Hello From Kenya! Looking for some advice....

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Askari
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Hello From Kenya! Looking for some advice....

Post by Askari »

Good afternoon all! My first post here!

I have had a read through some topics here and thought that you guys might be able to help me...have looked on the web to no avail.

I live in Kenya...we have a speed boat that we keep at the coast. I have a hand held VHF ship to shore for emergency use but for general chit chat with family and my office we use 446mhz with 5w handhelds and some 25w mobile units. Obviously UK regs re 446mhz PMR/TX power/antennas don't apply here.

I am looking for an antenna that I can use on a fibreglass boat on the 446 freqs. I am not very technically minded but I understand the antenna will need a metal ground plane...which a fibreglass boat can't provide!

Someone suggested that I could wire the antenna to the battery as the ground plane. How? And wouldn't there be interference from the motor?

I'm really just looking for the sort of fiberglass (not necessarily though) that boats use for VHF but that will work on 446/70cm.

Any assistance, guidance, suggestions even **** taking gratefully received!

Thanks.

Askari
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RadioPixie
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Re: Hello From Kenya! Looking for some advice....

Post by RadioPixie »

Hi, with UHF (ie 70cm/446MHz) there are many commercially available base antennas. If you Google X30 or X50 antenna (initially designed for 2m/70cm but also work on 446MHz). Sirio Antenne of Italy make a specific 446 antenna called CX-440. I think all these antennas are a mix of plastic, aluminium, brass and stainless steel. You would need to check from a supplier.

Because of the size of the wavelength (cms rather than metres) they do not need an additional metal ground plane, so you don't have to be concerned about that aspect. That's more for CB and VHF mobile antennas and HF bands.
73 from Dave the Pixie - 26CT052 - 26TM552 - CB Radioaficionado
Askari
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Re: Hello From Kenya! Looking for some advice....

Post by Askari »

Pixie - many thanks for your comments and indeed help. I'm a bit of a novice!

I have a small magmount antenna that came with a mobile radio on the 446 frequencies that is quite tiddly, maybe about 16cm long. If I cut a 20cm square out of 2mm thick metal would that suffice as a ground plane? Save me buying and fitting a Sirio CX440 (which we have at home)....
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RadioPixie
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Re: Hello From Kenya! Looking for some advice....

Post by RadioPixie »

Hi, that size of ground plane for a 446 meg mobile antenna is absolutely fine :thumbup:
73 from Dave the Pixie - 26CT052 - 26TM552 - CB Radioaficionado
Askari
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Re: Hello From Kenya! Looking for some advice....

Post by Askari »

Pixie...really appreciated. Many thanks
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