How to Choose the Right VHF Antenna?
A VHF Antenna often travels in a line of sight and its transmission pattern affects the range. Tall antennas give better range than short VHF antennas. Apart from that, the high decibels also give greater VHF communication range.
It is necessary to consider certain things while choosing a VHF antenna for communication. You need to balance between gain, cost, and size of the antenna. In this blog, we will discuss a VHF antenna, its types, and the things to consider while choosing the VHF antenna.
What is VHF Antenna?
VHF antenna is an important part of the VHF installation process. This antenna mainly offers a radiator for the power that the transmitter generates and radiates energy in the right direction. These antennas should be closed in a case that protects them from harmful elements of the environment. This case protects antennas from damaging forces of the environment and harsh climatic conditions.
These VHF antennas can withstand even the speediest winds in the oceans and seas. They do not rust easily due to winds, dust, or monsoons.
Types of VHF Antenna
We will now discuss the various types of VHF antennas. Read below to know the list of VHF antennas:
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VHF Marine Antenna
VHF Marine Antenna is a very useful antenna for bass boats and vessels that are small. It is mainly used to receive and send VHF marine radio waves with small boats. These antennas can be used to enable communication with the shore.
This antenna makes long-distance communication simple even in the heaviest winds. It increases safety on fishing and small vessels. The waves in VHF marine antenna travel in a straight manner and can be received by the antenna that goes in line with the transmitting antenna.
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VHF Naval Shipboard Antenna
The next kind of VHF antenna is VHF Naval Shipboard Antenna. This antenna is widely used in icebreaker ships, naval ships, and merchant ships. It normally comes in an assembled condition and you can easily install it as per the requirements.
These shipboard antennas have a beautiful powder coating finish to safeguard antennae from dangerous environmental conditions. Many shipboard antennas are available in the market that works on various frequency bands.
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VHF Dipole Antenna
The third type of antenna is the VHF Dipole antenna. It is a kind of half-wave dipole antenna that comes with a mounting boom and clamp. You can use this antenna with a matching phasing harness to get better-quality signals.
VHF dipole antennas are vertically polarized and have a horizontal magnetic field. They can work effectively in harsh climatic conditions. Moreover, the VHF Dipole Antenna has a durable construction that does not rust or get damaged due to winds, moisture, or pollutants.
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VHF Yagi Antenna
A VHF Yagi Antenna is a type of antenna that works on various frequency bands such as 118-137 MHz, 350 MHz, 75 MHz, and so on. It is simple to mount a Yagi antenna on large vessels. Some Yagi antennas come with mounting hardware for quick installation if needed.
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VHF Side Dipole Antenna
The last on the list is VHF Side Dipole Antenna. It works on various frequency bands and includes an omnidirectional gain. This dipole antenna contains amazing features such as wide bandwidth, high power handling capacity, and moderate gain. Apart from that, the VHF side dipole antenna also makes lower noise than other antennas and can be used for SCADA and TETRA applications. It has a good finish that protects it from environmental elements.
How to Choose the Right VHF Antenna?
Picking the right VHF antenna involves considering many factors from antenna gain to height. Here are some of the most important factors to consider while choosing the VHF antenna:
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Antenna Gain
Antenna gain is represented in decibels and shows the transmission pattern of the VHF antenna. It also affects the range of the antenna. Many antennas are available in the market that comes from 3 DB for a 4 feet model to 9 DB for a 12 to 23 feet model.
The higher decibels in the antenna give a higher range. The marine items generally have antennas with lengths of 20 to 35 feet.
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Antenna’s Performance
The next thing to look for while choosing VHF Antennas is the performance. Good antennas help to receive and transmit signals precisely everywhere. While choosing the VHF antenna, you must pick the ones that contain quick-connect adapters. The antennas with adapters will help to connect speedily to marine VHF devices.
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Antenna’s Height
Antenna’s height is one of the most important things to consider while buying a VHF antenna. Height of the antenna determines the distance of transmitting radio signals. The antenna that it mounted at a higher altitude can pass the signals more precisely.
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Mounts
Many products include Ratchet-style antenna mounts that have to travel on low bridges. Female ferrule at the bottom of the antennas screws to the threaded mount. You can also go for electric mounts that help you to raise and lower the antenna with one button. Electric mounts reduce the effort to climb on the top of boat to mount the antenna.
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Types Of Cables
The next thing to look for is the kind of cable. For simple installation of the antenna, the connectors are installed after the cable is connected via bulkheads and rigging tubes. Low quality antennas contain coaxial wires that you need to attach to the plugs.
On the other hand, the new and advanced VHF antenna models contain screw-on plugs that work better than coaxial cables. They make the installation and uninstallation of an antenna easier than coaxial cables.
Final words
These are some of the most important things to consider while choosing the VHF antennas. You can get the Best VHF Antenna from online sites by filling up online forms. Consider the above factors while choosing the VHF High Gain Antenna wherever needed. These factors will help you to get the best antennas with rich features at an affordable cost.
