HF antenna for yacht / boat

Any recommendations for a *simple* antenna that can be used
on a yacht/boat to receive ~500 kHz, and to receive/transmit
in the HF amateur and marine bands (1.5 MHz ~ 30 MHz)?

Currently I am thinking about a length of wire between the
stern and the top of the mast, fed via an ATU at the stern
end. I can make the wire ~50' long. What is the optimum
wire length? As long as possible?

Thanks,

John

Hello John,

The best starting point is probably the
installation guides available at
www.icomamerica.com and www.sgcworld.com.

Those two companies sell ssb radios and automatic
antenna tuners. If your tuner is of a different
make, you might search out information on it.

From there, you can simply do google searches on
any aspects not covered in those manuals.

The ARRL has published a book on marine
installations but I have not seen a copy yet.

Good luck.

Chuck



John Laczik wrote:
Any recommendations for a *simple* antenna that can be used
on a yacht/boat to receive ~500 kHz, and to receive/transmit
in the HF amateur and marine bands (1.5 MHz ~ 30 MHz)?

Currently I am thinking about a length of wire between the
stern and the top of the mast, fed via an ATU at the stern
end. I can make the wire ~50' long. What is the optimum
wire length? As long as possible?

Thanks,

John

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I did much the same thing but used a dipole "V" configuration with the apex
at the tip of the bow and each leg going to opposite sides of the flybridge.
Overall length was 32 feet.
I used an SGC-30 tuner and was able to load on all bands from 160-10. I
used the stainless steel railing all around the boat as the ground and it
seemed to work well. Lots of DX on 20M, including England with 5 watts
using a Yaesu FT-817.

This arrangement worked but the legs of the dipole going down to the bow
caused deckhands to get tangled feet when we were docking etc; so I scrapped
this system the next year in favor of the Shakespeare 23-ft marine whip with
the SGC tuner. Worked much better.

Good luck
Jim
K2JXW
Aboard the "Sandy Claws"
Chesapeake Bay, MD

============================

"John Laczik" wrote in message
...
Any recommendations for a *simple* antenna that can be used
on a yacht/boat to receive ~500 kHz, and to receive/transmit
in the HF amateur and marine bands (1.5 MHz ~ 30 MHz)?

Currently I am thinking about a length of wire between the
stern and the top of the mast, fed via an ATU at the stern
end. I can make the wire ~50' long. What is the optimum
wire length? As long as possible?

Thanks,

John

Currently I am thinking about a length of wire between the
stern and the top of the mast, fed via an ATU at the stern
end. I can make the wire ~50' long. What is the optimum
wire length? As long as possible?

=======================================
Optimum wire length is that which reach from the stern to the top of
the mast.
----
Reg.