VHF issues

General Boats and Motors
1

I put a Cobra VHF radio in my boat several months ago & am having issues receiving & transmitting. I pick up the weather channels loud and clear, but I can barely hear anything else. I was trying to talk to a buddy on Sat., less than 150 yds. away, & I could hardly make out what he was saying and he was having the same trouble receiving me. I’ve got an 8’ antenna.
Any ideas of what my problem is? is causing this? ( I’ve already heard what my problem is, many times, from my wife.:smiley:)

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069

2

Bob, did you have to put on the PL-259 yourself. Sounds like a mis-wired connector grounding or a poor ground

3

Excuse my ignorance, but what the hell is the PL-259?

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069

4

It’s the cable end that plugs into the radio Bob! Most times you have to put them on yourself! They make several different styles. Did you put a crimp style or a solder style on it? There is shielding in the wire that had to be peeled back and soldered or crimped on.

http://www.westmarine.com/search?text=PL-259

5

Nope, it was a plug & play.

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069

6

2x what Easy said. Make sure the peel back shield mesh inside the wire coating is NOT CONTACTING any metal on the plug.

Every time I have tried to make that connection I always get metal to metal contact causing exactly what you describe.

SO, then I take it to a CB shop or 2 way radio shop and they connect it for $5-15 bucks and I’m ready to go.

“The big one’s still swimming, let’s go.”

7

The outer mesh should actually make a good connection to the outer case of the plug, with the center conductor only contacting the center pin.

If it’s a factory connection it should be good but maybe not. Take the cable loose from the radio and put an ohm meter across the center pin and the outer case. It should read about 50 ohms or so. If it is shorted it will just read 1 or 2. It there is an open connection then you won’t get a reading at all.

If that checks out, it’s probably a bad radio. Buy an Icom or Standard:wink:

Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com

“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose

8

Bob, does the antenna unscrew from the mounting base:question: If it will, get/borrow/steal, a known good one and try it!

9

When the rain stops & it dries out some, I’ll double check all the connections. What got me was that the weather channel comes in clear as a bell. I even got the tornado warnings today when it was on channel 7.

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069

10

Me thinks you may have an antenna full of water. Check the resistance at the connector that goes to the radio. I think you have what’s called a high resistance short in the standing part of the antenna. Could be caused by storing the antenna in the horizontal position. I keep mine just slightly tilted up.

ZX

11

Try using you radio on someones antenna that works! And visa versa!

12
quote:
Originally posted by tanksgt

Me thinks you may have an antenna full of water. Check the resistance at the connector that goes to the radio. I think you have what’s called a high resistance short in the standing part of the antenna. Could be caused by storing the antenna in the horizontal position. I keep mine just slightly tilted up.

ZX

My boat is kept covered when not in use and even then, the antenna is slightly tilted, so I don’t think that’s my problem.

I’ll also try to find another antenna to do a test with.

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069