Mounting VHF antenna on front of mast

[Jammer]

I'm doing some thought experiments on bridge clearance.

Has anyone mounted a VHF or AIS antenna to the front or side of the mast, about 2/3 of the way up? How much clearance is required between the mast and the antenna in order to maintain good RF performance? Is it possible to find a good location that is clear of the shrouds and that does not interfere with sail handling? How does this work overall compared to an antenna on the mast cap?

[Paul Elliott]

You can probably get away with mounting a short whip antenna out on the spreader (depending on the size of your mast and spreader). You don't want the antenna to touch the shroud, and if you can get it two feet or more from the mast the antenna pattern won't be too bad. You will see a few dB of directionality, but probably not enough to make a big difference.

But I would certainly recommend that you mount it at the masthead if you can manage it. I hope you noticed all the times I used the word "probably"!