Hi Rafael,
? ?The tinned braid is salvaged from a length of Ancor 12 AWG shielded marine cable. The ring is a standard crimp connector for 12-10 AWG wire and a #10 fastener. It's 10 mm across the outside of the ring.
? ?I initially planned to 'come up' with a ground bodge...er...'solution' after terminating the braid. Research stopped once I found the braid slid over the ring and made an effective ground.? I sail solo, and don't use the radio on the move, so don't mind tossing the braid over the stern once the anchor's down.
(Hmmm...looks like the jumper from the common mode choke to the antenna isn't marine coax...must be left over from the 'if this works I'll make it permanent next time I'm in this locker' exercise. hihi)
73, Andy
On Fri, Nov 24, 2023 at 09:47 AM, Rafael Diniz wrote:
This is very interesting!
Would you mind sending us a picture? How is this ring terminal?
Cheers,
Rafael
On 11/24/23 02:10, AndyH wrote:
On Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 10:29 AM, Demonmariner wrote:
What are you using for an antenna? I'm working on an hf setup for
my small sailboat.
I'm using a Hustler vertical on the aft deck just inside the pushpit.
The Cape Dory has a fiberglass hull and deck.? The center conductor
from the coax is connected to the antenna, and the braid is terminated
with a ring terminal.
The SWR is 1.5:1 - 2-1 with no antenna ground. (The variation is due
to changes in the distance between the base of the antenna and the
water surface.)? Slipping a couple of meters of tinned braid over the
ring terminal and tossing the other end into saltwater brings the SWR
down to 1.1:1 regardless of the swell.? I'm not using any other ground
for the radio.
The antenna has been in service about 18 months so far. The ball mount
is the weakest link with regards to rust. It looks like the bolt might
be 304 stainless, but the spacer inside the ball is mild steel. Were I
to install this again, I'd have a fab shop make a fixed deck mount
from 316.
Fair winds,
Andy
SSM-2 Ball Mount
MO-3 Mast
VP-1 Multi Band Adapter
RM-20 and RM-40 Standard resonators
