VHF does not send or recieve

[Jim/OUR PET]

The stock VHF radio is not sending or receiving, but it does receive weather reports when tuned into the WX frequencies. I've checked the connections at the top of the mast and at the bottom where it disconnects when stowing. I don't see any obvious problems. The metal antenna did pop out one day while motoring and fell to the deck. I re-inserted it when we got home. I'm also guilty of taking the mast down and rolling it forward to its stowed position w/o disconnecting the antenna fitting. Pulled the fitting apart I did repair it, but perhaps not correctly?

Your diagnosis/suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks much

[zuma hans]

I hope you didn't press the transmit button while your radio's antenna was removed.

You could have fried your transmitter and receiver. Several watts of RF (radio frequency AKA electricity) have to be dissipated into an antenna or dummy load. No load and the RF will discharge into the innards of the radio and fry it.

In the old days I's advise you to take it to a ham repair shop. With radios so cheap nowadays, buy a new one and forget it.

[mgg4]

In the old days I's advise you to take it to a ham repair shop. With radios so cheap nowadays, buy a new one and forget it.

And nowadays, the radios are so compact, and use integrated circuits and computer chips, it may not even be possible to repair, except by completely replacing the entire circuit board. At that point, I agree with Zuma, you might as well upgrade to the latest model.

--Mark

[Tony D-26X_SusieQ]

There is a possibility that you inadvertently created a short circuit when you reassembled the connector. Check that all of the shielding wires are folded back and that none are in contact with the core wire. You may have broken the core wire at another spot inside the cable when you moved the mast. My first choice would be to check out the entire attena rig before you start looking at the radio.

[Rich Plumb]

I would first suspect the cable coming down the mast, especially at the mast base. If you are on the trailer, a simple test might be to remove the antenna from the mast and connect it directly to where the cable comes out of the deck. Prop the antenna up with something non-conductive and try your radio. If the radio still does not work, disconnect it from that part of the cable in the cabin and check that cable with an ohm meter.

Rich Plumb "Plumb Crazy"
Covington, WA

[Jim/OUR PET]

Rich,

I like that idea. That's what I'll try b/f buying a new radio. Thanks for the info all that responded.

Jim V.

[Don B]

Or remove the radio from the boat and plug it into someone elses VHF antennae, or borrow a antennae and hook it up to your radio.

I am guessing you wired your antennae wrong when you repaired it.

IMHO if you fried it as mentioned in other posts with no load on transmit which is entirely possible. The transmit portion of the radio would be fried. While the receive portion may still work like the weather portion does.

On the other hand have you been near any thunderstorms lately ???

And.... you want to make sure you have repaired the antennae properly before plugging in a new radio.

-Don B