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View Full Version : Loran Whip Separated from Coupler?


JLR
03-20-2007, 12:37 PM
I plan on climbing back up on the tower this weekend and wanted to make sure the advice I received on another forum makes sense. It seems like a good idea but I'm not sure it will work (see below). I have two unused wires already run from my helm to my tower and this sounds like a plan:

Try mounting your Loran coupler near the head unit; then, using one of the 12ga wires with 3/8" ring terminals attached, connect the coupler to the antenna on your tower. Use a SS bolt (3/8"-24) to connect one ring terminal to the remotely mounted coupler. A company named D. Lilly makes a SS adapter to connect a Loran C whip to a marine antenna mount (1"-14); you would probably need one of those. Secure the other ring terminal between the Loran whip and the adapter. Check SNR. I use this setup, and it works well for me. Good luck.
Boatsb
03-20-2007, 12:55 PM
I hope you mean GPS. If so I dont know why 12 gage would be used as I see all the antennas on coax.

If you are talking loran I would drop the loran and put on a GPS. Even a handheld
unit is more accurate and will be less trouble.
JLR
03-20-2007, 01:04 PM
I have two Northstar GPS units already. The loran is to be able to use old spots for fishing. As for the coax, it is used to the coupler. The whip just sits on top of the coupler making a metal to metal connection.
Trojan
03-20-2007, 03:45 PM
It might work with degraded performance. The addition of the wire between the antenna and loran coil will change the operating frequency of the antenna and coil. Plus as the wire moves, it will very the signal strength to the unit. I would not do it.


BILL
JLR
03-20-2007, 04:06 PM
Bill - will it make a difference in a strong signal area?
Boatsb
03-20-2007, 04:30 PM
Convret the spots by exporting the loran info or just writing them down. Enter them into the GPS and come on over to the 21st century.

By the time you rig the antenna and offset the change in load and wavelength it picks up you will have spent more time and will have iffy results.
Trojan
03-20-2007, 09:10 PM
Probably won't make much difference in a high signal area.


Bill
JLR
03-21-2007, 07:32 AM
I will be using it it a high signal area only. Conversions from loran to gps are terribly inaccurate.