I am installing a VHF radio in my boat. My FM antenna is mounted forward inside the bow horizontally out of sight. My GPS mushroom antenna is also in the bow out of sight. Both FM & GPS work perfectly. I want to mount my 8' VHF antenna also inside the bow hirizontally and out of sight (don't want to ruin the lines of the boat). I know this will affect my VHF range but can I get 5 miles or so with this horizontal mount?

Thanks, TJ ...and by the way this is an excellent forum!

you should be fine for 5 miles. they are suppost to be good for 25-30 in optimal conditions. I would just lay it in the area where you want to mount it and try it out first and see how it does.

You'll lose range.
If you boat on open water it will be significant.

If you boat on riverways and curvy lakes, it will not matter so much, as landforms are responsible for chopping the range of even properly positioned antennas.

The radiation pattern of an antenna is sort of like ovals that swirl off the sides of an upright antenna. Your range to the sides will be hurt a little bit due to the lower installed height of the gunwale antenna. Your range in front and behind the boat will be most severely affected..

One thing's for sure. There's a lot more guys out there doing the same thing.

Thanks to both MC and hillbilly. You have answered my questions. At the distances I will be offshore I can do what I need to do for safety and not ruin my boat lines.

TJ

VHf works on line of site so height is important for range. Hiding it will work for short range. You might look at one of the base loaded antennas with the short metal stinger type antenna. Wherever you mount it make it easy on yourself and find a place to hide the wires.