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#1
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:50:47 -0900, Bruce in alaska
wrote: OR if Money is NO OBJECT RG-214, which is what the Navy and Feds use.... A quick Google reveals the stuff on sale at $3.90/ft. Depends on how much value you place on having your Mayday heard. If you are really into saving money go with cheap flares and lifejackets. Casady |
#2
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:18:01 -0600, Richard Casady
wrote: On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:50:47 -0900, Bruce in alaska wrote: OR if Money is NO OBJECT RG-214, which is what the Navy and Feds use.... A quick Google reveals the stuff on sale at $3.90/ft. Depends on how much value you place on having your Mayday heard. If you are really into saving money go with cheap flares and lifejackets. Casady Yep. I think the issue of cable value and what to get is over. Now it mostly depends on how much you value your life. And your passengers' lives. Easy decision. Maybe. --Vic |
#3
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:28:48 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote: On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:18:01 -0600, Richard Casady wrote: On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:50:47 -0900, Bruce in alaska wrote: OR if Money is NO OBJECT RG-214, which is what the Navy and Feds use.... A quick Google reveals the stuff on sale at $3.90/ft. Depends on how much value you place on having your Mayday heard. If you are really into saving money go with cheap flares and lifejackets. Casady Yep. I think the issue of cable value and what to get is over. Now it mostly depends on how much you value your life. And your passengers' lives. Easy decision. Maybe. --Vic Baloney. If you are THAT worried, you shouldn't be on a boat. The percentage of times where 214 will save you and 213 won't is essentially ZERO. If you want to overspend on something meaningful for safety, look elsewhere. Maybe use the money to buy an extra handheld or an Epirb with better batteries. |
#4
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance hereconcerning VHF antennas
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#5
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:52:15 -0600, brian whatcott
wrote: wrote: OR if Money is NO OBJECT RG-214, which is what the Navy and Feds use.... A quick Google reveals the stuff on sale at $3.90/ft. Depends on how much value you place on having your Mayday heard. If you are really into saving money go with cheap flares and lifejackets. Casady Yep. I think the issue of cable value and what to get is over. Now it mostly depends on how much you value your life. And your passengers' lives. Easy decision. Maybe. --Vic /snip/ The percentage of times where 214 will save you and 213 won't is essentially ZERO. If you want to overspend on something meaningful for safety, look elsewhere. Maybe use the money to buy an extra handheld or an Epirb with better batteries. There is yet another way of valuing coax. If you get into a situation next year where a low-loss coax would JUST reach help, otherwise you perish, then you SHOULDN'T choose 214 or one of the more expensive ones still. There are lower loss, cheaper coax choices out there. Instead, 214 and the like are insurance against the day that may come in 12 years time, when the signal lines have taken a couple of knock-downs, and weeks of sea fog end in a call for help. THAT'S the moment when the cost earns its price. This year, you would get more range from a much cheaper coax, before time and weather take their toll.... Brian Whatcott Huh? What? |
#7
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:08:47 -0600, brian whatcott
wrote: wrote: On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:52:15 -0600, brian whatcott wrote: wrote: OR if Money is NO OBJECT RG-214, which is what the Navy and Feds use.... A quick Google reveals the stuff on sale at $3.90/ft. Depends on how much value you place on having your Mayday heard. If you are really into saving money go with cheap flares and lifejackets. Casady Yep. I think the issue of cable value and what to get is over. Now it mostly depends on how much you value your life. And your passengers' lives. Easy decision. Maybe. --Vic /snip/ The percentage of times where 214 will save you and 213 won't is essentially ZERO. If you want to overspend on something meaningful for safety, look elsewhere. Maybe use the money to buy an extra handheld or an Epirb with better batteries. There is yet another way of valuing coax. If you get into a situation next year where a low-loss coax would JUST reach help, otherwise you perish, then you SHOULDN'T choose 214 or one of the more expensive ones still. There are lower loss, cheaper coax choices out there. Instead, 214 and the like are insurance against the day that may come in 12 years time, when the signal lines have taken a couple of knock-downs, and weeks of sea fog end in a call for help. THAT'S the moment when the cost earns its price. This year, you would get more range from a much cheaper coax, before time and weather take their toll.... Brian Whatcott Huh? What? This URL lists several lower loss cheaper coaxes than 214. http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/cable/coax.html Ones with a polythene cover won't give off acid - but air dielectric will soak up moisture sooner or later..... Brian W Huh? What? |
#8
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:08:47 -0600, brian whatcott
wrote: Ones with a polythene cover won't give off acid - but air dielectric will soak up moisture sooner or later..... Mostly sooner. |
#9
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:52:15 -0600, brian whatcott
wrote: There are lower loss, cheaper coax choices out there. Instead, 214 and the like are insurance against the day that may come in 12 years time, when the signal lines have taken a couple of knock-downs, and weeks of sea fog end in a call for help. THAT'S the moment when the cost earns its price. This year, you would get more range from a much cheaper coax, before time and weather take their toll.... That's exactly right. Anyone who has tried to maintain electronic equipment on a salt water boat knows the value of long term durability. |
#10
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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I hate to say it but there sure is a bunch of ignorance here concerning VHF antennas
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:57:56 -0500, wrote:
On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:28:48 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:18:01 -0600, Richard Casady wrote: On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:50:47 -0900, Bruce in alaska wrote: OR if Money is NO OBJECT RG-214, which is what the Navy and Feds use.... A quick Google reveals the stuff on sale at $3.90/ft. Depends on how much value you place on having your Mayday heard. If you are really into saving money go with cheap flares and lifejackets. Casady Yep. I think the issue of cable value and what to get is over. Now it mostly depends on how much you value your life. And your passengers' lives. Easy decision. Maybe. --Vic Baloney. If you are THAT worried, you shouldn't be on a boat. The percentage of times where 214 will save you and 213 won't is essentially ZERO. If you want to overspend on something meaningful for safety, look elsewhere. Maybe use the money to buy an extra handheld or an Epirb with better batteries. I just put in the "saving lives" to prod Skip. It can be valid though for the ultra-cautious. Plenty of other reasons to go with the best cable in the mast. Wayne's mentioned some. Did a bit of reading on it, and saw some comments that since the 214 is mil spec, the quality isn't spotty. It is with 213. This is interesting, though I won't swear by it. Might be relevant to mast movement though. http://www.mail-archive.com/repeater.../msg28257.html "The silver plating is what makes RG-214 advantageous over RG-213 in a duplex environment moreso than just the difference in braid coverage with respect to shielding effectiveness. Movement of the braid strands each other doesn't make nearly as much noise with the silver plated strands of RG-214 as compared to bare copper RG-213. And as the cable ages and the braid strands tarnish (oxidize), the difference becomes progressively greater as silver oxide is a very good conductor unlike cupric oxide (or is it cuprous, I forget, cupric oxide is black-ish and cuprous is red-ish IIRC." This is all voodoo to me, so I tend to listen to those with experience. Couldn't find anybody who would go with 213 over 214 except for price. Now, regarding price. http://therfc.com/coax.htm RG-213/U $ .68/ft $63.00/100' RG-214/U MIL $2.25/ft $194.00/100' $131 difference for 100' Up to the individual. Personally, I'd go the $131 just for the voodoo protection. Maybe I'm superstitious. Skip will do what Skip does. BTW, one radio guy gets his 214 from a mil surplus seller near his home for $.90 a foot. Not on the net though, and price hunting isn't always cost-effective. --Vic |
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