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21-02-2009, 19:01
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NOT on Long Island - Look elsewhere! :-)
Boat: Beneteau 50
Posts: 451
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What is this thing at the top of the mast?
Can anyone identify what this is?
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21-02-2009, 19:22
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Cruising NC, FL, Bahamas, TCI & VIs
Boat: 1964 Pearson Ariel 'Faith' / Pearson 424, sv Emerald Tide
Posts: 1,531
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I have seen stubby cell phone antennas that looked like that. It could also be a loran antenna, does it extend down the mast at all?
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21-02-2009, 19:22
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Back in Northern California working on the Ranch
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
Posts: 10,466
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__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"
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21-02-2009, 19:30
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NOT on Long Island - Look elsewhere! :-)
Boat: Beneteau 50
Posts: 451
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'
I have seen stubby cell phone antennas that looked like that. It could also be a loran antenna, does it extend down the mast at all?
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Not sure, haven't been up there yet.
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21-02-2009, 19:31
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NOT on Long Island - Look elsewhere! :-)
Boat: Beneteau 50
Posts: 451
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'
I have seen stubby cell phone antennas that looked like that. It could also be a loran antenna, does it extend down the mast at all?
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There's no loran onboard currently. (Maybe there was one earlier?)
I'm thinking it's a cell phone antenna. Actually hoping, since we coastal cruise. I'll have to look at the connection on the other end.
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22-02-2009, 01:37
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#6
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,126
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I thought, but could be wrong, that LORAN antennas were all about 8' long.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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22-02-2009, 02:14
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 18
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It can also be a wifistick antenna.
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22-02-2009, 06:02
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NOT on Long Island - Look elsewhere! :-)
Boat: Beneteau 50
Posts: 451
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DOCHO
It can also be a wifistick antenna.
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Nice antenna. That would be probably good for pulling in that wifi across the way.
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22-02-2009, 08:51
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#9
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cruiser
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: No longer post here
Boat: Catalac Catamaran
Posts: 2,462
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It looks to me that it's an old mounting for a long gone windex
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22-02-2009, 09:32
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: UK
Boat: S M Hudson 60' narrowboat
Posts: 347
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DOCHO
It can also be a wifistick antenna.
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Unlikely to be WiFi antenna. The attenuation @ 2.4Ghz of such a long cable run would be too great I would have thought. But maybe someone just put it there anyway
__________________
Richard
If in doubt RTFM
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22-02-2009, 10:02
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NOT on Long Island - Look elsewhere! :-)
Boat: Beneteau 50
Posts: 451
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I'm going to the boat shortly. I see about getting a picture of the connector on the end of the antenna cable, to see if we can solve this mystery.
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22-02-2009, 10:40
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: St Augustine, FL
Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 461
Posts: 350
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Would you like another one of those?...
Quote:
Originally Posted by bene505
Can anyone identify what this is?
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My boat came with an antenna just like that and it was a (Nokia) cell antenna for - if I remember correctly - 800MHz service. I replaced it with a dual band wireless set up to be able to keep my Verizon Wireless card and Blackberry reception/transmission working. You should have an amplifier back behind your nav station panel - You may want check the "marine" tab of Cell Phone Antennas and Cell Phone Boosters at Wilson Electronics - that's the type of equipment I installed on Layla.
Good luck!
Sailndive
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22-02-2009, 10:53
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: St Augustine, FL
Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 461
Posts: 350
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Since you mentioned wanting cell service (going coastal cruising) ... You may want to verify that frequency of your cell service provider and this set up on your boat are compatible. Since I telecommute from Layla, I had to upgrade my set up to include 1900 MHz for PCS service. The Wilson link that I posted earlier lists providers and frequencies.
Sailndive
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22-02-2009, 15:31
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NOT on Long Island - Look elsewhere! :-)
Boat: Beneteau 50
Posts: 451
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Thanks SailnDive, I'll have to check that all out.
The mystery continues. The antenna wire coming down the mast goes to behind a nav staion panel. The connector was cut off and the cable was crudely spliced to a Sirius-ready AM/FM radio.
Right near that spot, there's a 12v power switch that I didn't notice before. It goes to a little power plug.
All we have now is the power plug that probably went into the unit, and the 2 left over mounting holes (one is 1 3/4 inches above the other one). Also, the antenna cable had a small pin soldered onto the center wire. Finally, we know that it was desirable to have a separate switch to turn it off -- it probably used some amps in standby, even when it was turned off fro mthe front panel.
I'll post a picture of the plug as soon as possible. Good mystery.
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22-02-2009, 16:13
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: St Augustine, FL
Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 461
Posts: 350
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bene505
Thanks SailnDive, I'll have to check that all out.
The mystery continues. The antenna wire coming down the mast goes to behind a nav staion panel. The connector was cut off and the cable was crudely spliced to a Sirius-ready AM/FM radio.
Right near that spot, there's a 12v power switch that I didn't notice before. It goes to a little power plug.
All we have now is the power plug that probably went into the unit, and the 2 left over mounting holes (one is 1 3/4 inches above the other one). Also, the antenna cable had a small pin soldered onto the center wire. Finally, we know that it was desirable to have a separate switch to turn it off -- it probably used some amps in standby, even when it was turned off fro mthe front panel.
I'll post a picture of the plug as soon as possible. Good mystery.
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From way out here in frozen Minnetonka, MN, it seems as if someone decided they did not want the cell phone amplifier (definitely uses a few amps on standby - I have a panel breaker for it) any more and converted the system to a AM/FM radio antenna... It was probably too much hassle to remove the coax and masthead antenna where the amplifier removal was all too simple.... Not so sure this set up would work for the satellite radio reception, however...
Let us know, this is much better than watching TV
Sailndive
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