On Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:26:19 -0800, Dave Platt wrote:

In article , Meat Plow
wrote:

I've been fighting off the temptation to just remove the SMA, drill
out the hole, and replacing it with a BNC.

That might be difficult considering the SMA on the VX-5 is recessed.
Also I don't know if there's room inside bor the butt end of a BNC.

What I was thinking, was mounting the BNC on the top of the case...
there appears to be enough metal surrounding the recessed-SMA mounting
hold to support it. Stick the "butt end" of the BNC down through the
SMA mounting hole and into the case. I'd probably need to fix it into
place with epoxy rather than using a nut, though.

I'd rather just place a new SMA and nut with thread grip then use the
factory duck. I didn't have problems until replacing the factory duck
with a poorly fit OEM.

It'd certainly be an invasive mod, and probably quite unnecessary. I
wouldn't do it unless I didn'd mind trashing the radio - or at least the
case. If I even run into a "beater" VX-5, with an intact case but a
fried radio, I might buy it and just try modding the case.

I've had to tighten up the SMA on mine maybe twice. But I also use an
OEM antenna and I'm not sure if that contributes because the OEMS don't
seat all the way down in. I ended up putting a small grommet around the
bottom of the SMA on the radio so the antenna tightens down on the
chassis rather than just the threads. Seems to have cured the problem.

I generally use an SMA-to-BNC adapter, with a grommit-like arrangement
made out of a couple of thicknesses of rubber tubing, and then use an
aftermarket BNC antenna.

I guess it just depends how careful you are. I've placed the dual band
FT-60 on the VX-5 now since 6 meter is out of range for an HT here and
it's been stable for years. The stock duck with the screw on tip isn't
pocket or belt material for sure. Bu the FT-60 duck seems to cooperate
nicely for what my needs are.



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