Best fixed VHF Antenna for a Rib A Bar please?

[Ribtecer]

Question says it all, what do you recommend please?

We don't want to wire it all in, and find we've bought the wrong one.

Many thanks.

Ribtecer

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Ribtecer

Question says it all, what do you recommend please?



We don't want to wire it all in, and find we've bought the wrong one.



Many thanks.



Ribtecer

I have a couple of Procomm antennas as recommended by Icom. They are high quality & have been faultless. Metz also have a good following.
Whatever you choose, go for good quality stainless fixing hardware/mounts. The A frame is probably the worst part of a RIB for shock/G loads.

[Iron Dials]

I replaced a tired Glomex+cable with a 1.1m Glomex powerboat antenna GLORA106GRPPB6135 rather than the Glomex rib one, which unscrews into several parts (think potential failure points) or the stainless whip one.

It performs very well but is v fiddly wiring the cable into the base of the antenna. Availability of Procomm wasn’t good, last Spring but V happy with what I installed. The ais shares it and also performs v well.

[Phil and Jane]

I supply Metz Antennas for UK and Europe having imported them from the US where they are made. I am a trade member on here as well as being a rib user. The website is https://seasthedaymarine.co.uk. I rarely advertise because people just Google the subject or just Google Metz and the product sells itself. They are fitted to every US Coastguard boat which is a big selling point. With best regards Phil.

[BogMonster]

Had and broken RIB Raider and Metz. The RIB Raider just broke I think, the Metz used to lose its 'whippy bit' as there is a bit of a design flaw with the way it fixes on, unless they've changed it since I lost 2 of mine!

I have had a Pacific Seamaster Pro for about 7 or 8 years now I guess, fit and forget and there are 2 different lengths, which can be swapped by hand with no tools. The 1.0m is excellent for range and the shorty is good to leave on the boat so I don't, ahem, break the long one off reversing into the garage

UK availability was an issue at the time I bought mine, but Force 4 seem to do them and have them in stock now:

https://www.force4.co.uk/department/...acific-aerials

[Erin]

I'm just giving Metz a try having had Glomex and Pacific before. I think a lot has to do with quality of connections and keeping moisture out as it does the aerial itself. My Pacific started losing range and it turned out water had got into the connections causing corrosion.

[jambo]

Had rib raider for years but switched to Metz and have not regretted it.

[beerbelly]

i has a metz very good my only advice echos what said above make sure the whip is tightened very tight or remove it when trailer ing the boat any distance as you will lose it .i now have a shakespear squat body antenna that is an obvious metz clone but without the removable whip and tbh for my use works great

[Neil R]

I've had a Metz for a few years, so far so good although I have noticed I never hear any radio traffic at home (~25 miles inland) like I used to with my original 2.4m white grp version. The latter just kept breaking at it's base, but it's insides did look more recognisable to me as an antenna (length of copper with the connection point half-way up). I keep meaning to explore and possibly buy the proper tool to check all is good - SWR meter? - does anyone have any tips on that please.

[Phil and Jane]

Originally Posted by Neil R

I've had a Metz for a few years, so far so good although I have noticed I never hear any radio traffic at home (~25 miles inland) like I used to with my original 2.4m white grp version. The latter just kept breaking at it's base, but it's insides did look more recognisable to me as an antenna (length of copper with the connection point half-way up). I keep meaning to explore and possibly buy the proper tool to check all is good - SWR meter? - does anyone have any tips on that please.

I fit quite a few antennas as part of my business and use a Shakesphere Art3 SWR meter. You can buy them on line for £118, just Google the meter type. The meter will show you your VHF set output in watts and the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) which is a test of the antennas efficiency. Quite often when fitting connectors and cables, if you get a short, which is very easy to do, the meter will indicate a fault. I test my own antenna frequently and as a matter of course I used to snip 25mm off the antenna end of the RG213 cable and fit a new connector each year to keep it at full watts. More recently I have switched my own Rib to Messi and Paolini Ultraflex 7 cable with connectors. The cable has no loss at all. It’s a bit fiddly to fit the Messi and Paolini connectors but worth the extra cost.

[Neil R]

Thanks P&J, I'll have a look at that.