Buy the right antenna for the job.

A little understanding of what is available can save hassles time and money.

VHF Marine Radio Antennas come in many sizes and mounting systems. I have listed a few things you might want to keep in mind when buying an antenna and mount for your radio.

The boat size and type make a difference.

For maximum range the antenna should be as long as possible and mounted as high as possible.

A sail boat mast provides a great mounting point because it elevates the antenna to the highest possible point allowing the best possible range. Mast mounts are simple band clamps.

If you are mounting an antenna on a small bass boat you can use a special antenna mounting system that will allow you to lower the antenna easily for fishing.

Shakespeare has this to say about mounting antennas:

"Consider the available space for mounting an antenna (and a radio), and how the antenna will have to be mounted.

• Rail mounting. Antennas attach easily to a variety of sizes of rails with handy rail mounts. The ratchets on them make lowering the antenna quite easy - for fishing or trailering, whatever. The rails can be horizontal or vertical, slanted or not. The simplest rail mount is Shakespeare's Style 4720 Economy Rail Mount. It's a simple clamp and a simple 1"-14-thread bracket that holds the antenna to the clamp.



• Surface (deck or bulkhead) mounting, flat or vertical. Mounting an an antenna to a flat surface requires either a flange mount, or a ratchet mount. Larger antennas have their own special needs - discussed shortly. On most boats, it's a safe bet that most of the available flat surfaces aren't exactly vertical or horizontal. They slope. The easiest way is with a ratchet mount that handily adjusts for the sloping surface and still permits quickly raising or lowering the antenna in the direction you want.



• Mounting Kits. Even if your boat is large enough so you don't have to take down your antennas to fish, many longer antennas probably have to be lowered to clear bridges, boat houses or other overhead obstructions. The two-part antenna mounting kit provides that option. The upper bracket snaps open, so you can lay down the antenna when you need to, and raise it again quickly when clear of the obstacle.



• Mast mounting (for sailboats, or attached to some mast-like structure on your boat). Antennas can be strapped to a mast quite easily. Some antennas are intended for this mounting method, having an elongated sleeve at the bottom for the purpose."

As you can see the mounting systems are very versitle.

Shakespeare on Choosing the right antenna
Great overview on how to select the right antenna for the job.

VHF Radio Antennas by Chuck Husick
Nice overview of VHF Radio Antennas

Topic Tags: icom vhf, Marine Radio, shakespeare antenna, shakespeare mounts, standard horizon vhf, uniden vhf, VHF Marine Radio