VHF antenna for inflatable

Hello everyone,

I am looking to mount a SMALL vhf antenna on the console of my inflatable. The console is small and there is really no good place to put it that doesn't interfere with hand holds etc. A longer one also will be problematic when hoisting it up and down from the upper deck.


I understand the longer the better for reception. The reality is that I plan on using it for communication with the big boat and for emergency reasons. I currently use a hand held, but I have forgotten it on more than one occasion.

I thought I remember seeing an 18" fiberglass one, but maybe I am confusing it with the similar AM/FM radio antenna??

Thanks in advance!

Lots of short, base loaded sailboat antennas on the market. Generally stainless whips of 2-3 feet or so on a matching base...Flexible and compact

Shakespeare Classic 5216 VHF Antenna (15"):
https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|344|2028695|2029060&id=809709

Shakespeare 5218 Stowable VHF Antenna (19"):
https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|344|2028695|2029060&id=906887

Shakespeare 5911 Stowaway Portable VHF Antenna:
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|2028695|2029060&id=70975

I agree with Steve. If you're just using it for local mothership communications a small stainless whip would be perfect. Remember that such antennae are hazardous; they radiate enough RF energy to cause burns. You and any passengers need to be mindful that the antenna is a "no hand hold" object.

I would just stick with the hand held. Mount a holder for it somewhere that you can see it so you will know if the radio is onboard before you depart.

https://www.amazon.com/SOFT-Handheld-Radio-Holder-White/dp/B00JGX4D0U

A fixed mount radio with a fixed antenna sounds like a bit of overkill IMO.

My vote is to stick with the handheld too.

Handheld. And stop forgetting it. Belt clips usually work OK.

-Chris

Handheld only. Handheld to high boat antenna is several miles range easy.

We use a soft cooler bag from Walmart. Everything goes in there for the dinghy, including the handheld, flares, reg, spark plugs, essential tools, flashlight, sunscreen, etc. Grab it and growl.

Hello all,
Thanks for the replies. Yes, it probably would be easier to have a handheld and remember it. The reality is that with guests on the boat, people come and go on the inflatable. It is a matter of time before it gets forgotten, lost, or the battery runs down.

I had a recent experience recently in the Bahamas where one of my guests was going to take the inflatable offshore and troll for Dorado. On the last trip returning guests from the beach the prop spun. It really opened my eyes to what may have happened if they had disappeared in the inflatable and spun the prop and forgot the handheld.

After being a fireman for 30 years, I am guilty of overdoing it. A hard mounted VHF takes any human element out of the equation.

I plan on leaving Florida in March and leaving the boat in Panama and Costa Rica. I will be in some very remote areas and am trying to eliminate any problems.

Shakespeare makes several 3 foot antennas. I have personally used their 4400 antenna with excellent results on my 17 ft center console. The tip is only 6 feet off the water and have talked to the CG 10 miles away easily. Very durable and easy to mount.

You can probably also mount a stainless whip and use an adapter to connect a hand held to the whip.

For those times your range from the mothership increases.

Good range with flexibility.

I just replaced my dinghy with one (actually, exact same model as I had before) from the place from which I bought my last one. Last time, against their advice, they delivered with a 4' (I think) whip, as I wanted longer range communication than a handheld length would provide. This time, I took their advice and took a handheld length antenna (6" ? rubber ducky?). I really don't need any longer range and the longer antenna always got in the way.

If you have a console on which to mount it, use a 3’ - 4’ antennae on a pivoting mount. Swing it down when you load and store the tender. This length is a “real” antenna for range and is the tip is high enough to not poke anyone in the face. Easy to swing it down to store. A nice stainless pivoting mount is about $50 and worth it.

Pretty sure a higher gain antenna is not just so much for distance, but clearer comms snd the ability to overcome weaker signals from other stations that may clutter yours.

Perhaps a covering of red shrink tubing would stop some RF burns for folks that use the whip as a hand hold?

Freespool said:

Yes, it probably would be easier to have a handheld and remember it. The reality is that with guests on the boat, people come and go on the inflatable. It is a matter of time before it gets forgotten, lost, or the battery runs down.

Click to expand...

Maybe have several handhelds, then, and a check-list for using the dinghy, stuff to take, how to "manage" some of the stuff, etc.

-Chris

I’m more wary of a whip in the eye. Put a tennis ball on the end please

Here is what mine looks like. I mounted it on the aft handhold, then fold it down when I put the cover on.

ktdtx said:

https://www.morad.com/

Click to expand...

That's what I have they are great
Use one for the VHF and one for a regular FM radio (works)
They are both mounted to the roll bar but the dingy is also 19 feet long

If you don't have a place to mount out of the way I think a dedicated portable that is mounted in a charging cradle under the dash.
I always leave a smart charger on the dingy battery's when it is stored away that might be a good idea also

Keep in mind the typical HH antenna is an electrically short helix. It has a "gain" of about MINUS 5db. Meaning, if the radio uses a 5W power amp, about a watt leaves the antenna.

seems to work for the FM radio but then again i'm usually close to a big city
I would say 99 % of the time i'm listening to my i pod thru a fusion stereo

Maybe you could McGiver a permanent mount for a Shakespeare 5911 Emergency Antenna. It’s only 10 inches long. https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-5911-Classic-Emergency-Antenna/dp/B00C4ZXD8A

Sea Q said:

seems to work for the FM radio but then again i'm usually close to a big city
I would say 99 % of the time i'm listening to my i pod thru a fusion stereo

Click to expand...

Note that broadcast FM use from 10,000 to 100,000 Watt transmitters. The marine system via boats uses 25 Watts, and no high towers.

Maybe get a handheld dedicated to the inlfatable, and install a charging port on the dash. That way the handheld never leaves the dingy.......and as a belt and suspenders approach.....Put a tag on the keys that says "IS THE HANDHELD ON THE DINGY ?"

VHF Antenna for dinghy

I'm with the hand held group.

I have a Standard Horizon handheld that goes in the dinghy seat cushion. There are several pockets in the cushion. Here is what we have (Under Seat Storage Bag and Cushion for Inflatable Boats).

We also store a handheld sonar, horn, lights (like these: Inflatable Dinghy LED Navigation Light Kit with Self Adhesive Bow Light by Navisafe Works on PVC and Hypalon), water, etc.

I also have a dinghy list that we check every time we take it out. A check list that we go down, which also includes folding chairs.

The important stuff is in the seat cushion, but we still check that against the list just incase something was 'borrowed'.

The mast for the running light is bad enough, can't imagine having a whip antenna to deal with.

Hi all,

I really appreciate the responses. I am surprised at the number of folks who opt solely for a hand held unit. I understand that the easy solution is to not "forget" to put it on the inflatable. My experience is that the inflatable comes and goes (we take three couples including my wife and I).


Sometimes it's me on the inflatable and sometimes it's my wife (she is kind of new to the big boat scene). Many times it's a guest with limited boating experience. I find that I am often already on the beach, on a kayak, or in the engine room when my guests come and go on the inflatable to go snorkeling, fishing or sight seeing.


I still can't get over my concern of the hand held vhf getting forgotten, misplaced or losing a charge. Also, I may want to call the skiff for a myriad of reasons. If the vhf is stuffed in a bag, I can't call them in the case of emergency.


On a recent trip to the Bahamas, I was fishing from the skiff. I looked up and saw a rapidly approaching storm. I hitailed it back to the boat and pulled the inflatable out of the water and put it on the upper deck. Had it been a guest on the inflatable with the hand held VHF stuffed in a bag or under the seat they would have never heard me call them to warn them about the danger.


My preference is to have the radio hard mounted with it "on" and for us to be in constant communication. Maybe I am too concerned. Again, I was a firefighter for 30 years and I can't help but think about potential problems and take precautions.


I so appreciate all of your comments and insights. I have decided to hard mount a vhf in the dash and put a 36" antenna on a ratcheting bracket that allows me to lower it when I put the cover on it. Yes, it will be a little in the way (especially when fishing), but I can accept the small inconvenience for the trade off of being in communications. Thanks again for all of your valuable insight!

VHF Antenna for dinghy

You mentioned several times that the hand held in a bag would, run out of power, get lost, fall overboard and a myriad of other items that could happen.

You also mention, you were a firefighter and can't avoid seeing issues.

WELL, as a concerned captain of your boat, why would you let people who aren't versed in weather, safety and other necessary topics for safe boating take the dinghy out? You as the captain are responsible for your guests and letting those who couldn't get the dinghy back and stowed with bad weather coming in, shouldn't be in the dinghy without training & guidance in the first place. My 2 cents.

You do understand that, and while it seems you may have a large dinghy, you are going to need charging to keep a battery up which would power the fixed mount?

We all make the choices we see fit for our specific circumstances and I don't really care which you choose, but you opened a myriad of other topics that weren't mentioned before that to me are more important and need to be higher on the list than what type of VHF to buy.

Good luck.

I am currently refurbishing and outfitting a Rendova 14' that has been lurking under a tarp for a few years. It will be the tender for my new OA. I installed the 18" stainless whip, which does come with a plastic tip protector, I may need to add something more visible to avoid the possibility of eye pokes. I used to use a handheld, but like the OP have frequently forgotten it, also when ashore from our dinghy its nice to be able to take a handheld ashore and still communicate with the tender when in a group heading in several directions. Of course we can also use our phones! My decision was made when I came across the ICOM400BB model which allows me to conceal the radio within the console with only the command mic hanging outside. I really didnt have room anywhere for a conventional VHF faceplate so this solution works perfectly for me.

Nepidae,
Thank you for your response. I am very concerned with the safety of my crew. Remember I am the one that has a concern with the inadequacies of a handheld VHF radio. I am trying to minimize these.

The reality is I'm probably making more of an issue out of this than it needs to be. Additionally, both of the people that I was referring to on my last trip our boat owners and understand how to run a boat, especially an inflatable. One of them even has 100 times captains license.

On my recent trip to the Bahamas, I was the one running the inflatable. We were fishing throwing jigs close to the island. When we had a break in the topography we were able to see the storm closing in just a few miles away. Again, had this been someone else running the boat I would want to have the ability to call them back and retrieve the inflatable.

In regard to operating the hoist to raise the inflatable to the upper deck, I am not comfortable having a guest do this. If you have ever done this, you would understand the propensity for the inflatable to swing on the cable. My concern is putting the shaft of the outbard through the salon window. This is increased when the wind is blowing and the boat is rocking.

I am also very well aware of the additional draw on the battery that hard-wired VHF radio will take. I do have a small separate battery charger and also know that the outboard charges the radio when it's running. You probably wouldn't be surprised to hear that I upgraded the smaller battery to a group 24 battery. Thank you for your input stay safe