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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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VHF Radio/Antenna/Autopilot Dilemma

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 05/25/2010 : 16:39:10

I'll toss in late. I have a WM fixed VHF and it is probably made by Uniden because it is WHAM compatible. The WHAM has full control of the radio and includes a speaker. As for range, the WHAM module has its own antenna; it doesn't use the VHF (wrong frequency), but good luck getting more than 100 feet from it. The Unidens were quite respectable in P/S testing in both fixed and handheld.

Edited by - on

Tradewind
Admiral

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USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 05/25/2010 : 16:47:30

My mast is down and I'm debating on buying a handheld VHF or running the coax for a masthead antenna, I'm really not looking forward to the hassle of running the coax up the mast, heat index around 100 or better this week and this is a solo effort. I'm not going off shore and don't expect to be more than 15 miles away from the tall Coast Guard antenna so I'm leaning toward the 6 watt handheld VHF.

I know I saw some pics somewhere of each end of the mast and a description of the project, just can't find them.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 04:52:25

Nowadays I'd never put an antenna on top for an inland lake, or the gulf for that matter. Much better on the rail. I'd only use a handheld anyway. There are so many people so much closer. They are all busy so you don't even get a radio check nowadays, but if you maydayed they would respond.

Heck, you can get help with the cell phone often, and pizza delivered.

I use a handheld, but about the only thing for is to listen to the weather, and the local regatta.

Edited by - on

Tradewind
Admiral

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USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 10:02:39

Yeah, I think I'll go the handheld route, lots of traffic on the bay and I'm within sight of the CG station anyway.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 10:17:53

Steve,
Here's the link to where I [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16750&SearchTerms=coax,mast"]ran coax up my mast[/url]. It's really not horribly difficult as long as the original pull strings are there. I always pull two more strings when I pull something up the mast so you're never out of strings. You can find nylon string at HD / Lowes, wherever for pretty cheap. Make sure you run your coax over something smooth to round out the angles into the mast so you don't end up stripping the covering off the coax (as was done by whoever originally ran it up my mast, that's what all the black string looking stuff is).

Good luck.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 10:30:10

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=11151&partNumber=8717860&langId=-1

I put one of these just inside the cabin and it works great. I can turn the radio on and scan and hear it fine in the holder.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 10:35:32

<< I'm within sight of the CG station >>

yepper, the handheld works fine. They won't answer, but they are listening so don't say anything like panpan unless you mean it.

Personally I'd LOVE to sit offshore at night and listen to what everyone is saying in the Gulf. ( Louisiana especially )

I'll bet you could get a ear-full...

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 11:04:01

My two cents for what ist's worth.

To facilitate single handing, which I do exlusively, including club racing, I added the following to my C25:

Standard Horizon radio with cockpit mounted remote mike. An essential if you can't leave the tiller to answer the radio. Three foot mast head antenna recently replaced with 3 1/2 foot.

Simrad TP10 autopilot-essential as a secnd pair of hands for obvious reasons. I will soon buy a TP20 and use the TP10 as a spare.

Roller furling. A godsend on a bouncy sea.

Rigid boom vang-very helpful when reefing the main. I prefer it to the topping lift.

Lazy jacks - I have them fabricated but not yet installed. Will facialitate flaking my full-batten main.

As with navigation when cruising long distances, you need to have some type of manual backup or procedure in case of mechanical failure. Tiller tamer, vang tackle, topping lift, some means of flying a jib independant of the forestay, etc, need to be readily available and practiced.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 11:14:50

Sweet list...

Be still my beating heart!

I can't wait to get the roller furling .. but then I better not go to fast here... when I finish up I'd just end up with foots disease.

On to an old SanJuan 28 or something...

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 11:18:01

Steve's probably a bit like me.. Just sailing to the other side of the lake to the TiKi Hut for a Margareta.

Whooo Hoooooooooo......

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 13:21:30

Oh, and for what it's worth, I keep a hand held in the cockpit with me, plus my WHAM mike to my main radio (good for about 5 hours of continuous running on a charge), and a cell phone in a water proof bag on a lanyard around my neck. If I were sailing on a lake, I'd probably be good with the hand held & phone. I actually have two phones generally, mine & Rita's, and two FSR radios as well, but I don't ever use them, they're just there for ship to shore communication if one of us is ashore & the other's on the boat. Not very common.

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Tradewind
Admiral

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USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2010 : 14:10:10

David, thanks, that's the link I was looking for. Still haven't decided yet, boat is on the trailer and mast is resting on bow and stern rails, might be a pain to run the wire. I'm considering a high end hand held, Standard Horizon has a 6 watt with DSC and GPS, a little pricey but about the same as buying a fixed mount, wire, connectors and antenna.

Redeye, that's pretty much right, Pensacola Bay isn't that big.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 05/27/2010 : 10:39:13

Steve,

Running a cable though the pvc tube in your mast is not difficult. I originally used used my backstay - the boat was brand new. Simply remove the stay, run it through the mast tube, tape the end of your RG cable to the end of the stay and pull it through. You will have to leave about 1.5 feet of cable on either end to exit the mast and run to the antenna and deck coupling. You will also have to remove the mast head.

I just put new antenna cable in mine. It took all of about 30 minutes from start to finish without help. This is a worth while project, especially if you need to communicate more than 3 or 4 miles.

Edited by - on

Tradewind
Admiral

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USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 05/27/2010 : 12:10:30

Thanks Al, I plan to pull each end off of the mast to inspect everything, sounds easy enough.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2010 : 04:21:59

<< Redeye, that's pretty much right, Pensacola Bay isn't that big. >>

Ah.. that's where you are. My waters usta extend from Appalach to Shalimar. Back in the day. Always wanted to run west from the Sand Bar, and see more of santa rosa.

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windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2010 : 05:13:04

Your dilemma is like choosing which of your two kids you love most. They're both so important. Given your cruising ground, the handheld seems adequate for now. The autopilot will make your sailing a whole lot safer. Since installing my autopilot I do a lot less running and jumping around in the boat, racing from bow to stern. That safety factor is probably more important than the extra range of the fixed VHF. My two cents.

Having said that, a good VHF with an antenna atop the mast is pretty darn important. I had the help of a local rigger with a long wire-snaker to "snake" the mast, but if you can lay your hands on one of those, then it's a piece of cake to run the coax. I wouldn't put an antenna on my stern pulpit, as it would interfere with my fishing, dinghy painter manipulations and so on. I love having the antenna up there, out of the way.

One note for C250 owners, an unused coax cable was already snaked from the circuit panel to the mast tube on my boat. I have no idea why, but it was like Christmas in July when I drilled a hole in the deck to discover a beautiful coax cable lying there, just waiting for me to splice into. Thank you Frank Butler!

Edited by - windsong on 05/28/2010 05:15:13

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2010 : 12:10:23

<< atop the mast is pretty darn important >>

My whip at ground level worked great, and it was easy to inspect. As many people as there are offshore Pepsicola nowadays, I would not even put an 8 foot whip on the rail.

IMHO if you can't get to a part in a saltwater environment, it will fail pronto.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2010 : 12:11:59

Come to think or it, you are gonna have a LOT of people offshore with radideos for the next coupla years, if not longer...

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