assume Uniden has a
problem with this radio. They put a new receiver in mine and sent it back
and it works good as new again.

The good news is it only cost me about 67 bucks for the repair. Go to their
website for instructions on repair procedure.

Good luck


Wilbur Hubbard

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
anews.com...
"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...

Yes, Skippy, I have one of those units. It kept getting worse. The
receiver kept getting weaker and weaker until even the weather channels
weren't there.

I thought maybe it was an antenna problem but it wasn't. I tried a
different antenna. It broadcast just fine but no sign of reception. It was
the receiver. Those things have a three-year warranty so if yours is under
warranty then send it in post haste. I sent mine in and had to pay for the
repair since it was out of warranty. Another cruiser had the same problem
with his um525. Therefore, I think it is valid to assume Uniden has a
problem with this radio. They put a new receiver in mine and sent it back
and it works good as new again.

The good news is it only cost me about 67 bucks for the repair. Go to
their website for instructions on repair procedure.

Good luck


Wilbur Hubbard




Thanks, Wilbur,

I've got threads going in lots of places, including SSCA, where a couple of
EEs have chimed in; they're of the opinion that it's the rxr as well. I'm
going to remove it, power it to the helm antenna, and confirm before sending
it off, it being about 4 years old (recall the wreck was 2y/9mo ago),
installed during the general electronics upgrade. New ones are a couple
hundred, so a third of that beats buying a new one, which I'll have to do
for the helm, anyway as it's toast, completely.

Having a ball in your favorite stomping grounds, as you've seen in my recent
posts. Chasing new gear for upgrade in GPS and chartplotter, Alternator and
a couple other items at the moment and volunteering at BuckABook, of which
I'm sure you're aware...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
anews.com...
"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...

Yes, Skippy, I have one of those units. It kept getting worse. The
receiver kept getting weaker and weaker until even the weather channels
weren't there.

I thought maybe it was an antenna problem but it wasn't. I tried a
different antenna. It broadcast just fine but no sign of reception. It
was the receiver. Those things have a three-year warranty so if yours is
under warranty then send it in post haste. I sent mine in and had to pay
for the repair since it was out of warranty. Another cruiser had the same
problem with his um525. Therefore, I think it is valid to assume Uniden
has a problem with this radio. They put a new receiver in mine and sent
it back and it works good as new again.

The good news is it only cost me about 67 bucks for the repair. Go to
their website for instructions on repair procedure.

Good luck


Wilbur Hubbard




Thanks, Wilbur,

I've got threads going in lots of places, including SSCA, where a couple
of EEs have chimed in; they're of the opinion that it's the rxr as well.
I'm going to remove it, power it to the helm antenna, and confirm before
sending it off, it being about 4 years old (recall the wreck was 2y/9mo
ago), installed during the general electronics upgrade. New ones are a
couple hundred, so a third of that beats buying a new one, which I'll have
to do for the helm, anyway as it's toast, completely.

Having a ball in your favorite stomping grounds, as you've seen in my
recent posts. Chasing new gear for upgrade in GPS and chartplotter,
Alternator and a couple other items at the moment and volunteering at
BuckABook, of which I'm sure you're aware...



Is the horse lady (can't recall her name anymore) still run Buckabook? Those
wild horses are way cool. It's worth a trip to the wild to try to catch a
glimpse of them.

The Hub of the Abacos is one fine cruising grounds and base of operations to
the Out Islands. Real grocery stores for one thing. The frozen meat is not
much more costly than here in the States. Staples aren't too bad. It's just
mostly the junk food that's out of sight. I guess they put more of a tariff
on that crap. It must work because most Bahamians aren't fat.

Hope to get back there for six-months to a year one of these days. Been
looking the place over closely on Google Earth and it looks like lots of
secluded cruising over on the western side of Great Abaco. With 3.5 feet I
can take my blue water yacht into some very shallow areas. I can get lost
for weeks walking secluded beaches with a bottle of rum and a gallon jug of
water.


Wilbur Hubbard

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
anews.com...

Is the horse lady (can't recall her name anymore) still run Buckabook?
Those wild horses are way cool. It's worth a trip to the wild to try to
catch a glimpse of them.

Well, in fact, yes, and we're going out there on Tuesday with Mimi, still
doing it after 17 years, thence to dive the blue hole.


The Hub of the Abacos is one fine cruising grounds and base of operations
to the Out Islands. Real grocery stores for one thing. The frozen meat is
not much more costly than here in the States. Staples aren't too bad. It's
just mostly the junk food that's out of sight. I guess they put more of a
tariff on that crap. It must work because most Bahamians aren't fat.

Some meats are horrendously high, but we find the frozen end cut porkchops a
reasonable value. Most of the rest of the meats there are double to triple
what I'd find in the US.

Did you ever have Wholesale deliver to the dock? We're wondering about their
policies on that, and have heard from several that they represent a real
savings. Not a great deal we need, actually, currently, other than Coke,
which supply was totally decimated after all of our guests at multiples a
day - Lydia's still got much more than half the beer which came with us, but
I'm down to a few 12 packs.


Hope to get back there for six-months to a year one of these days. Been
looking the place over closely on Google Earth and it looks like lots of
secluded cruising over on the western side of Great Abaco. With 3.5 feet I
can take my blue water yacht into some very shallow areas. I can get lost
for weeks walking secluded beaches with a bottle of rum and a gallon jug
of water.

Heh. With 7', we're a bit restricted - but, folks ground with every known
draft, so it's a matter of picking your way in expected OK waters. We were
surprised to be able to get into (and out of!) Hopetown with no issues,
albeit at close to high tide, last weekend.

Lotsa secluded beaches, and, right now would be a good time to go, but a bit
cool for reefs. We have wetsuits, though, so if Lydia gets tired of sitting
in the container which masquerades as the book shop with nobody coming (a
little early in the season still), perhaps we'll pull up the hook and go.

Currently exploring all the local restaurants for TxG events so we can put
them out on the net. Several of them very reasonable, and Nippers and
Anglers (here) very expensive. Have had some nibbles about joining folks
for Thursday, so haven't made up our minds what we'll do, yet.

Going to go help the Rotary Club (collections outside PriceRight by the
special needs school, which teachers we've befriended here) distribute
pallets of food post TxG, too.



Wilbur Hubbard

Looking forward to seeing you out here. We'll be in the Bahamas for a
year...

L8R

Skip, suggesting to get back on track with my next post

v

Update: Just removed the radio and powered it up to the antenna at the helm.
Asked for a radio check and got some distant replies.

Evidently a PBRAM (problem between radio and mast, taken from the IT
shorthand for stupidos: PBKAC), so I'll have to track that down. At least
it means I won't have to haul it off/repair the radio, though I'm not
thrilled at the thought that I might have a cable problem, the mast being a
real stinker for doing another cable, should it be required! With any luck,
a new antenna will cure that problem.

Stand by for more results!

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)

On Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:25:55 -0500, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

Update: Just removed the radio and powered it up to the antenna at the helm.
Asked for a radio check and got some distant replies.

Evidently a PBRAM (problem between radio and mast, taken from the IT
shorthand for stupidos: PBKAC), so I'll have to track that down. At least
it means I won't have to haul it off/repair the radio, though I'm not
thrilled at the thought that I might have a cable problem, the mast being a
real stinker for doing another cable, should it be required! With any luck,
a new antenna will cure that problem.

Stand by for more results!

L8R

Skip

Water in a connector?

wrote in message
...

Water in a connector?


Ya, maybe, or some other connection problem. I'm going to start with the
antenna, as I have a spare. If that's not the problem, likely I'll put an
entirely new cable up there, as what's in it has at least 2, perhaps as many
as 4 intersections...

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)

On Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:25:55 -0500, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

At least
it means I won't have to haul it off/repair the radio, though I'm not
thrilled at the thought that I might have a cable problem

After suffering through a few cable problems with my old sailboats I
finally ended up buying some expensive military grade low loss co-ax.
It was about a buck a foot back in the '80s but it was great stuff
with teflon insulation and silver plated conductors. That was the
end of my cable problems and we had the best VHF reception I'd ever
seen.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:25:55 -0500, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

At least
it means I won't have to haul it off/repair the radio, though I'm not
thrilled at the thought that I might have a cable problem

After suffering through a few cable problems with my old sailboats I
finally ended up buying some expensive military grade low loss co-ax.
It was about a buck a foot back in the '80s but it was great stuff
with teflon insulation and silver plated conductors. That was the
end of my cable problems and we had the best VHF reception I'd ever
seen.

Got a source/grade suggestion for something like that?

Sounds good to me...

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)