Jon Gauthier wrote in
:

What I was asking was, if I have a proper VHF switch (with the
unselected radio switched to a dummy load to prevent burning out the
finals if inadvertantly keyed), what kind of performance (SWR-wise)
could I expect out of a either a marine VHF antenna and a ham 2m radio,
or a 2m antenna and a marine VHF radio. Since you are a boater, I would
assume you would know how precious space can be on a relatively small
sailboat, and how expensive marine-grade equipment tends to be.


Oh, OK. On rec.boats.cruising we see a lot of radios parallel connected to
destroy each other's receivers......

To answer your question on SWR, "just awful" would be about right. 157 is
a LONG way from 145 in antenna resonance. Bite the bullet and put up two
antennas....both of them Metz is a great idea. Metz antennas could care
less about ground. They are end-fed half-waves with their loading
transformers buried in epoxy-filled PVC pipe pieces. Put the marine VHF on
top of the mast and the 2m antenna on the Metz bracket on the side of the
mast under the shroud so it doesn't get fouled in the sails. Bend the
bracket out so the 2m antenna on the side is about 30 degrees from vertical
which gets it away from coupling so hard to the mast....unless your mast is
non-conductive. The vertical separation of the two will keep the
transmitter from one blasting away the receiver of the other on 25w or 50w
powers. Never put them in parallel on top of the mast....bad idea.

The Manta 6 at:
http://www.metzcommunication.com/manta6.htm
is what the CG boats use. If you destroy it, Metz will simply replace
it...no hassles. It will talk to Jacksonville from Charleston at 55' up
the mainmast of an Amel Sharki ketch. Another Metz for the aux/emergency
VHF marine is at the top of the mizzen. Radios are Icom M-602 main and
Icom M-59 emergency, running off a separate DC supply. S/V "Lionheart"
wants not for comms...M-802 HF to AT-130 on insulated backstay to t-top on
triattic stay. Natural resonance is cut to 3.9 Mhz. I like 75M...(c;

The 2m antenna at:
http://www.metzcommunication.com/2-meter.htm
is the same antenna with its base loading transformer and whip length cut
for 2 meters instead of 157 Mhz. Same stainless construction, same
guarantee. The right angle brackets come with the antennas...

I had the marine VHF on a 16' Sea Ray Sea Rayder fast jetboat using its
angle bracket bolted through an existing bolt in the bow, beating and
jumping waves, from 1997. The guy who bought my boat is still using it on
the Icom M59 I installed. Still works great, even though it is regularly
drown in seawater salt....(c; The antenna has survived 3 coaxes, which got
eaten away connected to the bottom of it. Quite a testimony for Metz...(c;