Additional Radio

[knotflying]

I am going to add an additional VHF radio to my R-27. Looking for suggestions from those who have done this as to where they have located theirs at the helm and how they ran the new VHF antenna wire to the exterior. My plan, hopefully is to place a matching antenna at the same location on the port side, but need to figure out how to get the wire from the antenna to the radio.
Thanks,
Mike Rizzo

 

[NorthernFocus]

Have you thought about just using a handheld with an antenna adapter? On small boats antenna height rather than output watts is typically the limiting factor. So the 5w handheld will likely talk just as far as 25w marine unit through the same antenna. Food for thought.

On edit: There is also the advantage of still having a radio if you lose ship's power.

 

[knotflying]

I do have a handheld, but thought if I added a radio with AIS receive it would help when I go down the rivers this autumn. Figured I would kill two birds with one stone. Then again, maybe I am over thinking it and should leave well enough alone.

 

[Don and Brenda]

I run a splitter with 2 radios. Works fine.

 

[knotflying]

What kind of splitter? It is my understanding that if you do not use a sophisticated splitter you will blow out one radio while the other is transmitting.

 

[Gin]

If you have the stock Gamin VHF radio for the R27, have you considered the Garmin auxiliary handset? The GHS 10? My guess is that the key is the AIS functionality you want, which is why the GHS 10 wouldn't do the trick. But just thought I'd ask.

Gini

 

[knotflying]

Yes, I am looking for the AIS receive function.

 

[j&lgray]

Mike, I would switch out the Garmin radio for the AIS compatible one that you have in mind and keep the handheld that you are using. Andiamo has AIS and we love it.

 

[Crewdog]

Hi Mike:

We had 2nd vhf radio installed above helm in overhead glovebox.

2nd antenna mounted port side to match location of stbd factory antenna.

Antenna cable run goes aling port upper bulkhead, around port glove box, forward of tv when folded and into stbd glove box.

It really proves its worth when making group runs, being able to listen to other tugs as well as required listening watch on 16.

Besides, the USCG says the single most important piece of safety gear is a vhf radio. We have 2 handhelds as well, 1 for ditch bag and 1 at helm. Now what radio do u think a rescue chopper would hear first; handheld or fixed mount?

Talk to some ham radio operators and theyll tell u that a good radio aint squat without a good antenna.

Also, we keep an emergency suction cup vhf antenna close by; u can run cable out window and suction it to overhead with a good thwack and get performance between fixed antenna and handheld.

Now back to Coffee on the Atlantic side of Allans Pensacola Cay......

Bill

 

[richd]

Talk to some ham radio operators and theyll tell u that a good radio aint squat without a good antenna.

I can vouch for this statement. A good antenna definitely makes a difference.

One thing to think about is a regular marine radio typically has a transmit power rating of 1W on low and 25W on high. Most handhelds are limited to 5W. Combine that with the lower gain antennas of the handhelds and they are limited to about 5 - 20 miles depending on terrain. Don't get me wrong - having an emergency handheld is a great idea - just be aware of its limitations.

There are other options like the use of a splitter like a Alpha Delta 2 antenna switch. It would allow you to run 2 radios off one antenna - or if you replaced your existing radio with one that has AIS, you could add a second antenna for redundancy and the switch would allow you to quickly switch to the second antenna if one gets put out of commission (as I witnessed by someone using the antenna as a handrail when walking up to the bow...) The splitter would only allow the use of one radio or one antenna at a time. There are others splitters that would allow using two antennas at once or two radios with one antenna. I like the Alpha Delta 2 because it protects the unused equipment from lightning and the sort by grounding it.

There are options depending on the amount of redundancy you would like to have.

-Rich
HAM call: K9WWW

 

[bbrh842]

Crew Dog.
After your boat sinks, my guess is the Coast Guard will hear your hand held first.

 

[Don and Brenda]

Finally have internet conection again. I use a Shapespeare splitter, it has a fraction of a second delay and uses the radion last transmitting, whenyou click the mic the delay takes place and that radio takes over. Used it last year on the Desolation trip and was fine. I tend to agree with John to use the Garmin AIS radio and just go that route.

Don

 

[coreychamness]

Having flown many USCG rescue missions,and having been stationed on more than one cutter, a VHF radio is indeed valuable for rescue. The MOST valuable for a rescue though is a good Registered EPIRB. That gets an immediate as possible response unless the position is at a dock or something. Even then we have launched on some of those. I have a Garmin AIS radio onboard plus the radio and GhC10 combo mentioned above. The AIS receiver to me thus far is just a cool toy. It also is a bit "big brother" scary since I can go on the internet and see my boat's movements every Two minutes over history. Folks are worried about the NSA but my location is freely available to all at anytime since I leave the radio powered on

 

[Crewdog]

Bbrh:

The second vhf radio is to ensure positive vhf contact before the boat sinks, if Me or First Mate gets sick or injured, we see or hear another boat in distress, before we activate the epirb or plb; then we'll have the handheld with a 1 or 2 mile range.

To make a a flying analogy, even a Cessna 152 has dual comms.

 

[Don and Brenda]

I do have an EPIRB on board also and it is registered to the boat as are my radios, of which I have 2 handheld and the 2 mounted. I use the portables for the dinghy etc.

 

[K7MXE]

Heres how I handled it. Normal Ray Marine radio has a emergency push button but I have a second radio in my "to go kit"
and if I have to leave a sinking boat I can grab the kit on the way out the cabin. It has a handheld radio that runs on AA batteries and in the kit is spares. My setup is a Midland and quite small. The same kit has the usual signal devices in it that are required by the Coast Guard. As I am exiting out the back door I have a inflatable sitting on the motor will and that surely beats swimming. When the inflatable is in the way it goes in the water right over the back of the boat.
The Midland hand held radio replaced a Icom unit that had to have the batteries charged all the time but with AA battery packs no more issues that way. Just one way of doing something and lots of other choices out there. I have a R21EC.