In article ,
Gordon wrote:

I've picked up an Icom 710 and want to play with it at home before
installing in the boat.
I'm looking at making an antenna such as the center fed dipole or an
end fed resonant feedline antenna as shown at
http://www.wr6wr.com/newSite/article...rials0501.html

Any reason this antenna couldn't be used on the boat? It seems it
would be more convenient. Where to buy and how much are the toroids?
Comments please.

What's the scoop on artificial grounds such as this. Any use on a
boat? http://www.mfjenterprises.com/produc...prodid=MFJ-931

Thanks
Gordon

Just about ANY chunk of wire stretched out in the Thin Air, will work
as a Receiving Antenna, for your new toy. It really doesn't have to be
tuned or pruned or anything else, to act as a Receiving Antenna. You
don't need a Centerfeed Dipole to Receive, just a hunk of wire. Your
not going to hear a whole lot from home, due to the statistical
probubility that your local neighborhood noise level, will be higher
than the signals your trying to hear, but if the band is open, you'll
hear what there is anyway. Most of the Commercial Traffic has moved
to SATPhones, and the rest is going to be spread over the appropriate
MF/HF Marine Frequency Channels. You should be able to listen to the
NOAA Wx Transmissions on 4125.0 Khz most evenings, as this is a Universal
Calling and Working Frequency for ALL of the North Pacific.

MF/HF Marine Antennas are really very simple to construct, and don't rely
on Torroids, or other gimmicks like that, to work and work correctly.

Artificial Grounds are just that ARTIFICIAL, and are about as good,
and usefull, as nothing at all. If you want a GOOD RF Ground, build one
into your vessel, and do it right the first time, so you don't have to
just redo it, again, and again, untill you get it right. You can search
the past posts on Marine RF Grounding Systems, as there have been some
very good POSTS on the subject presented here in the past.

It is the RF Ground that makes ANY Marine MF/HF Antenna System preform,
so build it right, the first time, and then just enjoy the operations.

It is the RF Ground that is Important..... again, it is the RF Ground...

Bruce in alaska long time Marine RadioMan, in a previous life...
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