Reply With QuoteDielectric grease is non conductive Bob as far as I know, so I think you're introducing a 12db or so attenuation. I'd clean off the threads until shiny and retry.
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Recently installed a Uniden vhf radio and gme 1.2 mt antenna, I get a lot of static that cant be squelched out and the incoming is noisy and useless, one thing I did was to smear dielectric grease to the thread on the antenna mount, as it was difficult to remove the old 27meg antenna, would this cause the problem?
Dielectric grease is non conductive Bob as far as I know, so I think you're introducing a 12db or so attenuation. I'd clean off the threads until shiny and retry.
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Yeah as the post before me says, dielectric grease isn’t conductive, so you need to remove it from the contact point (the threads).Originally Posted by bobfromblacky
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There are carbon greases that would do the job for you, also the odd aluminium based grease around. Can't give you the name of the carbon grease I use as the label has long worn off.
Thanks for your replies,
“Dielectric grease” non conducting! Makes good sense, pays to read the label, will clean it out and check next time I’m out
I have a tube of permatex anti seize here, its full of all sorts of conductive stuff, should I carefully apply some it to the thread or is that getting stupid?
Most antiseize compounds appear to be conductive but you are introducing another variable here. Clean the connection first, see if it gets rid of the static and if so then try the antisieze.
Have cleaned the base threads as best I could and the incoming was still noisy, next step I applied zinc based anti seize and the incoming slightly better but still very noisy.
While out there I heard another boat call cg for radio check, their position was maybe 2 kays from me and clear as a bell though the cg reply was again noisy.
I dont really use the radio to transmit or ask for radio checks cause I'm not sure if Its allowed being un licensed, but I do like to hear the weather reports via coast guard.
So I'm wondering if its a range issue and that a taller antenna would help?
Do the course and be legal, lots to learn e.g. when not to use the radio, seems a lot of users I've heard didn't get licenses, lasts a lifetime and is an alternative id if ever needed as it is a federal government issue.
I'm glad I did it as had to use a Pan Pan 3 years ago whilst on another vessel, held me up in good stead.
Your static issues may best be addressed by radio repairers before you part with more cash for another arial.
I am gathering from you reference to the 27mhz old base being " too hard to remove" that you have utilised that for your new setup? Moisture works it's way into those cables on a boat, as it does on any cable on a boat, and it corrodes from within. This will cause a high impedance, and attenuate signal, which would explain the boats nearby being easy to pick up, and the coast-based station being weak. I think you just need to get that old base out, and replace with a new one.
Di-electric grease is wonderful stuff for keeping moisture/corrosion off electrical contacts. It has to be non-conductive, or it would simply cause shorts or low impedance tracks between differing potentials. You can smother stuff with it, as long as they are a tight contact to start with. Good spring tension in the contacts will ensure they are hard metal to metal. If contact is not hard, or maybe there is corrosion already on the surfaces, its bad.
I had an example of this just this week. The EOH trailer brakes started acting up, no braking, then error flashes on the controller , ( Redarc Towpro Elite) , then working fine. I went straight to the plug . All connections were perfect, ( i use bootlace ferrules on the wire ends) but the large male prongs looked a bit crushed in, no gap in the slit, and there was doubltless a less than perfect surface on the females. My normal solution is to insert something thin like a stanley knife blade into the slit on the male prongs to spread them ever so slightly, and clean the female contacts. I've seen people tearing their hair out over trailer "faults" when the solution was this simple.
But I overdid it, and one half of a large male prong snapped off. So I just fitted a new plug, and all the problems were gone. I am loathe to use di-electric grease on trailer plugs ( except Andersens) , because the constant plugging/unplugging of something like a trailer plug means it wears/loses tension quite quickly, and I think the non-conductive aspect would just accelerate that process.
If this is TLR for you, to sum it up
Dielctric grease is good on good clean tight contacts
Dielctric grease on old, worn, dirty contacts just makes it worse.
Yes that is correct, old 27 meg base, will fit a new base and report back when its not 2 deg out on the water
yep something I will pursue
Well spotted by Ranmar, I missed the 27 meg base. I've had to replace a newer vhf base due to corrosion.
My last replacement of base and arial included additional dual wall heatshrink on the arial as often the nice shiny stuff used doesn't seal, Sealed the base top and bottom where the cable enters, wrapped the coax connection in self amalgamating tape. Should last me a few years longer than my last one.
Got the boat out yesterday with a new antenna base temporarily attached.
1.2 mt antenna mounted on side of boat: rx better but still a bit noisy
1.2 mt antenna strapped up high to rocket launcher: rx pretty bloody good, some noise but much clearer
leaves me with this, side mounted means the antenna sits beside canopy frame and rocket launcher which may cause and obstruction, so do I install a taller antenna and are all the bits in the top of the whip and would that achieve a clearer line of site?
or do I mount it on top off the launcher which means a new base and a fair bit of pissing about?
Thanks for all of your previous replies.
Firstly, VHF is line of sight, meaning the higher something is mounted, the further it can see and be seen, without even worrying about obstruction. If you side mount it, much of the aerial will be obscured by the window frames, etc, if you are facing the wrong way. They definitely work better the higher up you put them.
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