VHF Problem: Radio or Antenna

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Take a listen and give me your opinion. Radio does receive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYxh...ature=youtu.be

Suggestions for testing?

[SEVEN]

Not a clue. However it sounds like a machine gun.

[Boatsb]

Put it on a meter check the output check the receive and the vswr

[MadHatter53]

I once cleaned the curly cord by stretching it to get into the curls. Inside the cord is a small strand of copper that is a ground well it broke and couldn't receive but could xmit. I took the mic apart and found another gnd and used that and it worked great.

[In Too Deep]

Sounds like a radio not an antenna issue. I can't tell what model radio you are using but if possible remove the microphone. in the mic connector on the radio side short the push to talk pin to ground. (You'll need the radio schematic or some other reference material to determine the correct pin.) If it is a microphone problem you should hear a solid signal with no noise when the microphone is disconnected.

Could also be a low voltage condition when going into transmit as the current demand is much higher in transmit. When you key the microphone do the lights or display on the radio dim? You could probably rule this out by setting the radio to low power and testing again.

[Boatsb]

Stop playing video games on the radio.

Seriously though.

If it's over 4 or 5 years old, sell it to motoryachter or blowboater, but a new icom m506 with nmea2000 and ais receive. They're not that much and I've installed a bunch with no issues.

PM me if you need pricing and model number information.

Remember the radio is relatively inexpensive and can be the last communications device you have working when the SHTF.

[Briankinley2004]

Just because it happened to me but not with the machine gun. Do you happen to use a splitter on the antennae. I put new antennae on mine and it still wouldn't transmit properly. Ditched the splitter and both radios would operate properly on their own antennae.

[Boatsb]

I only use active splitters and only for vhf/ais systems.

Antennas and antenna cables are often the problem. Extensions too. If your a serious offshore fisherman you want the icom radio and the digital antenna.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Thanks to all the respondaderos. Problem is now resolved. I was about to make a jumper to connect radio to other antenna when I found the issue. The coax to radio connection was one of those threaded (on coax) terminals; it was loose. It was the first thing I checked a week ago. I guess I should've pulled harder. So for now, it's reinstalled with two layers of heat shrink with a little extra glue and strain relief added. Proper terminal to follow.

My signal now be 5 X 5. Aslan out.

[Boatsb]

Solder is the only way to terminate a pl259. The squeeze on connectors should be illegal to install. They always go bad.