The 10 Most Important Antennas for Your Boat

If you own a yacht or a sailboat, then you know how important antennas are. They don’t just help you run your equipment, but they help you keep your sanity by providing information, communication, and entertainment. Here are some of the most important antennas that people use for their boats.

• The number one antenna that nearly every boat uses is a VHF antenna. This is a very important one because the majority of verbal communication between ships is done over a VHF radio. If you don’t have one of these, then you need to get one as soon as possible.

• There is another kind of radio that people use besides VHF. It is called SSB, or Single-Sideband. This radio is used for personal conversations and works a lot like a telephone. You can get in huge trouble for trying to start personal conversations over VHF, so if you think you will need it, get an SSB antenna and save yourself from severe penalties.

• Another important antenna is a radar antenna. If you have ever used radar, then you know just how useful it can be. It helps keep you, your boat, and all the people aboard safe. It also helps keep other boats safe from you.

• GPS+WAAS antennas are very useful. Sometimes there are slight errors in GPS information. However, WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) helps to correct any errors in GPS data so that you can have the most precise information. This precise information will help you navigate all the better.

• LORAN use has been declining in recent years thanks to GPS, but it is still used by a lot of people. LORAN stands for LOng RAnge Navigation. Unlike GPS, which is satellite based, LORAN is terrestrial based. A LORAN station will send out radio pulses and the boat will transmit its own pulse back. There is also a secondary station that does the same thing. These three signals help to triangulate the boat’s position, course, and speed. As you can see, an antenna is very important for this.

• Weather plays a huge role in maritime navigation. So, if you want to stay up to date on the weather, then you can get your own weather station antenna.

• Communication is always a good thing. However, when you are on a boat, it can be difficult to keep in touch with people on land. But don’t worry. You can get a cellular antenna for your boat that will enable you to use your cell phone while you are at sea.

• On top of communication and navigation, sometimes you need some entertainment. One form of entertainment that some people enjoy is television. That is why there are new antennas for boats that enable you to pick up local digital television broadcasts.

• Another form of entertainment that nearly everyone likes is music. If you like music or even talk radio, then you can get an AM/FM antenna for your boat.

• If you like music, talk radio, sports, comedy and more but hate a bunch of commercials, then maybe you will want an XM radio antenna. Of course, you will need to pay a subscription fee for the service.

As you can see, antennas are very important and serve a wide variety of uses. I hope you have learned more about antennas and their various applications, and now perhaps you can make your maritime leisure time more enjoyable.