Radio

[Palmtree]

Hi,

Looking outside at the moment has reminded me we were thinking about getting a radio on the boat for the wet days. On the Broads is there any advantage with one of the digital things or is a FM radio better. We have some long wire bits that hold up the mast can these be used as an aerial ?

Ian

[Antares_9]

Indeed, as you have the advantage of a very good antenna then digital is probably the way to go as there are more stations to choose from, like digital TV it either works or not and when it does the clarity is far superior and there's none of the frustration of trying to get a better signal when really you know it's not going to happen. When's the Plasma screen going in Ian?

[pks1702]

It will be quite some Antenna you have Ian.

May as well go for an up to date compact model

[Palmtree]

David,

The plasma screens are planned and will display a wood grain picture to reduce the visual impact.

Perry,

Bakelite, I am a bit concerned the movement of the yacht will cause stress cracking.

However we could strip out the radio and fit our new fridge inside

Ian 3 weeks on the Broads starting this Friday

[Guest]

Hi all,

On the subject of radios, we have a VHF radio with a whacking great aerial fitted to the boat for the purpose.

We also have a normal car radio fitted, which has rubbish reception, and can only pick up Kiss ----ugh They just don't seem to play the music I normally hear on Classic FM

Anyway, does anyone know if the VHF aerial can be utilised for the car radio as well or instead ? If so, how ? (I'm not that technically minded, so explain in detail and simply )

Ta, Nigel

[Antares_9]

Nigel, splitters are available but they are not cheap, just plug both sets in and off you go. As an antenna if you connect the pulpit rail to the centre pole of the antenna cable it often works really well.

[Gordon]

Nigel

Technically the VHF aerial could be used for both but without some serious matching and filtering you will impare reception on both VHF and normal radio, if you use the VHF aerial for transmit you stand a fair chance of trashing both the car radio and the marine VHF. I have seen it done but the guys who did it were very experienced radio technicians. (they made a very elaborate box of filters, and had a very good reason for doing it) They actually used the same aerial for transmit and receive on lowband VHF, receive on broadcst and receive on CB.

Could you use a marine VHF radio for just the car radio, well yes, sort of, try it by all means see what happens. I suspect though it would not be brilliant, an awful lot of ugly hardware for a poor result. I would be surprised though if a normal car radio aerial hidden out of the way would not do the trick, no need to mount it outside, unless you have a metal boat.

Just give it a go but avoid connecting the car radio and the marine vhf to the same aerial

[Antares_9]

As I said, the devices Gordon alludes to are available commercially they are tiny and do work, no need for any intricate radio engineering and they do work, I recall testing one and doing a write up quite a few years ago.

Here's an example http://www.force4.co.uk/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/487

[Guest gcb]

Hi Folks

Thought I would ask a question here as the subject has been raised, is there anyone who may hold an amateur radio license (ham) that regularly uses their radio on the boat?

Regards,

GCB/GRL

[Gordon]

GCB,

is there anyone who may hold an amateur radio license (ham) that regularly uses their radio on the boat?

Yea I occaissionally use HF/VHF and UHF Usually take the HF in the winter.

This question has been raised a couple of times on the NBF and there should be some lists of callsigns deep in the archives of the Geeks sectiom.. My callsign G4EMK and Jenny's G8ILU

[Gordon]

As I said, the devices Gordon alludes to are available commercially

I did not realise that you could get these commercially looks very small for what it has to do. Could be the answer though

[Antares_9]

I did not realise that you could get these commercially looks very small for what it has to do. Could be the answer though

Solid state too Gordon, none of that waiting for the valves to warm up. :-D

[Gordon]

Solid state too Gordon, none of that waiting for the valves to warm up

Not that that means much these days, some of the damn digital stuff takes longer to sort itself out than valve took to warm up. Seriously though not sure why the spitter is solid state, unless it uses clever switching diodes rather than pasive filters

[Guest gcb]

GCB,

Yea I occaissionally use HF/VHF and UHF Usually take the HF in the winter.

This question has been raised a couple of times on the NBF and there should be some lists of callsigns deep in the archives of the Geeks sectiom.. My callsign G4EMK and Jenny's G8ILU

Thanks for that Gordon, I shall try and find them. I wonder if having a marine VHF radio is of any use on The Broads, I hear some people mentioning them when discussing having bridges opened?

73's de M3EXE :-D

[Gordon]

wonder if having a marine VHF radio is of any use on The Broads, I hear some people mentioning them when discussing having bridges opened?

This have been discussed numerous times on both forums and yes I believe the Reedham Bridge have a hand held used for that purpose, but there are lots of people on the forum who can give you chapter and verse on that one.

[senator]

GCB if you don't intend to go to sea and you are under 8'6 in Airdraft then really there is not much point in having VHF on the broads, remember it is a ship to ship safety device not something to chat about last night on.

All broads bridges use channel 12 but if you don't normally need to open them then you don't really need to speak to them.

Ian

[Mowjo]

Nigel! on my Freeman I have a normal car cd/radio, and just a normal car type aerial, never had any problem getting any stations, on my Seamaster I had one of those stubby car aerials, about a foot long never had any trouble with that either, are you sure your radios not duff?? come to that are your sure it even has an aerial fitted ,,, :-D

[Guest]

Mowjo,

Hi Frank - no you're probably right, either my radio is duff or it doesn't have an aerial fitted - there certainly isn't a normal car type one, just the massive VHF aerial, hence I wodnered if it was possible that may have been used.

I'll have to explore and probably change it all.

Thanks for the advice.

Nigel