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Come in, Calcutta

by Gordon West, Posted March 11, 2009

Don Arnold of Chattanooga, Tennessee, asks:"My local marine-electronics dealer tells me that marine SSB and ham radio are outdated and that I should use a satellite phone. What do you think?"Gordon West replies: There’s no question that a sat phone is a very handy device. But the advantage of radio is that since SSB signals bounce off the

Wireless Mousetrap

by Gordon West, Posted January 20, 2009

Tom Gilbert of Jensen Beach, Florida, asks:"I'm about to install Wi-Fi on my boat so I can use my laptop when I'm in the harbor. I think a 14-element YAGI, such as the RL/WAVRVMAR or the RL/14ele2.4wp, would be good units I can aim, set, and receive. However, other people tell me that an omnidirectional antenna is the answer. Which is the better

VHF Echoes

by Gordon West, Posted December 22, 2008

Warren Updike of Towson, Maryland, asks:"My Simrad RS8300 VHF has two full-function handsets. The VHF is a black-box type with a DSC class-C transceiver that is about 15 years old; it’s mounted behind a panel in the main saloon. The receiver is very sensitive and very easy to use. The transceiver interfaces with my Raymarine ST-50 GPS, which is mounted nearby. My AM/FM

Somewhere Over There

by Gordon West, Posted December 3, 2008

Bernard Hall of San Diego, California, asks:"This past summer I routinely heard U.S. Coast Guard VHF transmissions made from hundreds of miles away. Is there something peculiar about my VHF installation, or is the reception the result of something else?"Gordon West replies: It’s clear that your installation was done very well, but chances are

Silent Night

by Gordon West, Posted November 24, 2008

"My boat is the only one in the fleet that can’t hear Herb Hilgenberg’s Atlantic weather report on SSB. Even though I turn off my circuit breakers before I tune in, I still get noises that affect my reception. I had a technician come aboard, and when he disconnected my batteries from the circuit he could hear Herb’s transmissions loud and clear on his portable SSB. But when he reattached the DC

Loud and clear

by Gordon West, Posted October 20, 2008

How much VHF signal strength will I lose if I put a coaxial cable disconnect assembly at the base of my mast? I want to eliminate the hassle of having to pull out the cable every time I step or unstep the mast, and this seems like a good solution.-- Dennis Thompson , Annapolis, MarylandGordon West replies : If you can be sure the coax disconnect assembly

Better to be seen

by Gordon West, Posted July 20, 2008

"I have a 28-foot boat with a fractional rig. I’m thinking about mounting a radar reflector on the leading edge of the mast between the forestay and the masthead. Is this a good idea?"-- Dave Adams, Newington, ConnecticutGordon West replies: Having a radar reflector is always a good idea; it can increase your boat’s target visibility by up to 6 miles.

Wilting waypoints

by Gordon West, Posted July 16, 2008

"Starting my engine often wipes out some waypoints in my charting program. My multimeter tells me that the voltage to the charting system drops only .5 volt when the starter is cranking, but that seems to be enough to cause the problem. Everything else still works fine with the lower voltage. Any ideas?"-- Janet Margelli, Marina del Rey, CaliforniaGordon West

Ground out

by Gordon West, Posted June 26, 2008

"I’ve got my boat well grounded for lightning protection and have a pair of insulators to isolate my backstay. I’m concerned that the grounded rigging will pull down my SSB signal transmissions."-- Jim Wonn, Cashmere, WashingtonGordon West replies: As long as your backstay is insulated so the SSB antenna can radiate, there is no problem. Although the signal

Farm team

by Gordon West, Posted May 27, 2008

"I’m about to install an antenna farm on the horizontal arch behind my boat’s cockpit and am wondering whether the antennas need to be placed on the arch in a particular way. Are there guidelines for proper antenna location?"-- Dave Richardson , Winnetka, IllinoisGordon West replies: You should do several things. First, if possible mount the radar antenna