Question about fiberglass VHF antennas...

[Navatech]

The fiberglass VHF antennas on my Berty and their extensions both seem to be having "sun burn"... They "shed" what seems to be a fine powder (with some "glassy" flakes in it)...

They still work though... Is there any way of "fixing" them?!... Maybe "paint" them with diluted epoxy?!...

[Corey Mason]

I'm curious about this as well.

On my boat the red paint on the bottom rubs off when you touch it. I thought I cut myself the other day because the shirt I was wearing was blood red...then I realized it was the boat coming off, "shedding" like you mention.

Curious if its the same thing.

[Tony Meola]

I will do a search, bive me a couple of days. I remember Capt. Pat saying you could coat them with some type of Urethane.

[Pete Fallon]

Nav,
The sun does a number on the VHF antennas after about 10 to 15 years. I have had high end Shakespeare 9 db antennas do the shedding process and the low end ones from Boat/US do the same thing just a little faster. I have tried sanding then coating them with clear polyurethane or painting them with Algrip which only lasts for a year or two. The 8' and 16' extension masts do the same thing after extended exposure in the harsh Florida , Bahamas and PR sun. I haven't found any type of coating that lasts more than a couple of years after the UV light starts breaking them down. Appling Woody Wax seems to slow the breaking down process. Bite the bullet and buy new high end antennas of at least 9 DB strength, the higher the antenna the better the reception/transmission is, also make sure the PL258-259 connector ends have a good soldered joint and are free from corrosion.
Pete Fallon

[Navatech]

I have had high end Shakespeare 9 db antennas do the shedding process and the low end ones from Boat/US do the same thing just a little faster.

AFAIK Shakespeare makes them for a few others under their own branding... For example, West Marine...

Bite the bullet and buy new high end antennas of at least 9 DB strength

Seeing as I have three of these... Plus the extensions... All 8' long... That's going to be somewhere in the area of 8-9 hundred dollars... I'd rather spend 1-2 hundred for now...

also make sure the PL258-259 connector ends have a good soldered joint and are free from corrosion.

Done...

[Carl]

I had planned to give mine a light sand then paint a thinned epoxy.
Also toyed with a light sand and clear lacquer or urethane with UV stuff...(sorry for high tech explanation)

But then got a new-ish hand me down and went with that, so no idea if it would hold up.

[Rawleigh]

This is supposed to be very UV stable.

http://www.por15.com/POR-15-2K-Urethane_p_123.html

[Navatech]

This is supposed to be very UV stable.

UV stable but "rock hard" (from the link)... Not good for whip style antennas that do flex now and again...

I've been looking at the "Ultra V High Build" epoxy by Flex Coat... It's a rod wrapping finish for people that build fishing rods (i.e. highly flexible and UV resistant)... I've contacted by email and am waiting for their input...

[Dug]

The flexing eventually cracks the paint and they start to just be a fiberglass antenna. At that point don't grab them unless wearing gloves... I don't think there is really anything that can salvage them at that point..

[TailhookTom]

When I redid Tailhook, I put one of these on her - this antenna was, in a word, AWESOME. I could easily transmit from my dock in Niantic, CT across to friends in Montauk, CT -- not too bad to have well over 20 miles carry on a boat sitting in a low basin in a back bay, and as you can see, it is all metal -- no fiberglass problems. They aren't cheap, but what is on a boat? For my pursuit I recently upgraded the peeling and fraying fiberglass antenna with a Shakespeare 5225 Galaxy XT -- it seems to be a quite functional antenna.

Tom

http://gamelectronicsinc.com/products/tg-series/

[Carl]

The flexing eventually cracks the paint and they start to just be a fiberglass antenna. At that point don't grab them unless wearing gloves... I don't think there is really anything that can salvage them at that point..

I'd agree painting would most likely be a short term solution. Should last a bit longer on the rigid extension pole...which is what I used to brush up against at times...or needed to hold to lower to pass under bridges. The whip section, being way up there...long as it transmitted and received I was good.

A quick look around and saw something interesting...heat shrink tube. Another search shows it comes in large diameters, in white, clear and colors...slide it over, add some heat to give watertight seal...trim ends. I use over tinned spliced wires, seems to have held up well in the elements. Flexible, clean looking, quick and inexpensive...don't like, a razor blade to remove. Might get a couple seasons from it...as plastic degrades and gets dingy. Just another thought.


Or just walk into boating store...tell em what you need, plop down that plastic card, give a sign, grab your new stuff and install. Now your set for antennas for several years.
Its a boat, if you don't spend it on this, you'll spend it on that....cause..well, as I said...its a boat.

[Navatech]

A quick look around and saw something interesting...heat shrink tube. Another search shows it comes in large diameters, in white, clear and colors...slide it over, add some heat to give watertight seal...trim ends. I use over tinned spliced wires, seems to have held up well in the elements. Flexible, clean looking, quick and inexpensive...don't like, a razor blade to remove. Might get a couple seasons from it...as plastic degrades and gets dingy. Just another thought.

I actually looked into that... But the cost was prohibitive... Just a couple of hundred dollars less then getting new antennas...

Or just walk into boating store...tell em what you need, plop down that plastic card, give a sign, grab your new stuff and install. Now your set for antennas for several years. Its a boat, if you don't spend it on this, you'll spend it on that....cause..well, as I said...its a boat.

If I were convinced I was keeping the boat I'd do that in a heartbeat... But, considering my business troubles it's quite possible I'll have to sell her... So, at this point, I want to keep things working and no more...

[Carl]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-4-WHITE-100 ... SweW5VMYNj

[Navatech]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-4-WHITE-100 ... SweW5VMYNj

THANKS!!! That's a LOT cheaper then the stuff I was looking at... I don't think I'd use this on electrical stuff on the boat but this looks like it's exactly what Dr. ordered for this application... Now I have to measure exactly what size to get and I'll be golden!...

I'd probably have to buy 2 sizes (the antenna tapers towards the top) but with 200' I could redo these once a year for at least 3 years...

[Carl]

Smaller diameter material should be less expensive too...

[Tony Meola]

[/quote]THANKS!!! That's a LOT cheaper then the stuff I was looking at... I don't think I'd use this on electrical stuff on the boat but this looks like it's exactly what Dr. ordered for this application... Now I have to measure exactly what size to get and I'll be golden!...

I'd probably have to buy 2 sizes (the antenna tapers towards the top) but with 200' I could redo these once a year for at least 3 years...[/quote]


http://www.ebay.com/itm/X-Tube-Heat-Shr ... uwGPN5TsSQ

Nave

How about this. It is about 5 foot long so you would use two sections. Might be better, since it is made for fishing rods.

[Navatech]

How about this. It is about 5 foot long so you would use two sections. Might be better, since it is made for fishing rods.

Even better (though I'd really like white)... I've contacted the seller about white, UV resistant 8' sections... I'll update as I go along...

As for the Flex Coat epoxy, they got back to me and they agree it would work... The problem is the application... You need to turn the antenna for 2 hours after application... I assume that's to ensure an equal application... Not going to do it for me as I'd rather not take them down...