Nicholas Walsh wrote:
Why do people persist in putting their GPS antenna on the stern rail. Is
it not one of your most important instruments? Do you want it to be
yanked off by some clumsy git climbing aboard from a dinghy or clipped
off by a shoreline? I have always mounted mine on the stern but directly
on the deck where it out of everyone's way. It also gets a perfect view
of the sky without the pendulum movement of a mast mounting. This is on
my third boat and I have never had one damaged. How many people keep a
spare GPS aerial for these eventualities?


Mine's coachroof mounted 'limpet' style on our Contessa 26 with excess
cable shortened and a new BNC plug put on. It's predecessor used to be
mounted on a stancheon supporting the mainsheet horse and that was a
nightmare. If it didn't get knocked by the mainsheet, someone would
lean back over it and block the signal, or a warp would abrade its cable
etc. I give the new one a gentle polish a couple of times a season to
keep the water beading up and running off and I get a *far* better
signal. I've replaced the cable into the old one and tested it for a
spare just in case though.


--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Early 60's, Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy.