Yes, usually – depending on the type and quality of combination antenna. Generally reception performance for the VHF side is somewhat sacrificed. Shakespeare recommends using separate antennas if space is available for them.

Shakespeare recommends using a separate antenna for this purpose, if possible. Band separators were designed for boats that don’t have room for two antennas. Be sure the antennas are mounted at least three feet apart.

Gain is an increase in effective radiated power (ERP) from an antenna, usually stated in dB (deciBels). As a rule of thumb, you can multiply the radio’s output power by 4 for 6dB antennas and by 8 for 9dB antennas. A 3dB antenna gain gives an ERP of 2 times the radio’s output power. A Unity Gain antenna provides no increase in ERP.

Yes. Shakespeare’s antennas can be painted any color you wish. Be sure not to use any paint containing metallic chips or lead bases. To prepare the surface, wash the antenna with soap and water and allow it to dry completely. Paint the antenna with polyurethane or a lead free, non-metallic paint.

Yes. Wash the antenna with soap and water first and allow it to dry completely. Next, paint the antenna with polyurethane or a lead free, non-metallic paint. Then lightly sand the surface with 400-grit sandpaper. Additional coats of paint may be added, but are usually not really necessary.

This depends on the amount, as well as the type of coax used. On the average, 50 feet of RG-58 coax will have about 3dB loss, 50 feet of RG-8X coax will have about 2dB loss, and 50 feet of RG-213 (RG-8U) will have about 1dB loss.

It depends on your needs and the amount of space that is available to mount the antenna. Some considerations are: the height at which you can mount the antenna; whether you have to raise and lower it to fit under bridges, boathouses or other obstructions; and how far you need the transmitted signal to reach. The longer the antenna, the better coverage you can expect, generally speaking, if a larger antenna will fit on your boat. Always purchase the best antenna you can afford, since the antenna is the most important part of any VHF installation.

Yes, Shakespeare offers the CS-2 and AS-2 switches, which allow for hook-ups of this nature. The CS-2 switch permits using two antennas with one radio, or two radios with one antenna. The AS-2 is an automatic switch for two radios connecting to one antenna. It electronically senses which transceiver is used and switches the antenna. Further instructions are on the packages.

Some antennas are DC grounded and will indicate a short circuit when tested with an ohm meter. Antennas which do not use DC Grounding generally read as Open circuit on an Ohm meter

For non-commercial boaters using vessels which are not required to have ship’s radio stations, no FCC license is required for local cruising. “Local” means USA waters only. If you cruise and sail into foreign waters of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, you must have an FCC issued license and callsign. Also, mariners who operate a marine SSB and/or INMARSAT phone must have an FCC issued callsign. The FCC callsign is also required for a marine “Sailmail” e-mail address. If you have marine single sideband (SSB) radio onboard, or plan to have one installed soon, the law requires an FCC ship station license. If you cruise to foreign ports, any radio onboard must be licensed. Even so, you may obtain an FCC license and callsign if you want one. Since 1999, DSC (Digital Selective Calling) capability has been required for all VHF marine radios sold in the United States. If your radio has this feature, you must obtain a nine-digit maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) and install it into the unit before you transmit. The MMSI is unique, like a phone number, and can assist the Coast Guard in finding your vessel in an emergency, among other uses. If you’re not required to have a license, the MMSI is obtained from private companies. To obtain a license, if you need or want one, contact the FCC at www.fcc.gov. The information in this answer is located here.

Currently, an FCC license application does not need to be filled out unless your boat is over 65′ or unless you’re applying for a DSC number. See this link for further information.

Yes, contact your local FCC office for particular license requirements, of visit the FCC at www.fcc.gov.

Yes, if you need to. However, you should leave at least three feet of coax, measured from where the cable exits the antenna. Note: This is NOT true for all antennas. CB antennas’ coax generally should NOT be cut. See separate question regarding CB antennas’ cable length. Reasonable lengths of excess cable can be rolled in a coil of at least 8 inch diameter and stowed in an out-of-the-way place.

You should transmit to a friend’s receiver from a range of known distances. Have the friend assess your transmission for quality. Note that the U.S. Coast Guard frowns on radio test calls made to them. To measure the efficiency of your antenna/radio system more scientifically, Shakespeare makes an antenna / radio testers – the ART-3 Tester. The ART-3 measures transceiver output power, antenna VSWR, and proper receiver sensitivity. See the Troubleshooting Video for other information and suggestions.

An instruction sheet for installing the PL-259 connector is included with the antenna. Follow the instructions and consult the diagrams. For true ease of installation without soldering, check out Shakespeare’s innovative Centerpin® solderless connectors. The PL-259-CP and PL-258-CP connectors are gold-plated brss construction. The web pages for the connectors include links to download PDF versions of the instruction sheets, including PL-259. Connectors instruction sheets are available at here (PDF). Also see How-To Install a PL-259 Marine Connector, online here and on YouTube.

Yes. It is best to locate the antenna at least three feet from any metal objects or other antennas.

No, it must be at least three feet away from the radio, so transmission will not interfere with the radio’s reception (usually resulting in a squeal coming out of the speaker).

Not necessarily. Shakespeare VHF and CB Marine Band antennas are designed with independent ground planes built in. SSB antennas, on the other hand, must be properly grounded.

It can range from 1/4 wave to 5/8 wave, depending on the length and style of antenna. Please see the antennas’ specifications section for information on your particular antenna.

There is no particular height requirement. However, the higher the antenna, the better the antenna’s range and performance. Satellite Radio antennas only need a clear view of the Southern sky – for them, height is not as important as the unobstructed view to the satellites.

On all Shakespeare VHF Marine antennas the receiving zone is 360 degrees – or omni-directional.

The beam width for all Shakespeare VHF Marine antennas is between 24 and 26 degrees.

The antennas differ in type and size of their elements, plus the way the antennas’ fiberglass is wrapped, and the coax that is used. These factors determine the basic cost of building the antennas. To this, add the relative cost of the finish that is applied.

Maximum power input varies with the model and type of antenna. Please see the antenna specifications pages. The marine products catalogs contain convenient side-by-side comparison charts for each antenna type. A comparison chart for Shakespeare European operations is online here.

Generally NO! On all Shakespeare Galaxy® CB antennas and all but one Shakespeare Classic CB antennas, the coax is part of an electronically “tuned” system and should NOT be cut or altered. Changing the length of the cable on one of these antennas will destroy the antenna – damage that cannot be repaired. You cannot simply splice the cable back together and restore the correct performance. Two Shakespeare CB antennas are specially built to allow trimming the coax: the Galaxy® Style 5223-XT and the Shakespeare Classic Style 5207. Note that this answer applies to CB Marine Band antennas – VHF antenna coax is not part of a tuned system, and can be trimmed. Reasonable lengths of excess cable can be rolled in a coil of at least 8 inch diameter and stowed in an out-of-the-way place.

No, this will change the tuning of the antenna – and also voids the warranty. If coax needs to be passed through a bulkhead, you can add additional coax, which can be cut or altered, with a bulkhead mountable barrel connector that passes through the hole. Reasonable lengths of excess cable can be rolled in a coil of at least 8 inch diameter and stowed in an out-of-the-way place.

Most Shakespeare CB Marine Band antennas are pretuned at the factory and do not need any additional tuning. Shakespeare’s Galaxy® Style 5223-XT and the Classic Style 5207 can be retuned after the coax has been cut. Instructions for doing so are packed with the antennas. See the installation support section for links to the antennas’ instruction sheets.

There can be quite a number of reasons for this. The most usual reasons are coax having been cut or altered, coax running through conduit, antennas located near metal objects, or people standing too close to the antenna while SWR readings are being taken.

No, all Shakespeare CB Marine Band antennas have independent ground planes built into them.

The radials can point either up or down. Neither direction will affect the performance of the antenna.

No. Shakespeare’s CB antennas do not require this type of tuning. Also see the question regarding altering cable length.

All Shakespeare SeaWatch® Marine TV antennas are digital HDTV receiver ready. However, if your TV is not digital ready, a digital to analog converter box is required.

If the TV antenna was purchased after 2001 and has gold-plated connectors, the antenna is digitally ready.

Only units of Style 2040 and 2050 which were manufactured in 2000 are affected. Style 2030-G was originally listed erroneously by the USCG. A corrected Alert removed the 2030-G from the list. For complete information, click here.

Check the voltage from the power supply for 17 vAC on AC operation and 12 vDC on DC operation. If you are experiencing difficulties, try moving out of the slip to see if interference from other boats might be causing your reception problem. VHF TV transmission is line-of-sight, so at sea level you’re quite possibly out of “view” of the TV signal.

Marine TV antennas have the same limitations as the ones that install on top of your home. Poor reception can be caused by location, height (for example, is your boat at sea level?), atmospheric conditions, and power.

Yes. However, be sure to seal the coax connector located on the underside of the antenna.

No. TV signals bounce off of flat, reflective surfaces, which would effectively shield the antenna from the station’s broadcast.

Yes. In fact, the reception can be excellent, depending on where you are. For best results, mount the antenna in a clear area, away from obstructions.

Your Shakespeare SeaWatch® Marine TV Antenna is doing its job too well. It’s delivering too much signal, overloading the TV’s Automatic Gain Control circuitry. Use an in-line attenuator (available at most Radio Shack stores, for example) to reduce the antenna’s signal to a usable level. Shakespeare’s SeaWatch® 2025 Marine TV Antenna System uses dual amplifiers to permit boosting or attenuating the signal as needed. The control panel for the 2025 is available as an upgrade for other Shakespeare antennas as SeaWatch® Style 2025-CP.

Yes, two TV’s will work with one antenna, as long as the total coax run is kept relatively short.

SeaWatch® Marine TV Antennas carry a Shakespeare Limited Warranty for 1 Year from the date of purchase. You can inspect the warranty’s terms here (PDF).

No, a booster just amplifies the signal that is being received. Boosters are used for increasing signal strength for multiple TV installations with long runs of coax.

No, this is not a stock replacement part from Shakespeare. The antenna head has to be returned to Shakespeare for repair.