VHF Range Question

[John151]

My boat spends most of its life on a small lake, where a VHF is simply not needed. However, I am about to move it to Lake Michigan for a few weeks this fall, and would like to have my boat VHF enabled. I really don't want to mount a large VHF antenna, so I am looking for creative solutions. I have come up with 3 options so far:

• Hand held VHF
• Fixed mount radio, with "emergency antenna" (http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/antennas/specs/5911ant.htm)
• Fixed mount radio and regular antenna

What kind of range would I get from a hand held, or the emegency antenna?

 

[L Hall]

Height is one of the factors. If you have a 6 db gain antenna with a 25w radio, you are trasmitting about 75W. If you have a 25w radio and a 3 db gain antenna, you are transmitting about half of that. A VHF is a safety device primarily. It's primary use is to send reguests for help and to receive important information, like weather and other warnings. The CG will have antennas mounted up 400 ft or higher. If you plan to stay withing ten or fifteen miles of the coast, the 3' whip will work, otherwise I'd get a decent 8' fiberglass like the 5225xt - especially if you plan to go out on the GL again next year.

the 3' whip is $43

http://www.boatfix.com/bykeywordnew2ele.asp?textfield=SHAKESPEARE+5247&texttype=2&submit=Search

while the 8' is $80

http://www.boatfix.com/bykeywordnew2ele.asp?textfield=SHAKESPEARE+5225xt&texttype=2&submit=Search

$37 for twice the power.