AIS Antenna

[Last Tango]

Hi

I was wondering if any of you wicked reprobates had fitted both your AIS and VHF aerials on the "A" frame and if you did, did it end in catastrophic disaster.

If I take the aerial out of the back of my VHF (DC ground 3db) and plug it into the AIS the AIS performance is awesome.
However, I bought a pukka 161/162 3db AIS aerial... https://www.force4.co.uk/scout-ais-f...IaAjyIEALw_wcB

fitted it to the windscreen frame to keep it more than two meters from the VHF aerial and the the performance is sh1t3. Seems to Tx ok but really poor reception.

I have another aerial exactly the same as the VHF one and that works ok but only if it's grounded to, and near the "A" frame. Tried various cables, connectors and locations but it looks like it has to go on the "A" frame about a meter away from the VHF aeriel.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

Hi



I was wondering if any of you wicked reprobates had fitted both your AIS and VHF aerials on the "A" frame and if you did, did it end in catastrophic disaster.

(

Yes, nope[emoji106]

[jwalker]

Well they're not on an A-frame but on the cabin roof, VHF - radar - ais - navtex all within a few feet of each other. No probs.

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Yes, nope[emoji106]

That's about all the encouragement I needed.......Thanks..

[willk]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

That's about all the encouragement I needed.......Thanks..

No issues - 2xVHF, 1xAIS, 1xRADAR, multiple GPS receivers.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

That's about all the encouragement I needed.......Thanks..

Was in the pub having dinner, so couldn’t go into detail. I have 2 identical antennae mounted on opposite sides of the A frame around 4’ apart. One for the VHF, t’other for the AIS. Both work perfectly, no issues. They are Procomm antennae. They are both vertical in reality, the photo makes them look pissed

[boristhebold]

I use a single Antanee on the A Frame that is connected to an AIS Splitter box which splits the single to an AIS box and to the VHF set. It also has an output for FM/AM radio. So VHF, AIS and FM/AM signals go through one Antanee. Works fine.

Also I use quality gold plated type of VHF connectors and decent cable run through deck to a connector plug in transome then Antanee cable runs through A Frame to connector plug in transome. (That way if I need to replace Antanee at any point its just a simple run of cable back to that plug through A Frame rather than a long run through deck to console.

[charliee]

small rod for the size of bait used in the photo!

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by charliee

small rod for the size of bait used in the photo!

He has a sensitive touch does our Brian[emoji6]

[Last Tango]

Thanks for the responses guys.
I think I've probably "over-googled" this. Looks like it's not a problem. (Boris.. the instructions said "no splitters" but I've no doubt that would be fine too.)
I've already bought two aerials for the AIS so I'll just fire one of them on the "A" frame and join the damned.