VHF questions

[Fastdoc98]

Pardon my ignorance on this topic since I sail tiny little man-made reservoirs in the middle of cornfields, so VHF isn't a high priority, but I'm thinking ahead about bigger trips on bigger waters.  I'm thinking about a mast-mounted VHF antenna as that provides the best line of sight strength but connecting my hand-held to it.  Is that just stupid?  Like, is it better to just buy a dedicated fixed mount as opposed to trying to use the handheld?  I know the power output between the two is different, but I'm just spitballin here since I have no idea what I'm talking about.  And how do masthead mounted antennae do when trailering?  I am imagining with the Mast-Ender system I could run coax down the mast and have a coupler at the hinge point just like the wires for the lighting in the mast.  Curious as to what others have done.

[crazycarl]

I have both. The base mount is installed on the cabin ceiling just inside on the starboard side. The cable runs up the compression post and through the cabin top with connectors, and inside the mast. It needs to be disconnnected when trailing and the antenna removed. I keep the handheld in the cockpit in a "ditch bag". I have used the base unit to communicate over 10 miles, but that is a rare occasion. The handheld unit would be sufficient 99% of the time.

A mast mounted auxiliary antenna would greatly improve your distance, but may not be warranted depending on where you're sailing.

[Fastdoc98]

Realistically this would only apply to bigger trips that I'm hoping to take as opposed to my usual activity.  It sounds like maybe I'm making it more complicated than I need it to be.  Plus, one more thing to connect/disconnect when I launch and retrieve.