On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:18:16 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:40:58 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

"Larry" wrote in message
...
John H. wrote in
:

Another question: Most antennae seem to come with about 20 feet of
wire. Mounted on a console with the radio right there, I could get by
with about 3 feet of wire. Is all the extra wire necessary?


No, it's not. If you're not a solderer, find someone who can put a new
connector on the radio end of your cable or make up a new cable. The Metz
does NOT have a cable attached to it....one of its great features. YOU
put
the cable on it so the cable can be replaced....not hard wired into the
plastic, like the little whips from Shakespeare come.

The farce of "tuning" the antenna with cable length is nonsense....
True, you don't "tune" the antenna with cable length, but you need a certain
amount of it to properly tune the antenna. My memory is rusty and I'd have
to go dig out the books, but I think you should have a 1/2 wavelength or so
in cable length. Maybe it's a 1/4 .... can't remember. Too short will
cause the antenna not to load properly (assuming it is the correct length)
and result in an excessive SWR value that reduces effective transmitted
power and, in the worst situation, cause damage to the output stage of the
radio.

If you have matching problems with the antenna and are fairly certain
that the antenna, connectors are known good and the radio is
presenting power properly, then the suspect is the length of the
feedline.

End result - you trim the feeline to bring the antenna to the correct
match. Thus you are tuning the antenna using the feedline.

That's why God invented antenna tuners. :)

That is the beauty of rec.boats, even when you think every possible
boating discussion has been beat to death, a new informative topic will
arise, that we can learn from.

Of course, we will beat this one to death.

ROTFL!!!

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:52:37 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"John H." wrote in message
.. .


Well, it's not beat to death yet. I'm getting conflicting views on this
antenna cable length. I really don't like having 20' of cable coiled up in
the console. There's not much space there already.

But, I'll do what I have to do.

Don't worry about it. Cut it, but leave about 12 feet total.

Agreed - if it's really bothering you that much, do as Dick suggests.

Sometimes people with some knowledge can confuse the issue for those
with less than perfect knowledge.

I'm as guilty of that as anybody.

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:36:58 -0500, John H.
wrote:



Tom, according to the Metz website, they are used by the Coast Guard. This
is also said on other sites I've visited. See: http://tinyurl.com/22m7sy



Lowest bidder.

Eisboch

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

Sometimes people with some knowledge can confuse the issue for those
with less than perfect knowledge.

I'm as guilty of that as anybody.

Me too, plus my memory is getting bad. Some folks focus on politics. I
am more of a technology nerd, but with a fading level of competence.

Eisboch

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:05:18 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:36:58 -0500, John H.
wrote:



Tom, according to the Metz website, they are used by the Coast Guard. This
is also said on other sites I've visited. See: http://tinyurl.com/22m7sy



Lowest bidder.

Oh. The guv is back to actual bids?

--Vic

Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:05:18 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:36:58 -0500, John H.
wrote:


Tom, according to the Metz website, they are used by the Coast Guard. This
is also said on other sites I've visited. See: http://tinyurl.com/22m7sy


Lowest bidder.

Oh. The guv is back to actual bids?

--Vic


Only if there isn't a close friend or relative or former employer of
Dicque Cheney available.

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:55:58 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .

Keys? I always call them buttons. I better find the cell manual.
This is one of those so far f**ked up threads with no answer for me
yet, but we'll get there.
There's at least 2 eccentrics with radio backgrounds slinging ****,
and one seemingly normal guy who stated the only useful info - he
commonly talks 20 miles with his VHF. But even he has some kind
of wave gizmo to constantly check that his signals are "tuned."
Bunch of weirdos. And us cell phone guys have to rely on them?

--Vic

If I sound "seemingly normal", you need to have a chat with Mrs.E. :-)

Eisboch

I'm charitable in making these calls. It's not nice to use the loon
word. It antagonizes the loons.

--Vic

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:19:25 -0500, John H.
wrote:


Oh - did I mention they are junk?

So Shakespeare is the way to go? I had to replace two of those on the
Proline. They just quit working! I could transmit maybe a quarter mile
away.

Oh oh.

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:59:14 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:44:58 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:51:44 +0000, Larry wrote:

John H. wrote in
:

Anyone - Is the performance of the 5' antenna seriously below that of the
8'er?


None whatsoever. I got to the horizon on a Metz Manta 6 halfwave at butt
level in a Sea Rayder jetboat all the time.

VHF only goes to the horizon, line of sight. To get further, you must
extend the horizon with ALTITUDE. 5' to 8' means nothing.

Screw a bunch of sun-destroyed fiberglass rods. The Metz is guaranteed for
life unless you lose the whip out of it. All the USCGs boats use the Metz,
a testimonial to its rugged construction. Completely self-contained. No
ground plane required. It'll work the horizon holding it in your hand.
http://www.metzcommunication.com/manta6.htm
Great company, too.

This guy has it on sale:
http://www.northeastmarineelectronics.com/index.asp?
PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2984
$34! That's half price!


Larry
Thanks for the tip, Larry.

Another question: Most antennae seem to come with about 20 feet of wire.
Mounted on a console with the radio right there, I could get by with about
3 feet of wire. Is all the extra wire necessary?

Yes - it's part of the loading for the antenna. There are forumlas
where you can cut the wire length down, but the problem is reattaching
the connector. You can use a mechanical connector, but they aren't
really a good idea.

Just roll it up and tuck it away.

SWF,
I was trying to get you airfare down to Baltimore and you blew it.

I don't drive to Baltimore airport. I'd consider National though!

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:18:16 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:40:58 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

"Larry" wrote in message
...
John H. wrote in
:

Another question: Most antennae seem to come with about 20 feet of
wire. Mounted on a console with the radio right there, I could get by
with about 3 feet of wire. Is all the extra wire necessary?


No, it's not. If you're not a solderer, find someone who can put a new
connector on the radio end of your cable or make up a new cable. The Metz
does NOT have a cable attached to it....one of its great features. YOU
put
the cable on it so the cable can be replaced....not hard wired into the
plastic, like the little whips from Shakespeare come.

The farce of "tuning" the antenna with cable length is nonsense....
True, you don't "tune" the antenna with cable length, but you need a certain
amount of it to properly tune the antenna. My memory is rusty and I'd have
to go dig out the books, but I think you should have a 1/2 wavelength or so
in cable length. Maybe it's a 1/4 .... can't remember. Too short will
cause the antenna not to load properly (assuming it is the correct length)
and result in an excessive SWR value that reduces effective transmitted
power and, in the worst situation, cause damage to the output stage of the
radio.

If you have matching problems with the antenna and are fairly certain
that the antenna, connectors are known good and the radio is
presenting power properly, then the suspect is the length of the
feedline.

End result - you trim the feeline to bring the antenna to the correct
match. Thus you are tuning the antenna using the feedline.

That's why God invented antenna tuners. :)

That is the beauty of rec.boats, even when you think every possible
boating discussion has been beat to death, a new informative topic will
arise, that we can learn from.

Of course, we will beat this one to death.



Well, it's not beat to death yet. I'm getting conflicting views on this
antenna cable length. I really don't like having 20' of cable coiled up in
the console. There's not much space there already.

But, I'll do what I have to do.