Being on bed rest for a month has left me with a little too much time on my
hands. ;^) One of the ways I pass the day is to listen to the chatter
on the vhf channels using my 5 watt hand-held. Unfortunately, it just
doesn't seem to have that much of a range. While the Coast Guard comes in
loud and clear, I seldom hear the response of who it is they are talking to.
Other than the Coast Guard about all I can pick up is the drunks out at the
sand bar. I don't really need to hear about what a good time they're
having, it's bad enough that I have to sit hear watching them out the
window.

So I was wondering if it is possible to buy an external antenna that I could
mount to the roof of my house and thereby extend the range? Would it be
just that simple or are there going to be issues of amplification, impedance
matching, licensing, etc?


suds